When it came time for the child to be baptised Doolan proudly stood by the font in St Anne’s church.
“Now,” said Father Francis, “and what are we going to name the little one?”
“Hazel,” said Doolan, with a smile.
“Lord save us,” moaned the priest. “All the saints in heaven, and you’re calling her after a nut!”
It is true, we have Saints and family members to turn to in Heaven. This past year I had another brother join Mom and Dad and three siblings in that family circle in heaven.
In Johnny Cash’s song “Will the Circle be Unbroken” he sang:
I was standing by the window
On one cold and cloudy day
When I saw the hearse come rolling
For to carry my mother away
Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There’s a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky…
I went back home…
All my brothers and sisters crying
What a home, so sad and alone
We sang songs of childhood
Hymns of faith that made us strong
Ones that mother taught us
Hear the angels sing along
Jesus fills our struggling families on earth with grace and love. He wants unity in our families; He wants unity in the Church. He wants unity in families separated by divorce where kids are caught in the breaking and sundering. This is where we must all pray and work to surround our family members in love and inclusiveness. We must not give up but keep on praying for all our family members.
I am fortunate to belong to an extended family (more than 100) who gather each New Year’s Eve around the center or core that holds us together – Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We gather at a place of Retreat as members of the church of our parents and grandparents.
There is a powerful unity we all feel when we join together in this New Year event. This is the same unity we all can feel every Sunday morning when we gather for the Eucharist and know the family members we love are gathered in churches elsewhere in the mystic union in praise to God and to Jesus who redeems us and unites us
This is all real and all powerful. These aren’t my words or my thoughts; this is what we celebrate with each other and with Jesus and with the Saints. This is the JOY and renewal we have every Sunday and every time we meet in the Communion of Saints. So pray for all of us who struggle daily. Pray for our marriages and our children. Pray for our families and our churches – so that all will be ONE… in the Lord’s good time. And that
[The circle will be] unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There’s a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky
