I have been thinking a lot about the importance of celebrating life and building relationships recently. On March the 6th my grandmother, Catherine Bush, celebrated 100 years of life. Born in 1909 she has seen a lot in her life. She was a young women during the Great Depression of the 1930s and certainly knows what it means to life a simpler life. I use to get annoyed when she would take sugars off the table or the dinner rolls when we went out to eat, but she would remind me that I never lived through such a tough economic time. Perhaps now, I will come to know a bit more of her experience as we face a poor economic situation in our country.
I was happy to see that many of grandma’s nieces and nephews came in from out of town to be with her on Sunday at her big party. We had a special blessing for her at the 12:15 pm Mass at St. Thomas Parish, followed by a reception at my brothers house. Grandma really enjoyed the festivities and seeing all of her realitives. She has lemented often how all of her friends have passed on, but it amazes me how she remains hope-filled to share her remaining days with the family and new friends that she continues to make at St. Charles Lodge, where she lives.
We don’t know how much time grandma has left with us, only our good God knows. However I feel blessed that we can mark such a milestone in my grandmother’s life. What a joy it is to celebrate a beautiful life who continues to bring joy and light to others. Thank God for her continued good health and mind. She is mean bridge player and enjoys many of the activities at St. Charles Lodge. Did I mention the beads on her rosary are getting wore down she prays it so often. She takes her faith seriously and is a true woman of prayer.
Thank you Grandma for your support and prayers over the years and how blessed we are to celebrate your life and love among us these past 100 years!
Today we celebrate with the Church the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. It is the Blessed Mother that led me to religious life as a Marianist. Her title of Our Lady of Lourdes has special significance for me. In my home parish, St. Thomas in Fort Thomas we have a grotto behind the Church dedicated to Lourdes. When I was a sophomore in high school I noticed it was in need of a face lift and very few people visited it. So I encouraged the parish through a letter in the bulletin to donate funds for its renovation. We did it! We re-lanscaped, put in a new walk way, had the statue repainted, etc. It became a communal work of love. Several months later on this date, her feast, we re-dedicated the grotto with a rosary and crowning of the statue. I always think of this moment on this feast, it has become a “faith moment” in my life. I look back and see how God began to work, how God began to stur my own call to make Mary more known, loved and served. In turn this mission to promote Mary brings us closer to her Son, Christ. Through the Mother to the Son (was printed on the holy cards for the rededication of the grotto). So pray with me today that Our Lady of Lourdes will work miracles in our lives (large and small) to not only heal the sick among us, but to heal the hard of heart…those who lack faith in the power of her Son Jesus Christ.




