It can be truly humbling as clergy when I am called upon to serve in an unexpected capacity. Or at least at an expected time.
Last week, I received a call from a close friend; I’d served as the celebrant at her & her husband’s wedding years before. She seemed a little anxious; a close friend of hers had just lost her sister to cancer. She was calling from the afternoon wake service. It seems that the family did not check with the funeral home as to the type of wake service as far as religion was concerned; as a default the funeral home contacted a Roman Catholic priest. The surviving sister was adamantly against the idea; both she & the deceased were spiritually Pagan. So here they were, 3-4 hours before the wake service was to begin without clergy to lead the prayer.
“Is there ANY way you can do this for them? I know it is short notice - but they are out of options.”
I looked at the clock - I’d only have an hour or so to write a sermon before I would have to leave. Non-clergy Tom brain panicked and looked for a way to weasel out of it. Then I heard Reverend Tom say:
“Of course I can. Have her call me ASAP so I can get to know a bit about the family & the sister who passed.”
😮
The next few hours passed like a blur. I spoke to the family, wrote the sermon (trusting in the Divine to guide my hand… this was only the 3rd wake service I had ever done!) I vested. Arrived.
And celebrated the life of a beautiful soul. Comforted a mourning family in a time of distress. I entered into it and loved & grieved them all even without knowing them before that evening.
I was so grateful for the opportunity to really SERVE people in need. Sometimes ordained life can get routine & taken for granted. And then something like this experience comes along where one is uniquely suited to help. Like I began this post - it is truly humbling. Thank you Divine Spirit for allowing me to be a conduit of your grace & healing.
Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Daily Mass Readings
1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59
1 Chronicles 29:10bcd, 11abc, 11d-12a, 12bcd
Luke 19:45-48
