Today is the 9th Anniversary of my nephew Adam's death.  He died in an accident at the age of 21. Last evening I was with Adam's parents, my brother and sister-in-law, Adam's sister and her husband, and their two year old and one month old boys.   My sister-in-law gave me a copy of the following which someone had given to her.  She found it very true and very comforting.  Perhaps you have lost a child, a grandchild, or other dear, dear loved one.  Perhaps you will relate and find this comforting as well.  We never get over the death of loved ones.  But in Faith we do get through them.

“The best way I can describe grief as the years go by is to say it’s similar to carrying a stone in your pocket. When you walk, the stone brushes against your skin. You feel it. You always feel it. But depending on the way you stand or the way your body moves, the smooth edges might barely graze your body.

Sometimes you lean the wrong way or you turn too quickly and a sharp edge pokes you. Your eyes water and you rub your wound but you have to keep going because not everyone knows about your stone, or if they do, they don’t realize it can still bring this much pain.

There are days you are simply happy now, smiling comes easy and you laugh without thinking. You slap your leg during that laughter and you feel your stone and aren’t sure whether you should be laughing still. The stone still hurts.

Once in a while you can’t take your hand off that stone. You run it over your fingers and roll it in your palm and are so preoccupied by its weight, you forget things like your car keys and home address. You try to leave it alone but you just can’t. You want to take a nap but it’s been so many years since you’ve called in “sad” you’re not sure anyone would understand anymore or if they ever did.

But most days you can take your hand in and out of your pocket, feel your stone and even smile at its unwavering presence. You’ve accepted this stone as your own, crossing your hands over it, saying “mine” as children do.

You rest more peacefully than you once did, you’ve learned to move forward the best you can. Some days you want to show the world what a beautiful memory you’re holding. But most days you twirl it through your fingers, smile and look to the sky. You squeeze your hands together and hope you are living in a way that honours the missing piece you carry, until your arms are full again.”

Written by
Jessica Watson ~ Four Plus An Angel

Our Good Deacon has but together a great solid selection of summer reading that you can actually do on our website.  These are Catholic Classics that are in the public domain and therefore free.  You can read them online or download them to your computer

Simply go to https://stmaryscathedral.ca/rcia/ or CLICK HERE for Deacon Blaine's suggestions.  All are highly recommended. 

247. Why is the one Mystery of Christ celebrated by the Church according to various liturgical traditions?
 
 The answer is that the unfathomable richness of the mystery of Christ cannot be exhausted by any single liturgical tradition. From the very beginning, therefore, this richness found expression among various peoples and cultures in ways that are characterized by a wonderful diversity and complementarily.
 
 Further reading: CCC 1200-1204,1207-1209
 
 248. What is the criterion that assures unity in the midst of plurality?
 
 It is fidelity to the Apostolic Tradition, that is, the communion of the faith and in the sacraments received from the apostles, a communion that is both signified and guaranteed by apostolic succession. The Church is Catholic and therefore can integrate into her unity all the authentic riches of cultures.
 
 Further reading: CCC 1209
 
 249. Is everything immutable in the liturgy?
 
 In the liturgy, particularly in that of the sacraments, there are unchangeable elements because they are of divine institution. The Church is the faithful guardian of them. There are also, however, elements subject to change which the Church has the power and on occasion also the duty to adapt to the cultures of diverse peoples.
 
 Further reading: CCC 1205-1206