A Message from Margo

Last week, on the day my father died, I was in the drive-through at Dunkin' Donuts, picking up necessary caffiene for my siblings. The person who handed me my items smiled broadly and said "have a great day!" 
I smiled back, because it was so surprising somehow. I knew that I would not be having a great day, but there was no way he could know that my life was changing in an irreversable and heartbreaking way. 
At any given moment, all around us, there are people who are holding intense feelings and situations; in the drive through lane, in the pews beside us, in the sanctuary, everywhere. 
I thought back to the Sunday before, when I found myself lectoring for the 8:30 Mass on the Feast of the Holy Family. The first reading was from Sirach, and I heard my voice break at the words "take care of your father when he is old; grieve him not as long as he lives."
nave.
But the Church isn't just for the happy moments in our lives; it has to be a place where we can bring our Real Stuff and let ourselves and our souls be cared for. Our parish should (must) be a place where we not only acknowledge the suffering AND the joy in the people around us, but where we can bring our own pain and sorrow and joy and let our fellow Christians care for us. Church is for sharing real life; others, and our own. 
Thank you for being this kind of church for me; for the safe space you've given me for my grief, for the messages of support and the prayers. I don't know how people live through times like this without a community of faith behind them. I'm so grateful to be here at MQOA.