(Not) All By Myself

I had literally been there, done that, and bought the T-shirt. . . and the coffee mug and calendar and a host of other souvenirs. I'd seen a Beef Eater, Big Ben, and a double-decker bus. I'd walked the halls of Hampton Court Palace and Westminster Abbey. I'd made my purchases at Harrods and walked along Tower Bridge. And I'd done these things alone.

As the plane sought higher skies that November morning, I longed for someone who could share the memories with me, someone to remind me of the things I'd seen and done, things that would fade in my memory as time passed. Why couldn't this business trip have coincided with my parents' trip to London just the year before? Why couldn't it have come along while my sister still lived in England? Life's experiences, good and bad, should be shared.

As Catholic Christians, we are blessed to be part of a faith that is shared. We are in this together. Not even death can separated us.

Some of the greatest saints have promised to spend their heaven interceding for those who remain.

You have friends here and friends on the other side of the veil. You don't have to travel this journey alone.

If you feel lonely, if you feel abandoned, if you feel like you are going it alone, pick yourself up. Get to Mass. And while you're there, look around. We're in this together.

We're praying together. The priest is praying for us. Our Lady is praying. The saints are praying. Your guardian angel is praying.

You are not alone.