Friday night I was at my oldest grandson’s, the one in the middle on picture, confirmation. I was his sponsor. Earlier in the week, at practice, I found out he had taken the name of Peter for his confirmation name. Peter is the name of his deceased uncle, his father’s young brother and my son. Part of the ceremony was for me to present my grandson to the Bishop and tell him his chosen confirmation name.
While I was waiting for the ceremony to begin my eyes went to the cross above the altar and my thoughts to Peter. I started to silently talk with him. It went something like this:
Peter, please watch over your nephew who is being confirmed tonight. He was a young teenager when you died and does not remember you as well as his dad, mom and me.
Before you got ill you were always wore a smile. I remember when you were a senior and high school and the smile on your face; the same smile you had on your face when I found you dead. If nothing else that great smile got you into heaven. But heaven, as you now know, is not a place you earn but a gift of God. We on earth know this too but like to think we are ‘earning’ heaven.
I am now an old man and since a month after your death being feeling like I was going to die. But I hope not, at least for a while. I still have much I want to do making heaven on earth, still believing I can earn heaven. I pray for your intersection to God to grace your nephew’s life, your older brother’s life, the life of Mom and I and all your family and friends. I do not know what you can ‘do’ but know you now to be with God.
At confirmation we prayed that the youth were blessed in the Holy Spirit. We pray that we all walk out of Church afire with the spirit to follow the Way of Jesus, be with the poor and marginalized. Maybe we cannot change the world but being in the presence of God can make a difference.
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