A few weeks ago I was invited to celebrate Mass at St. Mary Church in Berea for the safety forces from around our diocese. I was very pleased to receive this invitation and responded immediately that I would celebrate Mass.
I responded as I did because firefighters, police officers and emergency personnel have embraced very significant positions in our cities and our towns, and in our townships and villages.
I also responded as I did because eight of my relatives, including my Dad, were public employees and I respected very much what they had done over many years for the good of the people of the communities that they were sworn to serve and protect.
Safety forces, be they firefighters or police officers or emergency medical personnel, are committed to a life of service on behalf of others. Thus, it was understandable that so many people attended Mass at St. Mary?s to join with members of the safety forces at the Mass. They came to show their gratitude and to pray with them.
In speaking with people after Mass, it was impressive to listen to them recount story after story of what had brought them to this Church service. It was not just to have some place to go for an hour that brought people to Mass. Rather, people came because they had something to say, something to express because their lives had been touched by those who had faithfully served many of them.
The time at Mass was marked by a period of remembrance as a solemn moment of listening to the roll call of firefighters, police officers and emergency medical personnel who had died since the last time they had last gathered.
I could not help but to think how fortunate we are having people choose a life of service in our communities. The quality of our lives is enriched by those who live and work in our communities.
Having public events celebrated like the recent one in Berea gives us the opportunity to say thank you as we count our blessings.
May all of us never take those who serve us for granted, but rather may we be people who count ourselves blessed because we are served so well.
It was a blessed evening at St. Mary?s as God?s good works were manifested through the lives of our safety forces.
God bless you all.
(The above column by the Most Reverend Richard Lennon, Bishop of Cleveland originally appeared in the Friday, November 7, 2014 issue of the Catholic Universe Bulletin, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Cleveland.)
