Random Thoughts During the Interlude

Amidst the merriment that comes from being around friends and others, there are the quiet moments. They often occur to me after Mass on Sunday morning, or elsewhere when the music stops.

During one of them, I thought of a dear friend of mine, who is going through a difficult period. We have become very close, and with the changes to our lives, come the inevitable tensions that arise when paths are at risk of diverging. I remembered that friend at Mass today, in the hopes that all would be well.

I thought of my friend Lou, who died of cancer earlier this month. As the reality sets in, I realize just how much of a gap he left behind. I keep thinking of the things I wanted to ask him.

Imagine Christ losing most of his following (Gospel of John, chapter 6) when He lost most of his followers, because He told them what they didn't want to hear. Imagine Him then on the cross, after most of His dearest friends deserted Him outright. If we love someone, we must sooner or later deal with losing them. All of us, both in entering this world in the beginning, and leaving this world at the end, face that passageway alone. In such moments, "God alone suffices."