A number of years back, I am not sure how long ago, I got an unexpected call from a priest who was very ill with cancer. He asked me if I was interested in having his library. Yes he had quite a lot of books he had acquired over his nearly fifty years of priesthood. I had already inherited his furniture (well at least the parish did) when he was moved into an aged care facility a few years earlier so probably in his mind it seemed logical to give me everything else he owned.
I was flattered by the “gift” and when I came to
pick them up he mentioned that he had left me “a little something else” in his
will. I often wonder why so many people promise me stuff "after they die". What good is that going to be? It like saying, you can have the stuff I don't need anymore. I never say "thank you" to those kind of empty promises because I am certain I will never see them actualised. Just like all the people who have promised me a million dollars if they win the Lotto. Why don't you just promise me the lot? You are never going to win it!
Anyway I was contacted by this priest's lawyers when he did in fact depart the world, just
to advise me of his funeral arrangements and nothing was ever mentioned about
that “little something else” in his will.
I didn’t want to ask either in case I seemed only
interested in material things. He was the second priest who had told me (the
first was Fr Richard Davey who promise me his silver chalice) that there was something
in their will for me. Actually now I remember, I was supposed to be the
executor for another Parramatta Diocesan priest who has already instructed me
what he wants done with his unnecessary worldly assets (give to some poor parishes in Vietnam and
Philippines - the reason he selected me as his executor) but I doubt I will be
entrusted with that task now.
Come to think of it, I have also been told by an elderly
gentleman I used to visit regularly after his wife died that he has “a little
something” in his will for me too. I have not been in contact with him for a
while and I guess he could have died already but I didn’t hear from his lawyer
either. Now I am not telling you this to give you the impression that I am eager for the deaths of people who might leave me “a little something”. I am just assuming that if I have been offered so many benefices then its logical to assume that other priests have similarly been offered material things by people they got to know in ministry.
I do know personally of a few priests who have been given houses or land by dead parishioners and for a time it was terribly tempting to befriend widows or widowers with living dependents but I did avoid that temptation (and besides I had no time to encourage those sorts of “particular friendships”.
Anyway what sparked this reminiscing today was the fact that I was unpacking a box of books that were sent me by the new parish priest of Glenmore Park, books I had even forgot I owned, and I came across one with the catchy title “Images of Jesus”. I couldn’t remember buying it and assumed it was either one given me by someone for Christmas (I always got religious books for gifts that I would seldom read) or the parish priest of Glenmore Park had inadvertently given me one of his own books. I looked inside the cover and read the dedication “Congratulations Jim for 40 years of priesthood. May the Lord bless you on your anniversary. L Whoolahan & Catherine Mary RSJ”.
It was obviously one of the late Father Jim Dooley’s books. I was feeling a little bit spiritually starved
(as the local priest’s Sunday’s homily time was dedicated to a plug for more Catechists)
so I decided to read a bit of it. I took it where I do most of my reading, the
place I know I won’t be disturbed, in the toilet. I opened the book somewhere
in the middle, always a good place to determine whether a book is worth reading
from the start and to my surprise I found a new and quite interesting analogy
of God’s action or intervention in human lives. The author speaks about God
being like an archer and we are an arrow which He sends towards His Son Jesus.
I did find another section which I feel particularly
encouraged by that I thought I would share it with you - hoping I am not
infringing any copyrights. All I need is another letter from a lawyer this week
(not!):
The section is entitled, Fear of Death.
“Closely related to
the fear of pain is the primordial fear of death. The deepest of all human
feelings is the love for life, to desire to keep on living even when a sea of
trouble besieges us. The will to live is a powerful force. This accounts for
the very human fear of dying and death. Such fear takes the form of the denial
of death.
Denial of death
prevents us from benefiting from the positive values of facing the reality of
our own death. Courageously meditating on our own death can help us become
alive to the possibilities of living. When done with faith, this reflection
draws us to think of eternal life. Performed with wisdom, this thoughtful look
at death motivates us to fill our days with love, care and moral concern for
others. The record of Jesus, the martyrs and the saints is of people who
released themselves from the fear of death.”
From Images of Jesus by Alfred McBride, O.Praem.
Now I find that helpful, do you? I was always unafraid of
death prior to meeting Josefina. Now I am afraid of what impact my death would
have on her. Now that we are expecting a baby, my desire to stay alive
increases (although I do believe that if I died right now they would be better
off financially).
I think it is people in our lives that give us less
confidence in the future which is why I think priests and celibate people with
no dependents and no real attachment to people are so able to espouse the hope
of eternal life so realistically at a funeral.
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