Friday, March 29, 2013

TableTalk, Good Friday 2013


There’s been a death in the family.  We just got word and it was not from natural causes.  It was a homicide.  We’re in shock.  Someone murdered him.  It was violent.  He did not die right away.  He was in excruciating pain.  We can hardly believe it.  His mother was there and watched it all.  A couple of his friends stood by helpless.  But they are OK.  The funeral was private.

It’s good for us to get together before deciding anything further.  It was so senseless.  I know some of us did not always agree with him on everything, but at least we respected him.  Funny how he rubbed all of us the wrong way sometimes.  But we all feel this as a terrible loss.  Do you remember the first wedding he went to, how he took over when the wine ran out?  People danced for hours after that.  But I remember his mother.  There was a far away look in his eyes and it frightened her. 

What a loss!  I hope there were no children around when it happened.  His beloved friend was there.  If only he could have been spared the sight!  But some people are really celebrating now.   They did not like him at all.  I wonder if there was a conspiracy.  He was so good.  Do you remember the widow lady whose only son died?  I wonder how she is taking this.

Should we pray together?  Our Father . . .

We’ve got to pull ourselves together.  He always told us something like this might happen.  Somehow I think he even wanted it to happen.  I know that sounds stupid.  But he didn’t want something worse to happen to us.  I don’t know.  Anyway, there was no property, so we don’t have to worry about that.

We should get some word to his mother, say something to her.  Let’s do it now:  Hail Mary . . .

Maybe we shouldn’t do anything until his close associates get back.  I wonder where they are.  They were inseparable from him.  A couple of them knew everything he knew.  Where were they when it happened?  He chuckled once in a while about how a couple of them always thought they were the ones in charge.  One of them he never really trusted:  a little too “business-minded.”  Where is he?

What a shock this all is.  But one thing we shouldn’t do is point fingers.  You know that he wouldn’t like that.  He was so good.  I’ll bet he even forgave the ones who did it to him.  I hope he forgives us.

But what about us now?  One thing for sure:  we can’t let his ideals die.  All those suppers and reunions we had with him.  We sure have a lot to think about.  We have to stay together no matter what.  Come to think about it, he always talked about that. 

Funny how things come to mind at times like this.  Remember the stories he used to tell?  Remember the one about the lady who stayed up all night looking for a silly dime.  She swept and sweated and finally found it.  You know, suddenly I know what a lost dime feels like.

Well, we’re going to make it together and we’ll do it his way.  Maybe he didn’t have a written will, but we sure know what his spoken will is.

I think we should start right now.  Whatever differences there are between us aren’t important any more.  We’ve all been a little catty with one another at times.  We’ve hurt one another’s feelings.  We’ve walked away from one another and one another’s problems.  But that is all in the past now.  I’m willing to wipe the slate clean.  At the times we were all together with him, we knew the better thing to do.  Let’s determine to his Spirit alive.

This has been some day!  We need to keep quiet for a while to let it sink in.  We need time. 

Oh, maybe we could suggest the epitaph for the stone over his grave, something like:  “We adore you, O Christ and we bless you, because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world!”

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