Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Time for a Dad story.

It was Fall of my junior year in high school and the Varsity soccer team was playing on our home field at Prep.  I was playing halfback (that was what the position was called at the time, today I believe they refer to them as a midfielder).  I had challenged a player on the other team for possession of the soccer ball and our feet both came in contact with the ball at the same time.  There was a loud pop in my knee and I went down to the ground and was just kinda of laying there.  Fr. Nienhaus, who had just taken over the soccer program the year before when we switched from a Winter league to the Fall league, came onto the field and was hovering over me.  Trainers on the sidelines didn’t exist back than, so I was under the care of my German teacher/soccer coach who knew little about first aid.  I think my Dad might have known that because I started hearing this “meep, meep”, “meep, meep” – you know that kind of “manly” car horn you would hear on circus clown cars.  Turns out my Dad had ran back to the parking lot in the front of the school (field was on the back side of school), hopped in his Ford Pinto and was heading out onto the field to rescue his fallen son.  One slight problem.  By the time he fought his way through the throng of people on the sidelines, I had realized my knee had only “popped” (still does to this day) and I was up and “walking it off”.  As I looked to see what the “meep, meep” was all about, I smiled from ear to ear seeing my Dad and his faithful Pinto were on their way to save me.  I can still hear Fr. Nienhaus yelling out to my Dad – “Heeey, Jack.  Kids all right – get the Pinto off the field!”.

It’s been four years now that Dad has passed and there hasn’t been a day that I don’t think about him or pray for the repose of his soul.  I miss my Dad; I love my Dad but I’m hopeful that he is singing with all the saints around God’s heavenly throne, enjoying a Mississippi High Ball and commenting on what pontificators all sports announcers are.  Don’t worry Dad, I got you covered on that one.

Do something great for our Lord today – pray for the souls in Purgatory that they too may soon be in heaven with our Great God.

God’s will, not mine, be done.

Be not afraid; just have faith.

Jesus, I trust in You.

He must increase; I must decrease.

Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.

But you man of God chose righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness.  Compete well for the faith.