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Remembering Loved Ones

Posted by eph21920 on November 2, 2025 in Death, Family, Friends, Grief, Intimacy, Love, Prayer

After celebrating All Hallow’s Eve followed by All Saints Day, today I went to Mass celebrating All Souls Day. The entrance of the church has a very large Baptismal font. When adults are Baptized there, they can actually walk in and out of the pool. Today, the font was adorned with probably 100 lit candles. They had all been decorated to the memory of a loved one who had died. Many had photos of the person. As I admired them, I noticed one had a photo of an ultrasound – a tiny baby. The baby was named and remembered. It was all I could do to hold back the tears. After Mass, I went to the cemetery and placed flowers on my parents’ grave. I prayed for them and all those buried there. As I was leaving, 2 separate families arrived. Each had a mom and a couple of little kids carrying flowers. It was a sweet scene, but solemn. I had made a little altar for my parents at home and shared it on social media. I gave people an opportunity to share the names of their deceased loved ones and to pray for all those listed, as well as those of us still here and grieving. I invite you to do the same here. A friend of mine shared a photo of her family altar as they celebrated Dios de los Muertos. It was extravagant, colorful, and wonderful. I saw so many ways that people remembered their loved ones today and they were all so personal and beautiful.

I Found God today remembering deceased loved ones.

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Struggling Priest

Posted by eph21920 on November 1, 2025 in Grace, Prayer, Priest, Struggles

This morning, I went to Mass to celebrate All Saints Day. The 2 priests and deacon processed up to the altar at the beginning. I noticed the priest leading the way was struggling a bit. That would typically be the pastor. During the Mass, he didn’t read any of the scripture, or share the homily and seemed to be nodding off now and again. I wondered if it was the pastor who perhaps had a stroke. Both of my parents had a stroke, so I have an idea of what that looks like. When it came time for Holy Communion, the elderly priest made his way to the altar for the prayers. He read only a few sentences out loud and I was unable to understand what he was saying. He did hand out Communion, which seemed to go well as I happened to be in his line. After Mass, he stood in the vestibule to shake hands and wish people a blessed day, which is the usual. So, I shook his hand and thanked him. He responded with a warm handshake. I don’t really know the pastor who is new to the parish and have seen him only a few times, so even seeing him up close, I still wasn’t sure if it was the same man. Regardless of whether it was him or a different visiting priest, I was impressed with the care that he was given. He didn’t have to come out in public, but clearly it was something he chose to do. He didn’t have to hand out Communion or stand in the vestibule to greet people, but he did. The other priest led the Mass, but made sure he had what he needed at the proper times and watched over him. To me, it was a beautiful, loving example of publicly caring for someone in a difficult physical state. Instead of hiding, explaining, or pretending everything was alright, they simply went about business while making necessary accommodations.

I Found God today in an example of loving care.

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Blankets for Homeless

Posted by eph21920 on October 30, 2025 in Connected, Faith, Generosity, Homeless, New, Relationship, Service

Today I spent some time at the St. John Henry Newman Center with an amazing young woman. She was making a tie blanket, so I offered to help. I asked her who would be getting the blankets. She said she was making them for homeless people. They wouldn’t be handed out in any organized manner, but she would be giving them to people that she encounters who clearly are in need of something warm. The young woman also carries care packages of socks, water bottle, and other necessities that she hands out to people. When I first met her, she was getting ready to receive the Sacraments of Initiation into the church at Easter. As we cut and tied, I asked if she felt like she had changed since that time. She said she has changed dramatically during the whole process of coming into the Catholic Church. Her faith and knowledge grew exponentially. Some things she used to think were alright she has realized are harmful. There have been challenging times, but she knows God is with her and their relationship will continue to flourish. I was so impressed with her generosity and how she shared her love of God.

I Found God today in a faithful young woman.

