BE PREPARED!

I am in no hurry, but

I AM NOT SCARED TO THINK ABOUT IT

How about you? Does this kind of thing scare you, repulse you and make you not want to think about it? Would you rather leave it to others to do this kind of thing for you? 



Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come!
Mark 13:33

"If your presence doesn't make an impact, your absence won't make a difference."
 Trey Smith

My tombstone was set in place on September 14, 2018

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Now that it's up, I want moss to grow all over it before I need it!

This inscription sums up my thoughts about my own life. 

I wanted to get this done during the 200th anniversary year of Saint Theresa Church, my beloved home parish, where I will be buried.

Abbey Caskets of Saint Meinrad Archabbey has offered me a complimentary casket because I was an employee of Saint Meinrad Seminary for 14 years. I had my choice. I chose the simplest one - a poplar wood monk's casket. 



Since preaching was my favorite thing to do  as a priest, I will be buried holding a Lectionary (a book of Mass Scripture readings). This particular Lectionary was presented to me a few years ago by Archbishop Weisgerber, Archbishop of Winnipeg (Canada), at the end of a priest retreat I led for him and his priests. I had mentioned my desire to be laid out holding a Lecionary in one of the talks I gave about the importance of preaching in a priest's life. In fact, Vatican Council II said preaching was a priest's "primary duty."