When it came time for the child to be baptised Doolan proudly stood by the font in St Anne鈥檚 church.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淣ow,鈥� said Father Francis, 鈥渁nd what are we going to name the little one?鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗azel,鈥� said Doolan, with a smile.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淟ord save us,鈥� moaned the priest. 鈥淎ll the saints in heaven, and you鈥檙e calling her after a nut!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It is true, we have Saints and family members to turn to in Heaven. This past year I had another brother join Mom and Dad and three siblings in that family circle in heaven.
In Johnny Cash鈥檚 song 鈥淲ill the Circle be Unbroken鈥� he sang:
I was standing by the window
On one cold and cloudy day
When I saw the hearse come rolling
For to carry my mother away
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There鈥檚 a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky鈥�
I went back home鈥�
All my brothers and sisters crying
What a home, so sad and alone
We sang songs of childhood
Hymns of faith that made us strong
Ones that mother taught us
Hear the angels sing along
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jesus fills our struggling families on earth with grace and love. He wants unity in our families; He wants unity in the Church. He wants unity in families separated by divorce where kids are caught in the breaking and sundering. This is where we must all pray and work to surround our family members in love and inclusiveness. We must not give up but keep on praying for all our family members.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I am fortunate to belong to an extended family (more than 100) who gather each New Year鈥檚 Eve around the center or core that holds us together 鈥� Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We gather at a place of Retreat as members of the church of our parents and grandparents.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 There is a powerful unity we all feel when we join together in this New Year event. This is the same unity we all can feel every Sunday morning when we gather for the Eucharist and know the family members we love are gathered in churches elsewhere in the mystic union in praise to God and to Jesus who redeems us and unites us
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This is all real and all powerful. These aren鈥檛 my words or my thoughts; this is what we celebrate with each other and with Jesus and with the Saints. This is the JOY and renewal we have every Sunday and every time we meet in the Communion of Saints.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 So pray for all of us who struggle daily. Pray for our marriages and our children. Pray for our families and our churches 鈥� so that all will be ONE鈥� in the Lord鈥檚 good time.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And that
[The circle will be] unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There鈥檚 a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky
