Hasten to meet him, angels of the Lord

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Today, we bid farewell to Doug’s dear Uncle Ed. It was a sad, and also beautiful day, all at once.

Doug’s Aunt Karen and Uncle Ed are two of our favorite people. They will always be together in our minds, like PB & J, or milk and cookies -- they just go together like that. They fell in love when they were just young teens, and they married young and had a beautiful family, and loads of grandchildren, and they had an intense love for God that they were proud to express. Witnessing their love was a beautiful thing.

Aunt Karen and Uncle Ed have lived out of town for most of our entire marriage, so we really haven’t spent a lot of time with them, but the time we spent was quality. It was fun time – the stuff memories are made of. They came over about a month ago for pizza on a Saturday night, and, along with Doug’s parents, made some great memories. Just watching them together was such a pleasure. They were as totally in love a month ago as I imagine they were when they first married. He teased her and she loved it. She loved on him and he loved it. They had not grown accustomed to each other the way so many couples do and then they ignore each other or gripe at each other. Until the very end of his life he treated her the way a young man treats his new bride.

At the end of today’s liturgy, Aunt Karen stood up to say a few words, much, I think, to the surprise of family and friends. She told us that she has, since Uncle Ed died on St. Patrick’s Day, witnessed several little miracles relative to him that have given her much happiness. Aunt Karen is the kind of person who finds miracles because she looks for them. They are the kind of miracles that might not be obvious to the unfaithful. It takes faith in God to see these little miracles.

Aunt Karen said that Uncle Ed enjoyed buying her jewelry, and he obviously really did enjoy it because her arms and fingers are always jingling with beautiful things, all that have some sentimental meaning to her. She said she has a little ring he gave her that has two doves on it with a jewel in between. She says that the doves represent her and Uncle Ed and the jewel represents Jesus. A few weeks ago she and Uncle Ed were at a doctor’s appointment and a young girl at the office had on a necklace with two little doves and the Sacred Heart of Jesus in between. She was so taken with the necklace that when they went home, Uncle Ed called the jewelry store where the young girl had purchased it and asked if this necklace could be recreated. After phone calls back and forth, he finally told Aunt Karen that he was able to have it made for her, but it would not be ready for their 50th wedding anniversary coming up in April. Then Uncle Ed died, and I’m sure the pretty little dove necklace was the last thing on her mind. Until last night, the night before Uncle Ed was presented to God, when one of her children gave her the box with the beautiful gold doves and the Sacred Heart of Jesus in between. A little miracle – it was done well before it was promised, but just in time for Aunt Karen to wear on the day she said goodbye to her beloved.

When Aunt Karen finished telling her story she asked that each one of us look for little miracles in our lives, because they are there, if we but look.

At the burial site, we learned that Aunt Karen had arranged for the release of four doves. At the appropriate time, three doves, representing the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were released together. And then a minute later, one dove, representing a faithful, loving husband and devoted father was released to rise up and meet up with the other three doves. And, in a beautiful, cloudless blue sky above us, they did just that. A miracle, perfectly choreographed by the Father above, as witness of His love for His earthly children.

Saints of God, come to his aid!
Hasten to meet him, angels of the Lord!
Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High.

May Christ, who called you, take you to himself;
may angels lead you to the bosom of Abraham.
Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High.

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