Supporting One Another

When I think of most challenging physical work that I have done in my life, my mind goes back to my freshmen year of high school in the winter when I wrestled. Oh, those sandbags! Oh those Wheel Barrow exercises up the 2 flights of stairs!

Perhaps you have had a physical exertion event that you can remember during childhood that you remember well and thought might never end.

I also remember playing tackle football when I was in eighth grade and our team practiced at Columbus Park in Des Moines. It was a hot summer evening and we had already had a practice full of running and hard drills. Then, our coach tells us all to line up in the 3 point stance across one of the yard lines and watch the ball. When the ball goes, you start to sprint. If the ball does not “get hiked” then you have to stay in position. We were all dogged-tired and at a point one of our teammates didn’t watch the ball and started to run when the ball didn’t move. So, we had to move back and run an extra 10 yards. All of the team ended up making it through the difficult time, especially because we were in solidarity with one another.

In retrospect, these stories can have a sense of camaraderie and struggle infused into them. Our Christian lives are sometimes similar. There are periods of life where we are tested and hopefully can have a “team” of friends and faith-filled people to pray for us, help us, and assist us as we can do the same for others. This can be a Gospel call to help those who are particularly and acutely undergoing some suffering or evil. It is the Gospel call to show Mercy.

This past week, St. Luke’s had Bill Hammer’s funeral as the St. Luke’s community mourned the loss of Bill and comforted the Hammer family in their mourning and loss.

It was a time of sorrow being at Bill Hammer’s funeral with his son, Fr. Daniel presiding over His Father’s funeral. But it was also an event of great beauty, family, support, prayers, Catholic Community and the presence of Christ with His love, grace, and mercy.

May we continue supporting one another as a “team” of disciples in all aspects of our lives, but especially in those challenging times of life where we can lean on each other as members of the Body of Christ and be Christ to one another.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” 2Tim 4:7

Fr. Ryan