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Stories of Love

Posted by eph21920 on October 29, 2025 in Connected, Life, Love, Relationship

I have been slowly watching the previous episodes of this season’s Dancing With the Stars. Tonight I watched dedication night. The contestants chose a person that had been meaningful in their lives and dedicated their dance to them. They even included their special person in their dance. This season, Robert Irwin is one of the contestants. He dedicated his dance to his mother, acknowledging her strength, love, and perseverance as she raised him and his sister alone after their father died. The dance was heartfelt, emotional, beautiful, and captivating. At the end, he shared some movements with his mom and a long hug as he sobbed. I think the whole place was crying. Of course, I was too. The one thing that all the contestants had in common was that they honored someone they loved and who loved them. They weren’t even all family members, but each one gave tremendous meaning to their lives. It was a big cry-fest, but in such a beautiful way.

I Found God today as people shared stories of love.

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Many Blessings

Posted by eph21920 on October 28, 2025 in Begin, Connected, Faith, Family, Generosity, Grateful, Joy, Life, Travel

Yesterday while I was driving, I talked to my son who was also driving. We were both heading back home. He had driven his son to the Southeast for his new job, so he was on the southern route and I was on the northern route. We joked about who would cross the mountain time zone first. I was in the lead, but I stopped at a hotel for the night. He drove further into the night and only pulled into a rest stop to get a few hours of sleep. As soon as I got on the road this morning I called him. He was ahead of me. We stayed in touched and shared weather conditions, road conditions, when we crossed the time zone, when we could see the mountains, and when we arrived home. I was about 3 hours behind him. As I drove, I thought about how grateful I was for the amazing trip. I got to visit with extended family who I hadn’t seen in years – some I met for the first time. Everyone was gracious, encouraging, generous, and supportive. The shrines and churches I was able to experience had their own unique characteristics and spirituality. My cousin said I was having a pilgrimage and I think she was right. My little road trip was very healing, uplifting, joyful, and energizing. And to finish it off, my grandson moved to work a job of his dreams. I have much to be grateful for.

I Found God today contemplating His many blessings.

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Holy Family Shrine

Posted by eph21920 on October 27, 2025 in Faith, Family, Grateful, Travel

On my second day of travelling back home, I stopped at Holy Family Shrine in Gretna, NE. It is located right off the highway, but you wouldn’t know it was there unless you knew. A small group of people from diverse backgrounds were united by the Holy Spirit with a vision of the Holy Family Shrine. Through a unique and divine series of events, they discovered they had been enlightened to the same idea: to create a place off of Interstate 80 for travelers to pray and discover the Catholic faith. After two years of searching for a perfect site for the Holy Family Shrine, a site located off the Gretna exit, in the bluffs overlooking the Platte Valley, was secured. You enter into the gift shop which houses the start of the water feature. A large spiral sculpture hanging from the ceiling drips water into a pool which feeds a series of stone channels that lead all the way to the altar of the chapel. The chapel itself is a tall wooden framed structure enclosed with glass. Behind and above the altar is an etching of the Holy Family in a large pane of glass. You can see the interstate from the inside, but you hear the peaceful sound of the water. I spent a lot of time there in the chapel, praying for my family and friends. Then I enjoyed meandering the grounds. It was like a little retreat. The rest of the drive was thankfully uneventful. I talked with one of the caretakers who told me about a couple of potential miracles that occurred there. It truly was an unique place. I am so grateful to see such beautiful, unusual, and serene prayer spaces.

I Found God today in a beautiful, serene Shrine.

