“You were buried with Him in Baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.” —Col. 2:12Sisters—Emitting a Heaven-scent
Sisters—Emitting a Heaven-scentHeaven-scent
On New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2012, I traveled with my sister, Karen Wager, who lives in Charleston, South SC, to Salem, OH. We were going there to pick up Aunt Jo, and bring her to Pittsburgh to spend a final time with Mom. It was special and memorable as the two sisters clasped hands, and a powerful moment as we celebrated in prayer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
Aunt Jo is Mom’s only surviving sibling. We reminisced about all the beautiful times we spent together throughout the years. Aunt Jo is my godmother. She is delighted that I am in a parish after her namesake: St. Joseph. Aunt Jo embraced the single vocation. She served as a nurse in the Navy and spent 40 years as a nurse at Salem Community Hospital following her service in the Navy.
When we were growing up, Aunt Jo felt sorry that her sister, Mary, with 7 children, had so much work to do. So 3-4 times a year, she would come to Greentree to stay with us, give Mom a little break and assist her with her motherly responsibilities. We enjoyed all the pies, pastries, cakes and gifts that she would bring in her white Monte Carlo. Some of us called her the ‘white Easter Bunny’ and later, ‘the resurrection aunt’.
Because there was limited space at our house, Aunt Jo would come during the warm weather, knowing she would be sleeping on the chaise lounge in the enclosed back porch. She recounted the story of one morning, when she awoke to find 2 sets of blue eyes and one set of brown eyes closely watching her as she slept. (Mom’s youngest 3 children—Dan, Karen and myself peering at her with curiosity!)
Aunt Jo was faithful to Mom and sent cards and letters every other day throughout her entire life. Her simple ‘gems of wisdom’ brought light, hope and joy. On her little blackboard in her kitchen, there are three words: “Love, Peace, Joy!” She mentioned that we must be carriers of these each day.
It was a snowy night on December 31 as we celebrated a Mass for the Vigil of Mary, Mother of God. As we took Aunt Jo back home that evening, we stopped to eat at the Dutch Haus in Columbiana, OH. Aunt Jo, in her usual way, had us falling off our chairs, laughing at her jokes and anecdotes.
She told the story of being in Walmart recently, to pick up a few items. (Since Walmarts are cavernous, and Aunt Jo is 92 years old, she had to know ahead of time what she wanted, and where it was located, as there is not an ample supply of energy ‘in the tank’ at that age!) As Aunt Jo went through the aisles with her cart, she noticed a woman who appeared to be following her wherever she went. Her curiosity grew to the boiling point and she thought, “I’ll fix her. I’ll just go in another check out line.” But lo and behold, after checking out, the woman stopped her and said, “Excuse me, ma'am, can I ask you a question? I’d just like to know what perfume you are wearing!” Bursting into relieved laughter that the mystery was finally solved, Aunt Jo replied, “I’m wearing ‘Gloria Vanderbilt’ I’ll never have her looks, her money, or her fame, but on occasion, I do like to wear her perfume.”
As Christians, we are called to be the aroma, the fragrance, the perfume, the scent of Christ, an elixir of ‘chrismatic grace’. My heart is filled with joy at the grace and blessings I have received from the hands of my dear and beloved mother, Mary Jane and her sister, Jo Divita. They have walked with me throughout my whole journey. They brought me to Mother Church within a month of my birth for the Sacrament of Baptism. Aunt Jo served as my godmother and to this day has not failed in her Christian witness and example. Imagine a woman following my aunt all over Walmart because of her perfume! What would it be like if we radiated the anointing of our Baptism? “Live in love, as Christ loved us and handed Himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.” (Eph 5:2)
It is through Baptism that we have received life – God’s life, eternal life, a seed which death cannot destroy. The Christian writer, C.S. Lewis wrote, “A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not a form of escapism, or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.” Our God wants us to focus on thoughts of heaven, the things of heaven and the life to come. By doing this, we cultivate a virtue of hope and make it real in our lives.
St. John Neumann said, “Everyone who breathes, young and old, man and woman, has a mission, has a work. We are not sent into this world for nothing. We are placed in our different ranks and stations, not to get what we can out of them for ourselves, but to labor in them for God. As Christ has His work, we too, have ours; as He rejoiced to do His work, we must rejoice in ours, also.”
During my days as Chaplain at Mercy Hospital, I remember there was an oncology doctor who said that the most powerful moment of his life was the day that he buried his mother. It was at that moment that he felt an outpouring of compassion and care. It sensitized him to a heightened awareness in his profession as a physician, and allowed him to exercise the virtue of compassion in greater ways in his healing ministry.
The last eight years, Mom had been living at the Little Sisters of the Poor. Our family met each year on her birthday at Seven Springs in Somerset, PA for a birthday celebration. It was a great time to have a family reunion. A nurse, Chris recounted to me, “Mom always had her bags packed 2 weeks early. She was ready!” Sr. Gemma said, “Your mom was so pleasant and a blessing to our home and yours.”
A nurse’s aide, Monica said, “I’ve known your mom the whole time here. She always smiled, and was ever—so-gracious and kind.” Another nurse’s aide, Lynn said of Mom: “She was always punctual, prudent and practical. She said things at the right time, in the right way and for the right reasons.” Her beautician, Patty said, “I loved doing her hair. She was such a beautiful lady and a graceful soul. I know I’ll see her again in heaven one day.” Amy and Darlene, who work in the pantry said, “She was always the mother, helping to set the table and clean up the dishes.”
All of Mom’s children called her to say their good-bye words over the phone. Her grandson, Daniel Patrick, serenaded her by playing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on his clarinet. Sr. Monica from Columbia said, “She is beautiful and peaceful because she led a wonderful Christian life.” Sr. Grace Marie said, “Father, I assume that you anointed her.” I nodded in affirmation. “I remember on Thanksgiving Day this year, that your mom was holding the chair next to her and told everyone, ‘This is for my Richard. He will coming…’”
Jesus describes the Kingdom as a ‘wedding feast’. (Matthew 22:1-14) and His first miracle performed at the Wedding of Cana (John 2:1-12), which is the sign of the ‘heavenly banquet’, through the baptismal garment of our sacred anointing. “May the angels of heaven gather the prayers of all the souls of little children, of generous-hearted young men and women, of hard-working and self-sacrificing parents, and for all who suffer in body and mind and present their prayers to God.” (Blessed John XXIII)
