How blessed we are by God and by those who share our faith!

This came home to me recently upon the death of my mother after many years of her winding down with various ailments. The passing of her brother two days prior seemed to prompt her own timing for slipping away from earth’s confines a bit earlier than expected.

Both she and the brother she had been lonely (he lived many states away and neither had been able to travel to see the other for 5-6 years) and were anointed shortly before their deaths. His parish priest had kept in close touch even from some distance away. My mom had met our new pastor, was anointed by our priest-cousin the week before, and she was visited by a hospice deacon and priest the day before her death, with the sacrament of confession offered to her.

What a relief it is for my cousins and me to know that brother and sister were both made ready through the sacraments for a heavenly future.

Following my mom’s death, my own brother, his wife and I have been the beneficiaries of condolences from several people from my diocesan workplace, my parish, and from Carmelite and other friends. Her friends also were supportive, as were some of our cousins near and far.

The faith behind many of the cards and memorial gifts, promises of prayers, words of encouragement and presence at one or more of the funeral services has seemed to me to shine with extra brightness. Their faith is a comfort all its own — a sign that God is at work in our Catholic Church.

I also was greatly heartened by all who offered prayers or Masses for my mom. Like the sacraments of confession and of anointing, the inestimable gift that is the Mass is priceless beyond understanding. That we Catholics can provide such a gift to help a soul to heaven is mind-boggling.

In the months before her death, I found myself talking with a number of people about the worries they have about living parents who are aging and ailing. Depending on the nature of the physical illnesses being faced and the approaches taken by the ill parents, the care needed can be overwhelming.

And so, I find myself in gratitude for the caregivers we have met over the past months. During my mom’s five-day stay at our Catholic hospital, I finally just told her to pretend she was on a cruise ship because of how hard everyone worked to assist her. Their amount of patience was staggering to me who am not a natural caregiver.

Her time at our Catholic-run nursing home allowed my mom to set free her inner social butterfly that had been long stagnant at home with mostly me for company. She was extra blessed when she went there because of her 28-plus years of volunteer work, almost since the nursing home opened. My mom was happy and comforted when she recognized the first person she saw as she entered the building as a resident. Her “Bingo Girl” buddies who continue to volunteer swung by her room most weeks to chat when bingo was done.

The woman who became her favorite CNA had taken care of my grandmother years before, and the many others who worked to assist her mostly exhibited herculean amounts of patience and a lot of expertise.

I credit the prayers offered by friends and coworkers who saw my concerns about her transition back home for making that transition better than we could have dreamed. We somehow received a new-to-the-field young caregiver, and my mom soon was calling Jen her “Ray of Sunshine.” All I had to do was say that “Jen is here,” and my mom would brighten up.

She told Jen lots of her stories and shared her outlook on life with her. Jen shared a bit of her life and received a little advice and wisdom. Also delightful was that they quickly realized they could tease each other. That was great to see.

Now adjusting to a new reality, I find myself experiencing only gratitude in the face of God’s mercy
... and of our faith in action.