The month of November is dedicated to remembrance of and special prayer for
the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
We should from time to time consider the fact that our lives on this earth
are not forever. We should, not out of a sense of morbidity, but out of a sense of reality,
consider the fact that one day we shall die and pass on to the “next life.”
Many people at times jest that they will be happy if they just make it to
Purgatory, though we know that it is possible that we can go straight to Heaven by the grace of God’s
Mercy.
I came across an interesting story recently. I don’t know if it is true or
not, but it does give us a little food for thought. I don’t know its source, but would like to share it
with you.
There was a woman who had been diagnosed with cancer and had
been given 3 months to live. Her doctor told her to start making
preparations to die (something we all should be doing all of
the time.)
So she contacted her pastor and had him come to her
house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She
told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what
scriptures she would like read, and what she wanted to be wearing.
The woman also told her pastor that she wanted to be buried with
her favorite bible.
Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the
woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There's one more thing." She said excitedly.
"What's that?" came the pastor's reply. "This is very important."
The woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my
right hand."
The pastor stood looking at the woman not knowing
quite what to say. "That shocks you doesn't it?" The woman asked.
"Well to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the
pastor.
The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church
socials and functions where food was involved (and let's be honest,
food is an important part of any church event; spiritual or
otherwise); my favorite part was when whoever was clearing away the
dishes of the main course would lean over and say 'you can keep your
fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something
better was coming. When they told me to keep my fork, I knew that
something great was about to be given to me. It wasn't Jell-O or
pudding. It was cake or pie. Something with substance.
So I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand
and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to
tell them: 'Something better is coming so keep your fork too.'"
The pastor's eyes were welled up with tears of joy as he hugged
the woman goodbye. He knew this would be one of the last times he
would see her before her death. But he also knew that woman
had a better grasp of Heaven than he did. She KNEW that something
better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the casket and they
saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her
favorite bible and the fork placed in her right hand.
Over and over the pastor heard the question "What's with the
fork?" And over and over he smiled. During his message, the
pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the
woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork
and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people
how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them
that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about
it either. He was right.
So the next time you reach down for your
fork, let it remind you oh so gently that there is something better
coming. God bless you!