O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them and bring you back to the land of Israel.
I have been thinking of Eddie a lot lately. He has even entered my dreams on a more frequent basis. We met in our freshman year of college, became roommates, and remained best friends for over 34 years. After a few years of health challenges uncommon to people our age, Eddie suddenly passed away. Even though he had his job and his family and I was living the active ministry of a priest, we connected continually throughout the week via text messages and phone calls. Suddenly that connection was no longer there. He passed away in November of 2020 while the Covid pandemic was still very much a preoccupation. Within a few short months, I was made aware of my assignment here to St. Rose, and I became immersed in this new life. I was deeply saddened by his death, but with the passing of time, I seemed to miss him less. Why then, all of a sudden, am I thinking about him again? Why is that feeling of sorrow renewed? After more than five years, I unexpectedly have a longing for him to come back.
The sorrow we feel when a loved one dies is different than the sorrow we contend with years later. We may have accepted the reality that they are no longer part of our daily life, but the space created by their absence is never quite filled. This is the life of those who are widowed and anyone who has lost a child, a parent, a sibling, or a best friend. We want the Lord to bring them back.
Our Christian faith, however, calls us to live differently. The words of the prophet Ezekiel are not about bringing the dead back to us, but bringing us – to eternal life – bringing us out of the finite world to live eternally with the Lord and the great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us.
I can remember as a child being scared by the idea of heaven because I could not grasp what eternity was. I could not wrap my mind around what it meant to experience something that never ended. What I have come to realize though is that I have experienced moments of joy and contentment that I wished would not end. In our imperfect humanity we have accepted the concept that “all good things must come to an end.” However, our faith offers us something different, a goodness that never ends. What that feels like I do not know. I do know that I will die, and I know that Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life. What I long for is more than a restoration of what I knew, but instead a reunion with the faithfully departed and the Lord in a way that is beyond my imagination.
We pray for those who have gone before us and we live our lives today in the pursuit of holiness and devine mercy.
LITURGICAL MINISTER TRAINING – During the month of April, the Diocese of Rockville Centre will offer training for those who wish to serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Lectors. Part A is the “BASIC” training that is required for all Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Those who wish to minister in hospitals, nursing homes and to the homebound are required to attend Part B training in addition to BASIC training. One must attend Part A training prior to Part B training. A Lector Workshop is available for both new and experienced lectors.
Dates and Locations for Liturgical Minister Training
- Lector Workshop and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion – Part A
Tuesday, April 21 – St. Elizabeth/Melville – Msgr. Kane Hall; 7 pm – 10 pm
or
Monday, April 27 – St. Agnes Cathedral/RVC – Msgr. Kelly Parish Center; 7 pm – 10 pm
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Part B – presented in conjunction with Catholic Health.
Monday, May 4 – St. Agnes Cathedral/ RVC – Msgr. Kelly Parish Center; 7 pm – 10 pm
or
Tuesday, May 26 – St. Elizabeth/Melville – Msgr. Kane Hall; 7 pm – 10 pm
To request registration for any of these sessions, please contact Cathy Wilcox, cathyw@srolchurch.org, or call the rectory, 516-798-4992.
Peace!
