Burying a 3-day old child...

Today I witnessed one of the most powerful events in my life. Fr Tom and I went to Indianola for a Hispanic funeral where a family had to bury a 3-day old child. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for this. And what made it so powerful was the point at which the father, uncle, and grandfather of the child all shoveled the dirt into the grave. That’s right—they all literally buried the poor child in his small white casket. And as they did this, I could not help but be overcome with grief for the child’s father whose tears filled the grave with the dirt, and for the mother who clung to a family member the entire time. Seeing the husband and wife holding each other tightly through the whole ceremony with their faces covered in tears, I saw just how much parents truly love their kids, even if they do not have a chance to watch one of them grow. Having a child is supposed to be a joyous occasion. But we often forget just how frail life can be.

On another note, I begin to prepare myself for a trip to Saltillo, Mexico. Our diocese has a mission there and a group of high school students is going to work down there for a week. Please pray for us as we prepare. Please also keep the family I met today in your prayers as they grieve the loss of their child.