Point Eleven A Father's Day Prayer for My Father

You Never
You never said I'm leaving
You never said goodbye
You were gone before I knew it,
And only God knew why
A million times I needed you,
A million times I cried
If love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died
In life I loved you dearly
In death I love you still
In my heart you hold a place,
That no one could ever fill
It broke my heart to lose you,
But you didn't go alone
For part of me went with you,
The day God took you home.
Author Unknown

For all Fathers who live in our hearts, within our families, in the Laity, in the world, in the Clergy, in purgatory, in heaven, we pray for you with deep felt gratitude.

My father Robert (my mother called him Bob) died February 6, 1969. He was 52.

He woke me up that Thursday morning at 6:15 am for class and then went out on the front porch of our house to catch his breath. His coffee was left at the head of the table where he had been enjoying the quiet of the morning. I heard a strange sound, a choking sound and ran to find the answer.

My protection, my mentor, my provider, my father who gave me life and love had collapsed. I tried to revive him and then ran to my mother. In moments from my panic, my brother and sister came to the scene. I called an ambulance while my brother tried to revive my father. The police arrived first and then the ambulance. All attempts to revive him failed. He was gone. In moments, my strong, intelligent, tenderhearted father had been taken from us.

Later the doctors report proved he had died of a heart aneurism that had burst.

There was peace on his face in the moments when God was taking him. When I tried to revive him, there was peace on his face.

Through the intercession of Our Lady, all the Angels and Saints and my father, may all fathers be rewarded for their sacrifice and may they be granted good health and long life this Father's Day.

Did you remember that Father's Day is this Sunday, June 17,2007?