A year ago tonight I was sitting in a funeral home praying the Rosary for my dear mother. She died just a month short of her 99th birthday. But my mind couldn’t stay on her life, it was constantly diverted to the 20 kids who were killed that morning in Newtown, CT.
We had driven earlier in the day from Nashville, Tennessee to New Ulm, Minnesota, and had not heard the tragic news of the shooting until we were in our hotel room. Mary and I were stunned! How could we mourn the loss of my 99 year old mother when 20 children had been shot to death in their classroom?
Our mother loved kids! She was upset when she saw children of any age who were hungry, dressed poorly, or unclean, sick or abused in any way! She supported the Indian Missions in South Dakota and sent what money she could to them and Boy’s Town. Doing this in spite of the fact that she never really had as much as she needed to care for her own nine kids. She always found something to send to others. My mind kept telling me she doesn’t need prayers, the mothers and families of the slain kids need prayers.
I don’t want to say more about either incident, but tonight I saw the mother of Jesse Lewis, one of those killed, on the news. She has started a foundation to honor her son. Yes, she has forgiven the shooter; no, not once, but many times daily. That is, she said, the only way she could survive.
Could I have forgiven anyone who hurt one of my kids? As much as I would like to say yes, I am afraid I would have trouble with that, if one on my kids were murdered! I’m not sure I could survive let alone forgive! But, we are called to forgive those who trespass against us. I pray I will never be in a situation requiring such forgiveness.
If you have it in your heart, visit Jesse’s site, go to: http://www.jesselewischooselove.org/. Say a prayer for his mother and his family. Pray that we will never face what she has survived.