"Death is not extinguishing the light from the Christian; it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come" Tagore.
Last night I had a dream about my Grandmother, Isabel. I don't often dream of my deceased relatives. I'm not really a morbid personality. In fact, I am more apt to forget that someone has died than to dwell on the fact that they are gone. O dopey me...
Anyway, I was not suprised that I dreamed of her last night. Last Saturday I baptized a beautiful youngster from my parish. Her middle name, which she wanted me to use as her baptismal name, is Isabel. Spelled just like my MomMom! I was so happy I had to wipe away a tear. Then yesterday I took communion to a beautiful woman named Annabelle. She is, to be frank, very near death. And she is beautiful. She is especially beautiful as she receieves the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion. I can only describe the look on her face as a look of rapture. She reminds me of the Holy Cards and holy pictures of the saints and the Blessed Mother my grandmother always had around her house. Just by looking at those faces you knew they were seeing Jesus.
As Annabelle and I prayed the Our Father together, I got choked up. Emotions. Yuk. Thankfully, I was able to supress the tears. I cleared my throat like any "big boy" trying not to let anyone know that he really wants to bury his pitiful head in the arms of his mother or grandmother. Sometimes I forget to forget that Mom and MomMom have died. When I remember, however, I always fly to the arms of my Blessed Savior and His Most Holy Mother. There I bury my head for comfort. From there I rise, strengthened by faith with hope renewed.
This hope I am given at those moments is not wishful thinking. I'm not wishing that my loved ones had never died. I only do that when I'm depressed. This hope is based on the sure and certain faith that we have been given as Catholics, that on the third day Jesus rose from the dead. Because of His resurrection we have hope for eternal life. Saints alive, becasue of Him, are praying for us now in His glorious presence. I've known this all my life. Sometimes I get to feel it. How could I ever wish to "wish" them out of that glory?
As Tagore has been quoted, "Death is not extinguishing the light from the Christian; it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come." My grandmother is buried somewhere on this hill in Wildwood Cemetery in Williamsport, PA. Her lamp is out. She is now in eternal light. Amen.
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