Fire and brimstone

Yesterday, we attended a funeral for a close family friend on Tim's side. Joan was 73 and had alzheimers(we think). She'd had a pretty tough life but was a devout Catholic. One of her sons
died in a car accident at 17 right after getting his driver's license. His parents were away when it happened and my father-in-law had to identify the body. It was indeed a hard time. On Friday, at the wake, a priest from her church came to speak at both the early and later visiting times.
Oy, that was one of the hardest sermons I've ever sat through. Their favorite priest was away and apparently, this one had no idea that their son had died at 17 in a car wreck. Normally, pastors only read a few short verses at wakes and say a few things, this guy went ON AND ON
about making ourselves ready to meet our maker. Told everyone they should be reading scripture and listening to Catholic mediums on radio for at least an hour daily and whenever possible, at work, etc. That we had better get right with God as we could be called to face him at anytime. Then he went into telling everyone that Joan was blessed to live to her 70's and to think of all the younger people who die.
Look at the kids who die in car accidents. We all thought, OH NO DO NOT GO THERE! But he did. Stated several recent incidences and obviously did not know that this family and group did not need to be reminded of those particular tragedies. We all squirmed and my father-in-law leaned over to his friend next to him and said, "somebody get the hook."
We laughed it off later but this was really not what everyone wanted to hear at Joan's wake.
DEFINITELY NOT what Ed, Joan's husband, needed to hear as he prepares to bury his wife next to his son. The priest went on forever and people actually got up and started walking out. At the later viewing, those who had already sat through it earlier,or even just heard about it, left the room when he walked in. He said the same things all over again. It was painful. While I know that it's part of his job to be a fisherman for saving souls and all that, wow, this guy really needs to tone it down just a tad. And a little homework on the family involved would not have hurt either. Anyway, I found out something yesterday about Tim. I noticed over the years that he gets melancholy in church and I don't bug him to go. Yesterday, they played, "How great Thou art" and he teared up. He told me that church reminds him of Freddy's funeral(Joan's son who was like a brother or maybe a cousin to Tim) and also of all the funerals since, including a grandmother of his that we were very close to.
So I finally know why. I wish he wasn't so private sometimes. Freddy's death obviously affected him quite a bit. Their families spent a lot of time together even going on vacations together and such. Tim was only about 2 years younger than him and he stops by Freddy's grave when he is in the area. I guess some things in life, you never quite recover from. Olivia accolites today and Tim always goes to those services. With this funeral just hours past, I may urge him to stay home or at the very least, distract him a bit at church. So on to happier things. Today, we get
our tree. Gotta put in a big effort to get these gears switched and get into the holiday spirit!
If only today's rain were SNOW! (sigh)