I visited my dad’s grave yesterday at Calvary Cemetery. After his death in 1991 he was buried near two of my mother’s sisters.  Mom was buried next to dad in 2020. A week ago today, my brother Peter was interred near our aunts. To his left, empty graves for my sister and I await. Pete’s twin, our other sister and her husband have plots a short distance away. My oldest brother’s grave is up the hill in another section. I thought on Father’s Day of how dad’s kids will all eventually be buried near him.   

While writing this, I was reminded of another father, George Mertz of Bainbridge. He died the day before my brother.  His funeral was on Saturday at St. John’s. George was a contemporary of my parents having been born in 1926.  He fought in World War 2 as did my dad, then returned home to start a family.

George and Madeline had 9 children, 18 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. One child and one grandchild predeceased him. He was very devoted to his church, his faith and his family. Something amazing to me—he was likely baptized 98-years ago just a few feet from where Fr. Jim sprinkled Holy Water on his casket at the funeral.

“Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children, and that is what we are.”  1 John 3:1 (Jerusalem Bible)

Peace,

Deacon Tom

It’s Amazing How Four Words Can Make A Difference. 

While I was driving yesterday I saw the words above. They stuck with me. I had a meeting last night with parishioners of St. John’s and St. Agnes in Bainbridge.  We followed up with a Rosary in the church attended by 20 people. Nice.

As the sun started to peek in the bedroom window this morning, I received a text.  I ignored it for a bit.  But how pleasant it was to read the message with a beautiful ending.  Have a nice day! Wow.  What a positive way to start the day. And looking up at the church steeple I snapped a picture of the brilliant sun.

Maybe we all can share those four words every day, with everyone we meet? As Jesus said: Love God, love neighbor.

“Your life, more radiant than the noonday, will make a dawn of darkness.”      Job 11:17 (Jerusalem Bible)

Peace,

Deacon Tom

Can’t believe we’ve reached mid-May already. The weather folks say we’ve passed the chance of frost. Time for planting!  Now to find some tomatoes to put in the ground.

The corn isn’t as high yet as the photo above shows. I took that picture last summer at Transfiguration Monastery. The sisters don’t grow it. It’s the neighbor’s crop and field alongside the monastery property.

May 15 is the feast day of St. Isidore the farmer. I remember having a small marker with the saint’s image in my garden for a few years. Got some good crops then.

According to Franciscan Saint of the Day, Isidore was very devout.  He was also very in tune with the fields, which he planted and plowed and harvested. The saint labored for a wealthy landowner outside of Madrid, Spain starting as a young man. He had the same employer all his life.  

St. Isidore the farmer, Please Pray for Us!

Peace,

Deacon Tom

There’s been a lot of talk these past few days as people wait for the eclipse.  Some three hours before, I took a photo of the Sun.  Seemed really bright bouncing off my windshield.  Decided to get a direct view.  Snapped it without looking through the lens.

Scripture seems to bring wary notes about the darkness of the Sun and Moon. Joel and Ezekiel and Matthew all have some focus on this. Can be scary, especially for those millions of us in the U-S in or near the direct path of the Moon covering the Sun.

A college buddy asked me over the weekend whether I thought it signaled the “end was near.”  “No,” I answered, but added Matthew 25:13: “ You know neither the day nor the hour.”

Reading this before…or after…the eclipse? In either case, let me leave you with this:

“God said, ‘Let there be lights in the vault of heaven to divide day from night and let them indicate festivals, days and years. Let them be lights in the vault of heaven to shine on the earth.’” Genesis 1:14 (Jerusalem Bible.)

Peace,

Deacon Tom

May is the month of Mary.  Our focus turns to the Blessed Mother. There’s the crowning of the statue with flowers. We can attend holy hours. And put more attention on saying the Rosary throughout the month.

The Hail Mary has always been important to me.  Some 50-years ago in Latin class I learned it differently. Or might I say renewed what I has heard as a younger person. Sister Madeline stood in front of us, her hand moving up and down as we began:

Ave Maria. Gratia plena, Dominus tecum.  Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen

I’ve come across the Hail Queen—in Latin—Salve Regina. It features more than 600 voices brought together virtually.  Worth watching.  Connect with it here, you may have to skip by an ad first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0YWKLNhTvE

Blessed Mother Mary, please pray for us!

Peace,

Deacon Tom

It’s been just about nine years ago since Pope Francis wrote his encyclical noted above.  With a subtitle: On care for our common home, perhaps we could take time to read it over again soon. The Pope quoted St. Francis in the letter and wrote of his importance to the Earth.

“Saint Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically.”

Pope Francis’ encyclical outlines much in its 246 numbered sections. Toward the end, there is a section on Ecological Education and Spirituality. Take note at the conclusion for two prayers : A prayer for our earth and A Christian prayer in union with creation. Find Laudato Si at this link: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

“Our generation has bequeathed many riches, but we have failed to protect the planet and we are not safeguarding peace. We are called to become artisans and caretakers of our common home, the Earth which is “falling into ruin.” #EarthDay—Pope Francis on “X” 4-22-24

St. Francis of Assisi, please pray for us!

Peace,

Deacon Tom