Dear Friends:
I'm in the midst of reading an excellent book by Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, a well-known Catholic priest, teacher, preacher, author, spiritual guide and seminary rector in Texas. The book is titled, Sacred Fire: A vision for a Deeper Human and Christian Maturity. It's several years old by now, but that's kind of typical for my reading schedule. As I sometimes do, I began by reading the last chapter first, and I'm very glad that I did. (This is often a good way for me to determine if the rest of the book is worthy of my time and attention).
That final chapter has to do with what the author calls, "Radical Discipleship: The Struggle to Give our Deaths Away." He admits that this is an unfamiliar and likely strange kind of topic for a Christian—or any other person—to consider in these terms. It is far more familiar for us to speak of giving our lives away for the sake of others during the time when we are evidently productive and "useful" to our loved ones and to the world, in the so-called prime of living. But what might it mean to speak of giving away our death? Does it make any kind of sense at all? He makes a convincing case that it does, and even more so, he links it with the experience of the Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost of Jesus/Church. Since we are now in the waning days of the Easter season liturgically, it is the perfect time for me to read it.
I will not be doing justice to Fr. Rolheiser's insights here, but of particular interest to me is the idea that it is only when loved ones leave us in death that we have the opportunity to discover who they really are/have been to us and to the world. It begins with every "goodbye" that we encounter throughout life, such as a young adult leaving his/her parents' home, never to return in just the same way. He cites Jesus' words to the disciples just before his death which state that it is "necessary" that he leave them, for his Spirit cannot come otherwise. As Rolheiser says, "It points to the perplexing experience we have of fully understanding and appreciating others only after they go away, just as others can fully understand and let themselves be fully blessed by us only after we go away. Like Jesus, we can really send our spirits only after we go away." I think of weddings and graduations and the like. He continues: "We can easily lose one another. But there is a presence that cannot be taken away, that does not suffer from this fragility..."
He concludes by quoting some words of remembrance that he once heard from a woman at the funeral of her mother, words that were addressed particularly to her immediate family:
Our mother, your grandmother, was a great woman. But we don't really know that yet, but someday we will. Someday we will know this because she will come to us, she will come back to each of us, in her own way, respecting who we are, respecting what our lives are, and we will get her—get who she really was, get what she gave us in her life and in how she died, get how blessed we are to have had her, and get that we have this exceptional, wonderful person as our mom and our grandmother. In receiving her spirit we will drink more fully from her depth!
This is a wonderful way for us to move through Jesus' Ascension and Pentecost promises.
Fr. Mike
A NOTE FROM DONNA KASBOHM
Donna Kasbohm, Director of Music and Liturgy, announces her planned retirement after 16 years of dedicated service here at Pax Christi. Thank you Donna for being such an important part of this faith community and blessings on the years ahead of you!
CLICK HERE to view Donna’s message to the community.
CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW FOR A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM FR. MIKE
MESSAGE FROM ARCHBISHOP HEBDA
A message of gratitude and community
CLICK HERE. to view Archbishop Hebda's video message