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Sunday, February 8, 2009

A legacy

Michael Dubruiel was a Catholic Author and wife of the famous Blogger Amy Wellborn of Charlotte Was Both Blog. It is very poignient to read the last column that he was preparing for his Diocesan newspaper, just before he collapsed and died suddenly at age 50 right after his workout at the local Gym. Here is his column.




The Last Column

February 4, 2009 by Amy

{(Michael had been writing a column for the Diocesan newspaper called “Some Seed Fell” and posting them after publication on his blog. His sweet secretary Allison just sent me the last column he wrote, being published this week, that he wrote Monday night.)~Amy Wellborn's comments on her blog http://amywelborn.wordpress.com/ }

While in Washington, D.C. several weeks ago, I ran into an old friend, Father Benedict Groeschel, CFR, with whom I have collaborated on several books. We met after a Mass for pro-life leaders at Trinity College. It was exactly five years and 10 days from that night in Orlando, FL when Father Benedict nearly lost his life in a tragic accident, and almost four years to the day that I spent a week with him in New York, assisting him in putting the finishing touches on a book that he co-authored with Bishop Baker.

Working with a very frail Father Benedict at the time, I was reminded of an interview that he had given some years earlier at EWTN with Doug Keck on Booknotes. During that interview, when Father Benedict’s book Arise From Darkness was first published, Doug asked Father Benedict to elaborate on something that Father had called the “big lie” in his book. The “big lie,” Father Benedict said, (and I’m paraphrasing him at this point), is to think that if we say all the right prayers and live correctly, then nothing bad will ever happen to us. Sadly, there are many good people who have lost their faith by believing such a lie, and that makes it a big one indeed!

One only has to think of Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, and how much He suffered on the cross, to correct one’s view on this matter. In our own day, there are many whom we know have lived saintly lives, many who have prayed much, and yet have suffered too.

This brings me to another incident that I learned from Father Benedict while working with him four years ago in New York. I was waiting for him to make some corrections on a text when I noticed what looked like a wedding program. I asked him if it was for a relative or a couple he had married. He replied that it was neither, but told me the story of the person behind it.

Diana was a young Puerto Rican woman who grew up in a very faith filled home. Even though they were poor, her mother taught her at an early age to trust God above everything. By the time she was old enough to go to college, Diana found a way to pursue her education - again something that she credited to her strong faith - and became the first member of her large family to graduate from college. She then married and was hired by a large investment firm in New York.

Even though her job kept her busy, she found time to attend Mass everyday. When her friends threw parties, Diana made up goodie bags for them that included candy and make-up, but also a prayer book and holy water. When a member of her family couldn’t pay their bills, Diana secretly paid them. When someone in the family got into trouble she bailed them out of jail.

One night Diana had a strange dream. In the dream Jesus appeared to her, dressed in a white robe, standing on a cloud of smoke. He was beckoning her to come to him, telling her not to worry, that he was going to take her with him. Then it seemed to her that the whole world disappeared from beneath her and she awoke. She told her husband about the dream the next morning, but he didn’t want to hear about it—it scared him.

The next few nights, the dream repeated itself. She told her mother, who wondered what it could mean.

A month later on September 11, 2001, Diana was at work at her investment firm in the World Trade Center on one of the top floors. She phoned her husband and mother on her cell phone after the second plane struck the tower below her. She reminded them of the dream, just before the tower crumbled.

What is the opposite of the “big lie”? Trust.

When questioned by an English journalist about the future of the Religious Order that he co-founded, Father Benedict gave a simple reply, “We have no plans, except to be led by God.”

None of us knows what the future holds, but hopefully we can embrace what is inscribed in our coinage, “In God we Trust.”

ARRANGEMENTS

Viewing

Sunday, February 8

5-8 pm

7pm Vigil Service

Fr. Brian Flanagan, Diocese of West Palm Beach

Craig Funeral Home

1475 Old Dixie Highway
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Office: (904) 824-1672

MASS OF THE RESURRECTION

Monday, February 9

11am

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine

35 Treasury Street
St. Augustine, Fl
904-824-2806

Most Reverend Robert J. Baker, celebrant

Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., homilist

~Sparks

5 comments:

jeleasure said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jeleasure said...

Sparks,
I deleted my first comment because I messed up the date I listed below.

I can tell you that I know of someone who had a visit from a death angel while her stock broker husband was asleep next to her on 9/10/2001.

I don't know why these things happen. It is interesting to me that God still speaks as if the acts of the Apostles is continuing.
Jim

makemeaspark said...

Indeed we are the continueing Acts of the Apostles--well in the case of you and I and most of us here the Acts of the saints of God. The Apostles get to wear the big hats. :-)

makemeaspark said...

A great but long story of that day is at this link--It is known on Little Green Footballs blog as "Tilly's Story". The site owner had asked people for their recollections of 911 and when Tilly chimed in everyone was stunned. She is a surviver--but what she saw should not be forgotten, especially by the silly conspiricay theorists out there who could never pass a science or math test. Any Architect or engineer could tell you that those planes could easily destroy those buildings.
Anyway here is the link and Tilly is way down at Comment #195 till almost he end of the page. It is a great read. http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/8099_9-11_Stories/comments/#ctop

Andrew Clarke said...

What you're saying here is very important. Christians are still required to undergo trials and suffering and as you say, it is a dangerous falsehood to think that God can only be seen in the good times. I could wish fervently that the woman you speak of, who had the dream, could have survived. But there are reasons, sometimes known only to God, why we do not all live to be old. Sometimes Christians are called home very early, like a friend of my son's who was killed at 20 years of age. There are times we can only trust, not understand all that is happening. Thank you for your comment on my post - I have been wondering how you are, and pray that all is well in your life.


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