KEVIN
Greetings beloved Magnet family, or perhaps more appropriately, “Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 1:3) As I write to you this month, I am filled with a great appreciation for who we are as children of God, members of the same family, the Body of Christ.
Memories at Mother’s Funeral
We are just back from my beloved mother’s funeral. My mom, Marie Louise, was a wonderful, faith-filled mother of nine children. While partings are always somewhat sorrowful, I find myself full of joy and hope. Marie was 89 years old and suffering with dementia over the last six years. She remained a faithful woman who regularly shared with the Lord her readiness to be called home. God blessed her with a peaceful death and I am sure a rousing welcome into eternal life.
While the sadness comes naturally as a result of the death of a loved one, joy returns quickly when I reflect on what is lost. As the song writer Joni Mitchell once sang, “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” The days leading up to the funeral Mass were filled with family members sharing vivid memories of a woman of great faith and service. We all remembered our mother gathering her rambunctious brood around the radio to pray the family rosary on a Saturday night or standing over a hot stove preparing another freshly cooked meal for that same crowd every night of the week. In retrospect, it appeared as a gift of true grace, Christ Himself loving and serving our family. I felt so blessed by God to have only positive memories, especially since I know that isn’t always the case for others. Nine Kids and seventy years of loving and giving… wow!
Dad: Not Perfect, but a Blessing
It was so easy to be flooded with grateful memories of my mother, but one of the surprise blessings of the past week was the call of the Holy Spirit to reflect on the blessing that my father Thomas was in my life and the life of the family. …….
Crystal and Kevin Sullivan
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