Sunday, April 16, 2006
Happy Easter
Last night I attended Easter Vigil Mass. It was special and traditional....all the things I love about going back to the place I have attened Mass since time out of mind. I am happy to be there and feel such peace.........but such sadness. I know that is the last Easter Season, the last Holy Week in that place, in that way for me. Soon Father will have to retire and in the next year or so the Church will close. I have been so absorbed in my own feelings of sadness and loss that I missed something. As I watched him limp through these service night after night, it struck me......Am I being selfish? Father has severe OA in his hips, maybe elsewhere. Holy Week must have been an incredible struggle. My heart broke as I watched him limp painfully across the altar. Am I being selfish wanting him to stay and serve and suffer and struggle?
I say if he's ready to go, let him go. It should be entirely up to him.
ReplyDeleteIt should be up to him, but it's not. It's up to the Cardinal. The Cardinal has already told him that he is making a concession just letting him stay past his 75th birthday so he can celebrate his 50th Jubilee as a priest. Otherwise the Cardinal could have made him leave on February 19th. So it's not his decision and he hasn't said much. But he hasn't stopped the letter writing campaign to keep him, so I have to assume he wants to stay.
ReplyDelete