Jill Costello passed away on June 24th, 2010. She was surrounded by family and prepared for death by her mother who bathed her with Lourdes water before she died. Claire and I attended her funeral and were both stuck by the providence of God which allowed us to meet her just two months before on our pilgrimage to Lourdes. Jill had stage 4 Lung cancer, she was 22 yrs. old, never a smoker or around second hand smoke. At the funeral we heard of her many accomplishments and desire for success. During the funeral mass I love to hear the words of the priest as he leads us in prayer: "Life is changed, not ended." We are all here for a short amount of time, some sadly shorter than others, much of the time is made up of suffering. What we do with that suffering can make us better for it, or not. To be given the gift of faith is such a blessing we need to thank God for His gift of faith. To be able to practice that gift in this country is precious, we need to be thankful for our country, especially as we celebrate the 4th of July. To receive that gift of faith from our parents is eternal, we need to thank our parents for their gift to us of our faith.
It is at times of sorrow and joy that we can place into focus the gifts that are much more apparent when we are not clouded by the superficial. I truly enjoy being present at a funeral mass , even given the sorrow and the loss of a loved one. It is then that we see our precious, eternal gift of our Catholic faith. We pray for the dead and their loved ones so that they may be in heaven and their family will be able to grieve their passing. We appreciate our own time and family. And, most importantly we remember to offer our sufferings for others and for our own salvation so that we may one day be able to meet our Lord face to face.
Let perpetual light shine upon Jill Costello O Lord, and may she rest in peace.
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