By Fr. Victor Feltes
Richie’s family has told me a number of stories about him as a hardworking transformer of the earth. He would take places as they were naturally and improve them. He served in the U.S. Army in wartime Korea (1951-52) building roads, “engineering the land.” He made it home safely, married Margie, and labored on his farmstead. He worked hard on that farm, meticulously picking rocks day and night as if they were weeds in his fields, improving the soil. You have passed his verdant pastures on your way out of town beside Kwik Trip, where he gave his beef cattle peaceful rest. He could harvest his fields to yield four hay crops each summer for feeding his hungry herd. He did not raise dairy cows but he had a side-job hauling milk, and also gravel, dirt, corn, and or grain. His work aided in the shaping of this earth and in the sharing its blessings. Despite his short stature, he possessed great strength. He reportedly could carry a milk can in each hand, weighing one hundred pounds apiece. And his strength endured. Even into his nineties, he would shovel manure out of the pens.
He loved that farm and loved having fun. He loves his family and loves our God. Every weekend, he brought his family members to our Lord in the Eucharist. And when Riche could no longer attend himself, he watched the Holy Mass on TV. Though he was in and out of consciousness during his final weeks, when I visited Richie and gave him the Last Rites he thanked me for these precious gifts. And I am told that as the hour of his death drew near, he was heard praying the Hail Mary.
Richie worked hard to bless his family and help lead them to the Lord. Jesus Christ, meanwhile, always labors to bring us closer to himself and bless us. He engineers creation to build us a road so that his allies can conquer overwhelmingly in fighting the good fight and reach heaven triumphant. He meticulously picks out the useless rocks—the sins in our souls, to make us more fruitful. He would make us maximally fruitful; four, or thirty, or sixty, or one hundred fold. He utilizes us to help nourish his herd, shape this earth, share its blessings, and in verdant pastures give us repose.
Looking at Jesus during his public ministry, some people thought him to be a mere man. But his words and deeds reveal the divine strength he possesses, strong enough to bear the Cross for our sins and overturn death for our salvation. And Jesus Christ has not giving up laboring on this earth. He would shovel out the muck of sin from our lives if only we would welcome him and allow him to do so.
God loves us. He loves us powerfully. The Book of Wisdom says the Lord would purify and perfect us like gold in a furnace. And Jesus tells us in John’s Gospel that we would be wise to let him. Christ notes a lesson from the fields: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit… for eternal life. … The Father will honor whoever serves me.”
The gospel reminds us that Jesus felt natural human distress as he faced his approaching Passion and death: “I am troubled now,” Jesus said, “Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.” Today, we may feel natural sadness at Richie’s passing, and that’s a beautiful thing, as it reflects our love. Yet what shall we say? It was for this purpose—a holy passage from this life into new life—for which Jesus and Riche worked hard together for so long.
Our Lord is the great hardworking transformer of the earth, who takes us as we are naturally and labors to improve us. Let any goodness you see in Riche reflect for you its source and perfection in Christ. And let Jesus work with you to bring you to holy perfection.
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September 25, 2023 at 9:41 am |
Beautiful :). The one thing missing is an admonition to pray for the repose of his soul :).