DEACON TOM ANTHONY

Sunday, July 14, 2013





I was honored to be a part of two different celebrations this week. One was very unexpected while the other one required much planning and consideration. I received a phone call from a husband and wife who experienced a tragic loss eight months ago. Their eldest son who was seventeen years old died in a car crash and their younger one was severely injured. Because of the condition of their younger son, there wasn't really any time to mourn and now they had decided to bury his ashes and have a memorial at their house. To plan this memorial, they opened their house to me and invited me over to dinner. What I experienced was most unexpected and strengthened my own faith and love in Jesus Christ.

When I sat down at table with the husband and wife, my heart immediately went out to them. They shared intimate family moments with me about their sons and their family. The father, who was an engineer, said he had faith but did not go to church regularly. Before the accident, he explained that he oftentimes questioned the existence of God and regularly spent time study the religions of the world. It had become a hobby of his. He saw religion as a part of the human condition and cultures that developed over time. The family had a comfortable life and insured that their children lacked for nothing. There was a good relationship with the grandparents and everyone within the family felt that their life was perfect.

Then tragedy struck. Their oldest son was taken from them and their youngest suffered from a severe brain injury. Their life appeared to be shattered. The family was devastated. I cried along with the parents as they told me the details of the story and how the accident affected them all. Me being a parent and envisioning one of my own children be taken from me caused me me to relate with this family tremendously. Having them actually share with me these personal feelings and stories drew me closer to them. The presence of God's Love could be felt in the room.

The husband then started to explain to me how the accident transformed his faith. He told me that a tragedy such as this might of easily made him hate God or believe that there was no God. But instead, he said that he definitely believes that there is a God and that God loves him, his family, and most particularly his son. He said that he knew without a doubt that his son was with God and was happy. He now realizes the most important things in his life and he wants to explore his relationship with God deeper. The wife feels the same way. She talks to her son every day and knows that he is with them all and watches over them.

I performed the committal this week and the memorial at their home where their were over 100 people in attendance. There were stories, tears, and laughter as everyone shared embarrassing moments and memories. I thanked the family profusely for welcoming to their home and allowing me to participate in such a beautiful event. The family was a demonstration of Jesus Christ working in the world today. Through so much pain and sadness there was also a profound joy and a realization that love of children, family, and friends were the most important things in life. It became a demonstration of God's eternal love for us. The entire interaction over those past few days strengthened my own faith and love. It also made me realize all the more how important God was to me.

After the memorial service, I needed to rush to a restaurant for my daughter's wedding shower. This was an event that my wife was preparing for over a period of several months. To me, it was a big headache and a financial disaster. I felt that I did not realize the importance of it until that day after the memorial service. It taught me that whatever I do in this life, whatever achievements I think I have accomplished, the love and celebrations that families and friends have together are the most important things because they become an expression of love and hope. Watching my family laugh, sing, and dance lifted all the heavy burdens that I tended to weigh down on myself.

I felt a great love for my family and I was so proud of all of them. I felt guilty for taking them all for granted and I felt bad for the times when I maybe let them all down. I am not a perfect husband or father, this I know, yet it was times like these that God tended to remind all of us of the truly important things in life. It is truly all about love. Nothing can ever replace the love we have for our families, friends, and God. If there was no love then whatever is done would be fruitless.

There is a challenge before all of us that we must realize. In our lives we all have the capacity of love and realize the importance of love. If we ignore it, than our relationship with God will never be complete. If we take love for granted, then we cannot fully enjoy God's Creation and our place in it. It takes genuine acts of love and charity to express and enjoy our faith. With love, everything else will fall into place. Without it, we would be lost.

Deacon Tom

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