Amazing Funeral- The Family Rosary

I had the incredible pleasure of attending the funeral of a good friends father last week. It was one of the most beautiful things that I have ever experienced. There were 80 priests on the alter (When Cardinals die, I don't know if there are 80 priests.) There were 100 alter boys, they had to set up a screen outside because the Church was filled to over flowing. It was like being present at the close of the movie, Its a Wonderful Life. Here was a regular father, a regular man, who loved in an extraordinary way, and his life was blessed to over-flowing. Not in a worldly sense of being blessed, but in the life of Faith he had it all. A beautiful marriage, seven amazing sons (a Pastor, 2 Marine Pilots, a Businessmen, a high school Principal, Coaches.), love from friends. In the life of Faith, he had it all. So as a father of 5, I was soaking everything up, trying to listen, and learn. These were the things I took away:

The Family Rosary- I was so struck by how well his 7 sons turned out, that I kept asking everyone I could, how? How did he do it, and the answer I kept on getting was, he didn't, but He did! This was a question he received constantly, "How did you do it," and his answer was always the same, so its worth repeating- The Rosary. After dinner every night, come floods, locust, sickness, snow, they were there praying the rosary together. With their father on his knees leading the way. Father Tom Vander Woude, his oldest son, gave the homily, and he recounted how John Paul II's greatest memory of his father was watching him pray on his knees, it was a "school of life", and that was also Father Tom's most enduring image of his father, "praying on his knees,". The power of the Rosary said together as a Family in God's Eyes. Its like the Wedding Feast of Cana times anyone present, it seems to me that God is ready to answer almost any prayer!
Strong and Loving Presence in the Home- The other thing I took away was how it appeared he never over did it when it came to talking about the faith with his kids, he simply coached every team, had dinner every night, and loved each of them individually. In sales we always say, "everyone wants to buy something, no one wants to be sold it," The cheerful loving example was enough,and it bore amazing fruit!

Sacrificial Love- His final act in this world is worth repeating here. Their youngest son Joseph has down syndrome, he is 20 years old, and while working on the family farm, Joseph fell in a septic Tank and was Drowning in Sewage, his father jumped in, had to swim around the sewage to find his son, and pulled him out. While 911 was responding, Tom, Sr. held his son above the dangerous fumes, so that the rescue team could save his life. For 20 minutes, he held a fully grown man weighing over 175 pounds above his head, while he was waist deep in toxic sewage. The rescue team pulled Joseph from the tank, and when they went in to reach for Tom Sr., he had already passed out from the fumes, and drowned in the Sewage. He died like he lived, in total sacrificial love!

This act is almost a perfect image of Christs love for man. He to comes into the sewage tank of this world, and swims around to find us drowning in its lies and deceptions. He raises us up, at the expense of himself. May Tom Vander Woulde rest in the loving arms of his Savior for all eternity!, and may we learn how to live through his life.