Somber Day

I attended a funeral for a 15 year old from my parish today. Fr. Joe talked about how death is a transition to another part of life, much like birth.

I thought about our baby. I thought about the pain the mother of this boy must be going through at this time. At one point, 15 years ago, she saw her son in a sonogram, felt him kick. She grew with him for nine months before he died to his life in the womb and was born. I can't imagine what that must be like. In looking at the 150 teens that gathered for the funeral, the pain on their faces was something I cannot get out of my head.

From the time that we are conceived, our spiritual self is being trained to live with God. My role as a father is to help my child to understand their value, their dignity, their worth to God. My role is to give my child every opportunity to know God.

I pray that I never have to go through what these parents have gone through with the death of their son. It is sad beyond belief. I pray for my child every day. But now I also pray for Gregory, the young man we buried today.

I wonder how many parents today think of their role as a parent in a spiritual light. So many times we worry about money, clothes, food, shelter. Basic physical needs that our children have that we as parents must fill. Then there are the emotional needs of love, acceptance, security. These, according to all the studies are just as important to a child's development.

What about spiritual development? As a youth minister, I think it is safe to say that we as a society are failing miserably in this area. How many of our children are spiritually developed? How many of us as parents are? How can we teach our children to be spiritually mature when we ourselves are spiritual Kindergarteners?

There is so much that you can be overwhelmed just thinking about it, yet at the same time, I am humbled and honored to have this role. Our child can be anything at this point: boy, girl, priest, married, religious, single. Any career, any vocation, anything. With that comes hope, joy, and a renewed sense of awe in the creator who knows us. Has carved us in the palm of His hand. Our Lord knows everything about this child as I simply discover it with each new day.

Thank you Lord.