One of my grandmothers passed away three weeks ago, the day before my birthday. The viewing and service were the following Monday.
I wasn't very close to her for a number of reasons even though she only lived an hour away. When my siblings and I were younger, I mostly remember going to her apartment and playing with her older toys and that she had a piano. As I got older through high school and college and afterward, we had been seeing her once or twice a year for Christmas or a family gathering such as a graduation or baptism. My older kids also occasionally saw her at brunch at a place called Beck's when my mom would take one of them with her. I'm glad she got to meet four of my kids.
At the service, it was nice that my mom stood up and talked about the memories of her mom and her life and then my uncle also added some of his thoughts. Then, during the reflection from the Methodist minister, he mentioned that he kept a glass sparrow on his desk and quoted from the prior day's Sunday Gospel reading:
"Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31)
Even if it wasn't intentionally connected, God provided for it. (A Google search showed that Methodists seem to follow the same calendar of readings as Catholics, but I'm not certain). It touched my heart and reminded me of God's strong love for us. On the way to the burial, I finished reading Msgr. Charles' Pope's homily on that reading, which focused on fearing God and not others. It's something I've struggled with throughout my life so it was good to spend some time reflecting on, although I don't feel like elaborating here. My grandmother was buried a half hour or so from the funeral home, but it was where her parents and her grandmother were buried. After the burial, we went back to my uncle's house for a late lunch & early dinner and time with extended family before heading home to pick up Andrew and Lucy from their friend's house.
On another note, it was announced in May or early June that our pastor was being reassigned after being at our parish for 18 years, where I have been for half of my life. When I was younger I didn't appreciate him but as I've grown up and into both my parish and faith, I have come to appreciate his fidelity to Catholic teaching. Whereas many were shocked and upset he was being transferred, I was only surprised. More recently, year to year, I was surprised he was still there. I generally thought priests were transferred more often and thought my parish was just especially blessed to have him for so long after the prior pastor had been there for a thirty or so years.
However, I was close to tears a few weeks ago when our parochial vicar announced he was being moved as well. It upset me that we're losing both of our priests at the same time. It seems very out of the ordinary to lose both at once. He's only been at our parish for 2 years and a priest for 4 and he seems to be becoming a pastor already. This is great for the parish he's going to, but sad because he is leaving us. This announcement was not in the regularly published priest assignments so it seemed very much delayed. I found a little more information after researching a little further, but still... both priests are gone in the same year.
It's still a little unsettling. I'm not opposed to being unsettled, but there are other areas of my life where that is also the case and I am trying to trust and know God's will for me. I liked knowing there's some consistency at my parish.
Our new pastor should be moved in as of this week and I suppose we will meet him on Sunday.
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