What about faith?

About a week ago, I responded to a Facebook post by Mitt Romney to join in a Day to Pray on Sunday, January 20. I said I would do that, along with thousands of others who responded similarly. Yesterday, before Mass began, I found myself thinking about all the reasons we come together in community to worship and pray. As a lector that day, I led the Prayer of the Faithful, reading the community prayer requests for our church, state, and national leaders, for those in need emotionally, spiritually, and physically, and for families, especially parents. These prayers always conclude with a prayer for those who have gone on from this life and the loved ones who have been left here in this life.

Lots to think about on a January day...less than two weeks from the day three years ago when I said good-bye to my beloved father...on a national Day to Pray...the day before the inauguration of the President of the United States...the week that holds the 40th anniversary of the passing of the controversial Roe vs Wade...lots to think about...









The three words I have always associated with my Dad are Faith, Family, and Friends. My siblings and I used those words in his eulogy because they summed up everything that our father held dear in his own life. His faith in the Lord gave him the strength and wisdom to be the leader of our rambunctious family of eight children, a leader in his career and church life, and a friend to everyone he ever met. He prayed and read scripture every day, even on vacation. We'll never know exactly what or whom he prayed for, but I am certain it was not only for all those he loved so deeply, but also that more people would come to know and follow the Lord as he did. That, to me, is the definition of faith.

As grandparents, we cannot always be there for our children as they raise their children. We may live too far away to offer to babysit so mom and dad can have a date night or just go to the grocery without taking the little ones. We may not be able to offer financial assistance when money is tight because it is tight for us as well. What we can do is pray and offer words of encouragement, support, and advice. So today, take a few minutes to pray for your own children and grandchildren, then pray for the children and grandchildren who have no one to pray for them, because you are truly blessed.