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| R.I.P. |
Richard Carnes
Last night my fellow parishioner Richard Carnes, a Vietnam Veteran, left this life. The scourge of cancer brought an end to his life in this world. The grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ brings him to life in the world to come. He was a close friend of our priest for decades, and a good friend to me; and the godfather of my two sons.
Richard Carnes
667887 Army, 1 term Trooper Age 72 Cr – no longer important
Rifle-1, Mechanical-2, Wheeled Vehicle-0, Animal Handling-0
He was: Husband. Father. Grandfather. Godfather. Friend.
Robert Wood
More unexpectedly, over the weekend of the 15th-16th, my fellow parishioner Robert Wood, a Vietnam-era Navy Veteran left this life. Robert had COPD from a lifetime of smoking, which finally brought an end to his life in this world. The grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ brings him to life in the world to come. He was a part of our parish for over ten years, and I enjoyed many conversations with him from religion to politics to philosophy to his love of motorcycles.
Robert Wood
665887 Wet Navy, 2 terms Petty Officer Age 66 Cr - not much
Electronics-2, Mechanical-1, Wheeled Vehicle-1, Swimming-1 Watercraft-0
Robert never married, but he travelled widely, and had friends in many places.
Prayers for the Departed
Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend the souls of thy servants, Richard and Robert, and beseech thee to grant them rest in the place of thy rest, where all thy blessed Saints repose, and where the light of thy countenance shineth forever. And I beseech thee also to grant that our present lives may be godly, sober, and blameless, that, we too may be made worthy to enter into thy heavenly Kingdom with those we love but see no longer: for thou art the Resurrection, and the Life, and the Repose of thy departed servants, O Christ our God, and unto thee we ascribe glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.If you are minded to pray, pray also for Richard's widow Karen, their six children (grown) and four grandchildren.
Almighty God, who knowest the weakness and frailty of our nature, we beseech Thee to give unto us Thy servants whom thou hast stricken with this sorrow, such measure of thy grace as shall enable us to bear it with humility, resignation and submission to thy divine will. Grant that we not sorrow as those who have no hope. Grant that whatsoever we may want in outward consolation, we may find in the inward rest of perfect submission to Thy holy will, and unshaken trust in Thy loving mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Both will be buried in a Veterans cemetery in central Virginia.
Image credit: Pixabay
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
ReplyDeletespreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone."
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.
And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"
And that is dying...
Henry van Dyke Jr. 1852-1933
My condolences, Mr. Weaver. Those men, their families, and their friends are in my prayers.