Sal Left Us: to Bring Joy to Jesus

Yesterday I was blessed to attend the funeral mass for Sal Cassaro at the magnificent Basilica-like Church of St. Aeden's in Jersey City. Fr. Rocco S.J. presided with his dramatic, Italian touch: I enjoyed it and was touched by it. The Church was full, several hundred, for a weekay, Covid-time service. Sal and I taught together 45 years ago for a year or two at St. Mary's H.S. downtown Jersey City. We liked each other in a light, effortless way. Our paths crossed occasionally over the years, ususally because his Michele and my Clare were best friends from high school on. Through the girls our families had a fierce mutual affection for each other. He liked me; I liked him. I didn't realize how much I liked, no...how much I loved him... until his death. Sal was rock-solid, salt-of-the-earth Jersey City: gentle, sweet, good-natured, fun, funny, light-hearted. Affectionate. Did not take himself seriously. Always with a smile on his face. Rotund in a way that heightened his jollity. He taught math in Catholic high schools for many years: this (I know) to be a low-income, low-status, challenging often frustrating work. He coached track: the long hours, the almost-no-pay, the (for me at least) monotony of the thing; you cannot do this except as a labor of love, love of the kids and the sport. For many years, to pay tuition and expenses he worked managing a hotel nights after teaching and coaching all day. As I prepared for the funeral, I was recalling the affection, lightness and delight I would always feel in his presence. Then a strange thought struck me: Sal is in heaven, being greeted by Jesus, who is welcoming him with great joy! Sal is bringing Jesus joy. zYes: that's right, Jesus is the happy one. It makes sense: Sal always made me happy in a quiet, almost unremarkable way: how much more must Jesus enjoy him. This thought gave me great joy. At funerals we entertain a number of thoughts and feelings: the loss of the family; the suffering (if there was sickness) is over; purgatory has begun so we add our prayers and masses to help; and eternal happiness has begun, for the good. But I myself never thought about the Joy enjoyed by Jesus himself, not to mention the entire Trinity and the Communion of Saints. This makes God capable of receiving Joy...from us. That means that today... as I trust, surrender, receive mercy and all good gifts, forgive, apologizie, care for another...as I do any of these, I give joy to the Creator of the Universe. Even more, when I die I will go to give him joy since we will be closer than ever on this earth. Today I received, in the memory of Sal, an actual grace of hope and joy. His memory delights me and inspires me to emulate his quiet, happy, humble way and fills me with hope!