On Sunday I had a life highlight experience. We had a blessing dinner to mark the start of this new stage in fighting the C. With the start of treatment, it seemed like a new day was dawning. We are no longer in a “wait and see” mode. Action is needed. OK, I can do that. But let’s mark it with something that sends me forth. A commencement of sorts.
Bff Kate, put together a blessing dinner with la familia: Sarah, Steve, Godson Ben, Pete, and Fr. Michael Sweeny, our priest pal who’s been with us through it all. It was a very family evening with Guthrie/Hayes/Shields - the triumvirate that gives new meaning to the words extended family. We’ve known each other forever, and our families are intertwined in ways that can only be punctuated with, Catholic Mafia. Our connections run deep, and there is no getting out, not that any of us want to.
After a wonderful evening of laughs, drink, food in the embrace of friendship, we adjourned to the living room for a real blessing: The Anointing of the Sick. Michael is fabulously present, a word he talks about often, and lives everyday. He’s is nothing if not present to another. He ever so thoroughly went through the Rite, which I will relay in parts as there was much to ponder.
He spent time talking about commanding. One part of the anointing is for forgiveness, the other for priestly (action?). In the latter, one is to command her life with authority, like a priest has authority in the Church. When asked to expand on this, he explained that there is the part of life that happens - the rain, for example. It just happens and we deal with it. The rest is for our command. Our life is ours to command, and we can take it where we will. Wow. It reminded me of when I was on the eve of being diagnosed with C and Eleanor asked me what I would do differently, given worst case scenario. As I am happy to recall, I said I would do nothing different. It was an affirmation of my life, the blessing in the daily living, and it was an acknowledgment of commanding my life. I really love this notion. And at the same time it’s daunting. We are the boss of ourselves. Dammit.
In what ways am I commanding my life? And where can I take more authority in the command my life?
Bff Kate, put together a blessing dinner with la familia: Sarah, Steve, Godson Ben, Pete, and Fr. Michael Sweeny, our priest pal who’s been with us through it all. It was a very family evening with Guthrie/Hayes/Shields - the triumvirate that gives new meaning to the words extended family. We’ve known each other forever, and our families are intertwined in ways that can only be punctuated with, Catholic Mafia. Our connections run deep, and there is no getting out, not that any of us want to.
After a wonderful evening of laughs, drink, food in the embrace of friendship, we adjourned to the living room for a real blessing: The Anointing of the Sick. Michael is fabulously present, a word he talks about often, and lives everyday. He’s is nothing if not present to another. He ever so thoroughly went through the Rite, which I will relay in parts as there was much to ponder.
He spent time talking about commanding. One part of the anointing is for forgiveness, the other for priestly (action?). In the latter, one is to command her life with authority, like a priest has authority in the Church. When asked to expand on this, he explained that there is the part of life that happens - the rain, for example. It just happens and we deal with it. The rest is for our command. Our life is ours to command, and we can take it where we will. Wow. It reminded me of when I was on the eve of being diagnosed with C and Eleanor asked me what I would do differently, given worst case scenario. As I am happy to recall, I said I would do nothing different. It was an affirmation of my life, the blessing in the daily living, and it was an acknowledgment of commanding my life. I really love this notion. And at the same time it’s daunting. We are the boss of ourselves. Dammit.
In what ways am I commanding my life? And where can I take more authority in the command my life?
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