Sunday, August 10, 2014

Witnesses of the Faith



Oh the stories and memories of this group ( and this is only a small part of the original)! Thirty-one years ago Mr. Golfer and I ( second and third from the left) became members of the Family of God Catholic Community in our parish. Yes, we were much younger.  Our second daughter was weeks away from being born. Those you see in the picture were having babies just like us and we all became fast friends.  

Over the next years our children would grow to be fast friends as well.  More babies would arrive and some would be lost.  We were there for each other in either case. Friday nights were FOG nights.  Rotating homes, we gathered for a meal, prayer, music and fun.  Those nights sealed a way of life that continues for us all today.

We are scattered across the country now.  Our children are grown and scattered as well.  But what God ordained as holy then, we have worked hard to keep.  As much as we can, we travel to visit.  Our children, firmly entrenched in the Facebook world, keep in touch.  Even we adults use FB as a medium for interaction.  We still pray for each other and hold close to the binding ties.

When a child gets married ( as happened this past weekend) we do our best to show up!  Another opportunity for that comes in October.  When a member is ill, we rally around.  Some of us have spent many years caring for one another.  Cleaning each other's toilets and bringing more meals than can be counted.

Why?  This is what God's faithful do.  This is love.  This is being Christian and being Catholic. As one member stated yesterday...." And they will know we are Christians by our love...."  This group has walked the journey of faith and we have done our very best to pass it along to our children.  Although they are so dispersed, the reality of living in this same kind of community is slim, but we hope the life of faith they have witnessed is not.

" There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for a friend". Anyone in this group would do just that.

7 comments:

  1. And all God's people proclaimed as one voice AMEN.

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  2. How wonderful that God blessed you with such community.

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  3. I think it is challenging to find true friends and luckily you've found them! How nice that you all travel and visit with each other to be together! Lovely :)

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    Replies
    1. Yes! This was a conversation at our blogger meet up today. Do you think it is because of the internet community ?

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  4. I think the Internet has made it easier to keep in touch, but these friendships were/are so family-deep they were destined to last. You just pick up where you left off.

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