Catholicness
After thinking more about the Passing of Tim Russert, i more and more wondered why such bothered me to a point short of tears. And i think it was the common connection of simple Catholicness, yes i know that’s not a real word but many catholics will understand what i mean.
Like many Catholics I am 3rd generation in this country, my great grand parents having come over in the early 1900’s. They and my grandparents and even parents today worked hard, for wages, My own father having recently having worked two jobs to cover for my brother and i during this on going recession. That working class Catholic background never really leaves a person.
When someone on the far right talks about so called “values” they mean a set of SET codes that they want to enforce on people by laws. But thing about Russert is i found just by watching him, i could tell he Shared my values, he never had to say anything about himself just by his actions and reactions i could feel that kinship that seems to exist among working class catholics, be they Italians, French, Irish like Russert, or Polish like myself. Catholics from these blue collar families can just feel a kinship they can strike up a conversation with someone they only just met, as if they had been friends for ages, simply because of that connection.
That Connection is one of the true secrets of being Catholic, we stand with eachother in prayer and can sense that in life even if we never talk about God or faith. We don’t have to force religion down someone face, we just need to live by example, and i think that the late Tim Russert was a great example of living out the requirements of faith. God took Russert now for His own reasons, unknown and beyond us humans, for how ever sad we are for Russert’s passing as Catholics we know he’s in a better place, with the best seat in the house for watching the Elections he so loved to cover. I pray for his family, and hope that they do well, now that he has gone to his reward, maybe a bit to early.
-Gabe
Tags: religion