And now for something completely joyful!

Once in a while there comes along a truly joyful experience: I had one of those on Sunday.

In the picture above I'm standing between John and Jeanne. John was a student in the residence hall where I served as assistant rector at Notre Dame in 1982. At that time, Jeanne was his girl friend, studying at John Carroll. A few years later I was happy to preside at their wedding. They spent some time in Boston when John was pursuing a law degree at Harvard and then they moved back to Chicago.

Years went by before our reconnecting on FaceBook and this weekend it was a joy to have them come to Mass at Holy Family.  Since I last saw John and Jeanne they've raised a family of four: Matt, Jack, Sarah (left to right above) and Tim who's missing in the photo.

It was a joy to see my friends and to meet their children. John and Jeanne have a beautiful family - a daughter and sons truly deserving of the pride their parents take in them.

When I think of the thousands of people whose paths have crossed mine in my ministry I realize that the vast majority of them slip beyond our mutual grasp.  A reunion like Sunday's was a mixture of grace and joy and I thank God for that!

(Click on the photo for a larger version)


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