A letter to my father

It’s been over 22 years since you passed away and not a minute goes by that I don’t miss you.  I remember your colorful expressions during Ohio State football games and when we kids got into trouble.  What I really miss is your advice dad.  I understand now what struggles and sacrifices you and Mom made to make it a better world for us.  I understand now the pain you endured during your illness and how spiritually strong you were.

They say it takes a lot to move a heavy stone but very little to move the human heart.  I did not tell you how I felt because, being men, that was certainly taboo.  And for an ex-Army soldier even more so.

I suppose we expressed our love through the actions we took and in the things we did for the family.  I so wanted to tell you how much I loved you.  I wanted you to know how much I appreciated what you did for us and the chances you gave to us in life.  I will never forget your service to our country and being a part of the ‘Greatest Generation’.  The peace you won still allows us the freedom to try and accomplish anything we set out to do.

I hope that I was not a disappointment to you dad.  I always wanted you to be proud of the man I have become.  I hope you are.  If you were here today, I would hug you every night and tell you that ‘I love you’ because life is just too short not to say the things that are in your heart.  It seems as in an instant, you are born, you live and then you are gone.

There is this scholar named Dr. Donald De Marco who said that ‘fatherhood means being a lover without being sentimental and being a supporter without being subordinate’.  You were all these things and more.  I hope you know how important you were to me and to the rest of the kids.

I hope you are listening.  It is hard for me not to show my emotions and, I admit, I am shedding a tear or two.  I hope you understand.  Tell mom I miss her too, I hope she is doing alright.  I will see you when I get there.

Love your son,

Joey

From Behind Closed Doors

There are many ways we can all hide from view.  One way is to lock ourselves behind a door.  That works for a while until someone decides to try and open it.  The next is to duck behind a bush.  This is the silliest of ways because I know personally, a 5’9” frame needs a pretty large bush to hide behind.  The last is to leave and run away from everything we know.  This creates loneliness and you know, God hates a vacuum. 

This is the dilemma the apostles had after the death of Jesus.  Out of shear fear they did the only child-like thing they knew how to do – to lock themselves up with the hope that no one would try and enter.  Jesus never wanted them to secluded.  His ministry was one of voyage and sensory experience; to make Himself known to everyone He could touch and heal.

Some fear openness because it leaves them vulnerable to ridicule and retribution but it can also be an avenue to self-discovery and sharing ourselves to others who need our love the most.  It teaches us to learn how to co-exist and be tolerable.  It also teaches us to care for one another and to protect their right to live.  Like the Beatles tune, “All we need is a little love”, it is more than mere words.  It is our heart spilled out and overflown through the very spirit of Christ.

He tried to explain to His followers that it was an unquenchable fire that simply could not be put out.  You cannot tame a wild beast but a lamb; he sits quietly by his shepherd and hears his voice.  Much like the “man behind the curtain”, this could be anyone of us.  Are we to be the fire that ignites the flame of faith or are we to be the light by which others follow?  You may never know, unless you find the courage to take that first step, guided by Christ as your friend and protector.  Jesus died for this very reason.  We are not to mourn.  He is alive, He has risen, He is born again, in our hearts and in our minds.  By dying He destroyed death and restored hope.  His suffering was not in vain, it brought out the love we so desperately needed.  What type of legacy will we deliver about our time here on Earth?  How we impact this world is for us to decide.  Will our response to Christ come from behind a locked and lonely door or will it come from our love of one another?  That is for you to decide.

Hope Lives

It is the hand of work; it is the heart of God.  It is not the size of the gift but of what goes into making it special.  So many are affected by illness to themselves and to their families.  It can be homelessness, addiction, injury or sickness and it need not be something we can see or touch.  A good part of recovery, spiritual and physical, is needed to help those suffering find an outlet for their worry and grief.

In 1990, a small group of sisters started a small knitting ministry with their mother.  This simple act of knitting a small gift or saying a prayer was so large in the eyes of the receiver but became so loving in the eyes of God.  They say that we learn by doing.  These women do so much with so little it is amazing to everyone and we should show it in gratitude and praise. 

They work only with what the community gives them and rely on others generosity so that they may continue the work of God. It has grown into a giving event with over 39 organizations across Central Ohio lending a helping hand.  From the heart of man, a gesture made from pure love will grow into something much larger than itself.  "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-- pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return" (Luke 6:38). 

Changing the outlook on life to someone in need, allowing them to believe in hope again, is what they strive for in this life.  The tear in their eye and the expression of love on that person’s face is the only reason these women continue to give.  They give not out of selfishness but of the brightness they bring to an otherwise dark world.  Saint John Paul II once said that, “a community needs a soul if it is to become a true home for human beings. You, the people must give it this soul”.

A simple hat, a simple scarf, a simple blanket for a child and simple prayer attached to each and every one – simple to us, not so simple to the one that receives it, a rare gift so lovingly and faithfully made.  Hope therefore truly lives, in the sacrifices made to the eternal works of Christ and for those who follow His path. 

I have had the privilege of meeting with and knowing these wonderful ladies for the past 4 years.  May God continue to bless their works.  May He guide their hands as they sew and May His peace be with them, always.

Blessings

Blessed are they who are poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are they who are meek and humble; they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who will mourn in sorrow; they will be comforted.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice; they will be satisfied.
Blessed are they who show others mercy; they will know mercy too.
Blessed are hearts that are clean and holy; they will behold the Lord.
Blessed are they who bring peace among us; they are the children of God.
Bless those who suffer from persecution; theirs is the kingdom of God.

Such simple words, but words that can change a world.  Blessings is a concept unfamiliar with time and space, it is not of this world.  We say we give our blessing, but it is truly only God that can bless.  He alone has the power to give us that solitude. 

When we come to the Lord in silent prayer, we are lifting up our hearts to Him and asking Him to hear our plea, for a loved one ill or dying, for a happy marriage, for your child or family member in distress or for ourselves. 

As Saint St. Frances Xavier Cabrini once said, “We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend upon material success . . . but on Jesus alone”.

It is amazing to me that when we dedicate our lives to Him, lifting our prayers in perpetual adoration, the multitude of blessings that seem to come our way.  Perhaps it is the simple nature of being together that makes this possible.  Or could it be that God is saying to us that we matter, the people around us matter, that life matters.

It is a concept many shy away from but it is a concept worth fighting for.  Come and adore Him, born the King of Israel.  Are these just empty words or are they something we practice, each and every day?  He is waiting for us to take the first step.

Start with a modest act, pray for someone to pray for you.  Each and every day, members of our parish pray for us in silent reflection.  Could we not do the same for them?

Remember, we are the light of the world - may our light shine before all - that they may see the good that we do, and give glory to God.  May He bless you and keep you, forever.  May His peace be with you, always.