EDWARD MOORE KENNEDY

I watched the services for the senator yesterday, the funeral and burial. I was shut in with the flu. The Kennedys were contemporaries with my parents. In the very late sixties and early seventies, I remember in some black folk homes there was a "picture" of Jesus (the one with dark blond hair and green eyes) and a print of the profiles of John and Bobby and King hanging in a place of honor. Many blacks felt that the Kennedys really cared about them.

When the Gospel was read at the funeral Mass, I looked at my husband and asked who did he think chose that reading. Later, one of the priest said that Teddy and his wife planned the service. (I do not think that this is odd as I have outlined my funeral as well including a slide show with pictures of me from birth to now. I update it about twice a year.) The passage was Matthew 25:31-46

The Sheep and the Goats
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

While you may not agree with how Teddy tried to live out the verses from above, I think he really believed he was doing the right thing. He was a flawed man, as we all are. I am sure that he "got out of situations" because of his position in life as most of us could not. It appears to me that he did not always know how to reconcile his faith with his position on issues. I come to that conclusion after hearing from the letter that he wrote to the Pope that was read at the grave site.

God will deal with Teddy and He will also deal with us. While I believe we should have "personal responsibility" we are also to care for the hungry or thirsty or a stranger or one needing clothes or sick or in prison. If we did this in Christian love we would not have a generation of lazy bums always wanting entitlements but people who want to give back because that is way that love is.