~by Father Ron Camarda

In keeping with my November theme and continuing to “give thanks”, I would like to share with you about a little boy who died at about 7 years of age back in 1992 in my second year of priesthood at Sacred Heart Church in Jacksonville. He would have been 26 years old today. One of his classmates served with me in Iraq in 2004. I give great thanks that I met him. William taught me how to live and die with great love and respect. I was so hesitant to be there at the moment he died, and yet it is probably one of my most amazing and precious gifts. Because of William, I believe I was taught to stand by the men and women who died in Iraq as they died and serve with integrity those left behind.

God bless you on this Journey of William. The Gospel I used for this homily at his funeral is Luke 24:13-35 which is the Road to Emmaus. They recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread which was at the dinner table when they were giving thanks!

William

Thank you God for the gift of William,

His life, his love, his longing for God

I, a priest, met William in the hospital

last fall when he was beginning to be shaken from the tree.

The winds of time

And the hard frost of cancer weakened this small boy terribly

.

But at the same time we were stunned with helplessness

Our William became stunningly colorful

William was a work of art,

A reflection of God’s holiness and creativity

.

In the too few times

I encountered William these past few months

I felt a wonderful peace and presence

that permeated my soul from this gentle and lovely boy.

He laughed and giggled and prayed with me

through songs and puppets and goofy tricks

.

What amazes me most of all about William

is that he knew who I was

as a representative of God and Jesus.

William called me to be Christ,

even though I am unworthy for the role…honest

We, the parish of Sacred Heart,

anointed William three times with the oil of the sick

Once in front of the entire community

as he hid his face within his Father’s arms

and moved every one of us with deep emotion

I believe that when William was anointed with the holy oils

and the laying on of hands, he healed us a bit

We received the touch of God through the touch of William

who still touches us now

as our hearts burn

almost to the point of consuming us with grief and loss

.

We weep and we hurt

William has wept and hurt

But no longer

Jesus, O Jesus

Meet us on this road

Meet us today and explain to us what is happening

Let our hearts burn with William’s presence and love and spirit

Let this church of lovers burn with your presence and love and spirit

Break open the Silence

Comfort our hurtin’ hearts

and assure us that you have not abandoned us

.

William called for me via his mother

His mother asked me to help William, so I thought,

to pass through the Fear of Death

Upon arrival I realized, that no

I experienced that William

was to help me and you through this pain in our hearts

.

I anointed William for the third and last time

And then the oil poured down from heaven

I broke the bread, the Body of Christ, and touched it to his lips

and then shared it with his family

.

A spasm

A song

A prayer and breaking open of Scriptures

.

While his family wept for William with heads bowed,

they knew he was saying good-bye

I noticed his little gasps for breath

and focus of his eyes

William seemed to take the appearance of Jesus

William was seeing the Glory of God with Jesus

and Jesus took the pain!

I was looking at Jesus

And Jesus was looking at me!

And now Jesus looks at You!

Calling you all to love one another

And be loving

Come to Jesus

and live the Kingdom on Earth as it is in heaven

And William will not be far from you

In fact,

In the Breaking of the Bread

which we will share soon

Rejoice in the Love of God

The burning of Love

A God who shares our pain, and sorrow and joy

Believe it

As you feel it right now

Be alive and risen

Amen.

.

This little boy

Like a small seed falling to the ground

Has become a tree of love, of life

To shade us

And bring us peace

Thank you God for William

Thank you God for

Life.

Beloved on this first week of Advent, may we journey to the Birth of Christ and then on through his life to the glory of Easter.

.

Love, joy, peace,

Father Ron Moses +

www.tearinthedesert.com

Father Ron Camarda is a retired Naval Chaplain and author of “Tear in the Desert,” a powerful book containing his memoirs of life and death at the Battle for Fallujah. Father Ron appears on EWTN and recently won the Silver Medal from the Military Writers Society of America.