Many may not know it but in Tennessee (where I lived for 6 years) it is a law that you must pull over for a funeral and exit your vehicle. You can choose to place your right hand over your heart at your discretion. This is done to not only show respect for the dead but respect as well for his life. It is fact that when we die our soul leaves the body going either to Heaven, Hell or Purgatory until the final judgement day that we all stand before Christ for our final judgement. So both through our faith as well as what we see in the world what passes by is just a empty shell on its way to burial. Therefore the thought of what passes us is very fleeting and not memorable.
I however (not in opposition to the Churches teachings) wish we would see much more at this time. The value of a life is priceless. Jesus knew this when he went to the cross for us, and gave his life so that we may have eternal life. Every life is precious and although we may not know them it is important to take note of all the possibilities that pass you by in that hearse. Was she a teacher, Mother or Sister? Then how many lives did she impact. How many did she set on a path that led them to Jesus or gave them the gift of reading so later they read about Jesus. As a Mother what gifts of wisdom and life stories did she pass on to others as well as her own children and how many time was she there for her family and others when they were in need.
Or was he a Father and a provider to his family. Did he lead them in their faith and accounted himself a good steward over all God had blessed him with. Did he teach his boys to be men of God not men of the world. Did he out of manners hold a door open for someone and in that one act of kindness change that day or even the life of those individuals.
Or finally was it a child who was called home by her Heavenly Father in some eyes much to early. Did she bring joy to her parents and Grandparents with her radiant smile. Did she bring laughter to those around her while she showed the purest love possible apart from God, the love of a child.
It is these things I think about when a funeral passes me by. Because no matter what amount of time they had spent on this earth they all gave something and made a difference in somebodies lives. We sometimes never know what God had placed them on this earth to do but you can bet it was a act of kindness or love if only for a moment.
Every life will make a difference in another life for the good. Yes I said everybodys life to include a mass murderer for he was not always such. This is what God wants us to see in each other as a Brother of Christ and Child of God. He wants us to see the beauty of every individual and their works that they have done that were beautiful also to another. He does not see color,race,religion or any other thing we have used to discriminate in the history of man. For we are all his children and wishes for them to come to him and know him. It is this simple little effort if made by each one of us would change the face of the Earth through our Evangelizing. God loves you and says you can become his child, he sees the good and the bad in you but is very willing through his love for you to forgive the bad. He sees you as a beautiful child of God a child he gave his own Son for a child who longs for to come to him.
And if we as Catholics can see them as God sees them our love for them could bring many back to God. I believe weather you bring one or four million to God and to his Church you have saved a life for all eternity and what can be more beautiful than that?
Until later God Bless all who read this.
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