A parishioner of mine recently passed away from ALS. It was an extremely difficult cross for him as he suffered a long, slow debilitating decline. He was one that before his illness, loved going on week long camping/fishing trips, or hiking for days in a row in the middle of nowhere and sleeping out under the stars. For the last year of his life, he was bed ridden. This was the cross that God saw fit to send him. He prayed for a cure, went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes to beg for a miracle and had many masses offered for a cure. He understood the maxim that we must pray as if everything depends on God, but must work like everything depends on us. A cure was not God's will, and he accepted it and endured his sufferings with resignation. The transformation that took place in his soul was something that was truly remarkable. He, like all of us, had many things that needed to be improved, and God in His wisdom saw this cross as the means to accomplish that end. The last time I gave him extreme unction was on Christmas day, and he died the day after. Please pray for the repose of the souls of Ted Jones. Only a few months earlier, another parishioner of mine, Gerald Crochet, passed away from a brain tumor that was only discovered less than 4 months earlier. A similar story, but his was a much quicker, and even even more stark transformation. Let this be a reminder to all of us of the value of suffering, and of the loving Providence of God only allows evil that a greater good may come of it. "And we know that to them that love God all things work together unto good.."