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We give you thanks for the blessings
which you bestowed upon Fr. Benedict Joseph in this life:
they are signs to us of your goodness
and of our fellowship with the saints in Christ.
Santo! Santo! Santo!
How blessed to make his transitus upon the Transitus of our holy father St. Francis ...
How blessed to surrender his soul upon the holiest of Jewish holy days, the Day of Atonement ... the day all debts are cancelled ...
How blessed to die on the same day as his Savior and the First Friday of the month - his heart and soul united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus ...
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May the angels lead you into paradise;
may the martyrs come to welcome you,
may St. Benedict Joseph with Our Lady,
Queen of the Friars Minor
accompany you
and take you to the holy city,
the new and eternal Jerusalem.
"Coraggio!"
I have always loved Father Benedict Groeschel.. I am happy he has gone home to be with our Lord Jesus Christ. What joy he is now forever to live!
ReplyDeleteI remember the first time I sat in on a conference with Father Groeschel. It was in Culver City, California. He was there to promote one of his many books at the bookstore owned by the Daughters of St. Paul. I was so excited to be driving across town to spend time in an intimate setting to hear him speak And did he speak! He had the best advice! The most wonderful stories! The best ever New Jersey humor too.
I loved how he spoke about Jesus in such an intimate way. He spoke too, of his many Jewish friends and neighbors. Of the little old black ladies who were "the happiest women he had ever met because they all were in love with Jesus."
I went to several SCRC conferences in Anaheim, CA. where Father Groeschel was the keynote speaker along with Father Stan Fortuna...another man of God on fire for Jesus. I was on retreat too. First Fr. Groeschel then later, the following year, Fr. Stan.
I am bragging...yeah, I know but it was because of Father Groeschel and his love of the faith and his wonderful sense of humor...it was because he was supportive of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal...it was because what he had to say all those long years ago...well, they resonated with me. I found healing because of his words and his prayers.
I found my faith in Jesus and in the Church again because of the holy witness of Father Groeschel.
Thank you dear Father Benedict! I love you and thank God for you!
I know you will rest now in eternal glory forever singing God's praises as you gaze upon Him.
Pray for us that we may all one day meet in heaven.
Amen!
May he rest in peace. I met him at a Divine Mercy conference in 2009, shortly before his stroke. We used his videos on the Sacraments for RCIA for years. He just had such a way of explaining the faith so clearly. I will miss him.
ReplyDeleteThou good and faithful servant!
ReplyDelete+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteI was sad to read the news, but also happy to hear that Father Groeschel is on his way.
Love it!
ReplyDeleteWe all owe him a great deal.
+Requiescat In Pace+
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