“Good Friday”—Spelled Without Capital Letters

June had two “good fridays” for me. My youngest sister Sue who suffered from ALS entered eternal life on a Friday morning, and on the following Friday she was buried. Sue had written her obituary and planned her funeral. Having been a catering manager and a person who loved experimenting with recipes and hosting, the theme of obituary and funeral Mass was dining at the eternal banquet. The cover of the worship aid showed an eloquent place setting. The hymns radiated the hospitality Jesus exhibited on earth and prepared for us in heaven. The presider, Father Mark Davis, brought joy to the Eucharistic banquet, and the assembly sang and prayed loudly. The third and last Friday in June was a time to reflect upon all the good—the goodness of my youngest sister known for incomparable hospitality and attention to guests throughout her catering career, the goodness of her marriage to her “hero” Allen, the goodness of the care she gave our parents, the goodness of her gratitude toward Hospice care-givers, the goodness of her sense of doing something for others right up to the last days of her life. I have a hunch that I will be quite aware of “good fridays” in the coming weeks and months.