Day 6 Unexpected Evangelist

This chapter in Rediscovering Jesus brings the reality of Jesus into a context I haven’t considered before, because I always think of Jesus as the son, the second person of the Trinity but not in quite the way that was described in this chapter.

Yes you and I have heard the Gospels read and preached and perhaps even read them ourselves, but there is something about putting the words Jesus spoke about himself side by side that have a daunting effect. It makes one ponder anew, creating a deepening effect to the gravity of the words Jesus chose to describe himself.

I am sure this is exactly what Matthew Kelly was hoping to accomplish. For the cradle Catholics returning to the faith this is a good book. For those who already have a good faith/prayer life this book has so much to offer on so many levels.

I hope that you have picked up a copy and are experiencing what the Lord is bringing to your mind. He uses us all as instruments in each other’s lives, to not only call us into relationship but to be witnesses to His works here on earth through our testimony.

This is how the faith has survived all through the centuries and how God continues to reveal himself to us. It is through our experience that God moves hearts and minds to the eternal.

For example, a friend of mine just lost his dad last week. The man had not been sick a day in his life until this past Christmas day. He just didn’t feel well and would only eat Cornflakes. The family thought it was odd but didn’t think much about it until the following day (26^th) when he didn’t seem much better and would not eat a thing. They took him to the ER where they performed a battery of routine tests, to find out that he had pancreatic cancer. Upon further testing they found it had spread and gave him 4-6 months to live.

My friend’s father opted not to try to prolong his life by having radiation and chemo, as he said he lived a good, long life and wanted to enjoy what time he had left.

The family cared for him at home from that day on, spending time with him, getting his affairs in order and saying what needed to be said. I spoke with my friend two days before he lost his dad. He was content and happy that his dad was doing well, his son was coming in that Thursday night for a visit and the family was as happy as could be under the circumstance.

God had other plans, my friend's dad died that Thursday night peacefully in his sleep. When speaking about the events, as we visited at the funeral home, my friend was surprised by his dad's passing because he was showing no signs of death and that hospice had told them that he was not close to death.

He then stated that the family places the time of death a little after 5 am Friday morning, because they had placed a motion camera in the dad’s office. They had been concerned with all the people in the house and wanted to make sure they knew who was in and out of that room. They checked the tape after dad had died to witness a white light moving through that room. They laughed and said of course dad would have to check his office before he left. We laughed, but it spawned others to tell their own stories of loved ones passing. I am sure you have your own too.

As my friend's dad was a deeply religious man, our friend wasn’t surprised and believes that dad passed on his appointed day peacefully in his sleep and the diagnosis was the grace given to the family to say their last good byes.

It is by sharing our lives, our stories, that our faith is ignited, nourished and edified. Thus calling all to the reality of eternal life and beckoning others to look for the eternal meaning in all things including their relationship with Jesus.

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