These mornings are greeting us with a blast of winter cold! As I bundle up to take Abby out she seem to get enlivened by the cold and all the “new” smells of the fall. How can dead leaves be so fascinating!
These past few weeks we have celebrated a large number of funeral Masses. This past Friday we had a funeral for a long time volunteer here at St. Michael’s, Jo Fierro. I first met Jo when I was pastor of St. Jeremiah’s in Framingham back in 2001. She and her cousin and closest friend, Angel Donato, moved to Hudson the year before I was assigned here. When I came to Hudson they both came forward and offered their help in any way they might be needed. For the past seven years they both have been working in the parish office, doing whatever was necessary to help things runs smoothly.
Jo had been struggling for a while and finally succumbed to her illness a couple of weeks ago. She will be missed by many people, not the least of whom are all of us in the parish center.
This season of autumn is the time of year when nature itself begins to shed its life and enters into the death of winter. The hope of the earth is renewed every spring as nature comes back to life.
And so it is with humanity. Once we pass through the doors of death we enter into that new life of heaven where there is no more death.
I guess death is on my mind more this week than usual as I observe the fourth anniversary of my mother’s death. Time sure goes by but her memory continues to live on. May all those who have died rest in the peace and love of God!