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Rustic and Gothic

Posted by eph21920 on October 26, 2025 in Creation, Faith, Family, Grateful, Travel

I was blessed to go to church with a cousin this morning. She told me that her family was founding members of the church. And it was named my dad’s patron saint. More family and God connections. Then I started on my trip back home. I planned my route so I could see couple more interesting places along the way. My first stop was the Grotto and Shrines in Dickeyville, WI. They are the works of Father Matthias Wernerus, a German-American priest who served the parish from 1918 until his death in 1931. The main Grotto is an artificial cave created out of stone, mortar, and brightly colored materials and found objects collected from all over the world. It was built without the use of blueprints, and is supported underground with almost as much material as is visible above ground. In addition to the main Grotto, Father Wernerus constructed several other religious and patriotic shrines throughout the garden area surrounding the Holy Ghost Church. My next stop was the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, in Dyersville, IA. It is perhaps one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the Midwest. Original construction began in the year 1887 and was finally completed in 1889 when the church was dedicated on the feast of St. Francis Xavier (December 3). All of the basilica’s interior decorative painting was subsequently completed by the year 1905 and was then restored in 2000-2001. The 2 places of worship were almost opposite from one another in construction, but both were beautiful in their own unique way. Then, since Dyersville is where they filmed “Field of Dreams”, I had to stop there too. I was grateful for another blessed, fun day, safe travels, and good weather.

I Found God today in the beauty of differently constructed churches.

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Race Cars and Cousins

Posted by eph21920 on October 25, 2025 in Connected, Family, Grateful, Healing, Life, Past, Present, Relationship

Yesterday I learned that the cousin I just met drives a dragster. It was ironic because my grandson is currently moving to work for a race team. That has been his dream since he was born. My cousin had a family get together this evening and he had his dragster stored there. I was excited to see it and climb into it. My cousin told me all about it and how it worked. Other people took photos of me in the car and I sent them to my grandson without an explanation. He was impressed and somewhat confused as to where I was. I told him the story and sent him a couple more photos. Hopefully the 2 race fanatics will be able to meet in person some day. The next younger generation of cousins were also at the gathering. I had last seen the girls when they were early teens and younger, now married and one was a mom. They were both just beautiful young women with the biggest hearts. We took many family photos before we all dispersed and promised to get together again sooner. Everyone has been so kind and gracious. The connections we all made were amazing. I am so grateful to have so much fun meeting new family to me and getting to know all of my cousins better.

I Found God today enjoying spending time with cousins.

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More Family Connections

Posted by eph21920 on October 24, 2025 in Connected, Family, Fun, Grateful, Life, Opportunity, Relationship, Travel

Today I met my cousin’s brother and sister for the first time. Their grandfather and my grandfather were brothers. They told me a great story. One time their grandfather was helping at a boy scout camp when their father, who was a child at home with his mother, got very ill with appendicitis. At that time, the doctors would not accept a mother’s – or any woman’s – signature of consent to treat him. They would do so only with the father’s permission. So, my grandfather huridly drove to the camp, picked up the boy’s father, and raced him back to the city in order to sign for consent to treat the child who was starting to get sepsis. Then they were able to save the boy’s life. So, basically, my grandfather played a part in saving their father’s life so they could exist. It was a little much to contemplate, but well worth being grateful for. In the evening, we got together with my other cousin. We had dinner and went to a beautiful light display at one of the local museums. This set of cousins had not seen each other in many years, but we all just connected like I think only family can. I am feeling so grateful and blessed for this time.

I Found God today in more family connections.

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Family is Treasure

Posted by eph21920 on October 23, 2025 in Connected, Faith, Family, Grateful, Relationship

This morning I spent some alone time walking along the shore of the lake and taking in the beautiful Fall scenery. I was glad I took the time as it just got colder as the day went on. Then I made my way to another cousin’s house. His wife has the same name as my mom, which made it a little strange to say. My cousin – actually 2nd cousin – worked alot with my dad on their genealogy. I shared the big album that my dad and sister had put together. He had much of the information and took photos of the things he didn’t have. We talked all about the times they came to visit and met each other’s children. He reminded me that he had also helped work on the cabin. I think everyone my dad knew had a hand in building it. We also shared stories of caregiving and God showing up in tremendous ways. It’s amazing how I can feel so close to family who I had spent so little time with. They had a picture hanging on their wall that read, “Cherish your family for they are your treasure. A storehouse of riches, wealth beyond measure.” So true.

I Found God today a reminder of the treasure of family.

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