The pastor at the parish we usually attend (that of "Lights! Lights!") could have his photograph next to the entry on "Low Key" in the dictionary, if there was one. Really. Even though he strikes us as being the Robert Moses of his part of town, when he’s offering Mass, he’s all business (the business of prayer, we assume) and lets himself get absorbed in the liturgy. Which is, naturally, why we go there.

His homilies are never longer than 7 minutes, and they’re fine, even though for all I know, what I hear on any given Sunday is what I would have heard on that same Sunday 3 years previously. I really don’t care. There’s always a point. Succinctly delivered, before we move on. Which is refereshing.

So anyway, today, inspired by  something in the Mass readings , he preached about death – specifically, the Christian attitude to death. He went on, for him, a tear about families that have, as he called it, a "Victorian" attitude toward death, and never speak of it, and are fearful of even mentioning it. "If that’s your family’s tradition," he said firmly, "For God’s sake, stop it. It’s Un-Christian."

I was rather impressed. I also wondered if he had something of a tussle or frustrating experience with a family recently. Could be. But I’ll also say – families with young children take note. We sat three rows from the front…and never had to leave once. Joseph is starting to behave exceptionally well, being quite interested in trying to follow along in the Mass books, as I said before. And Michael was, I suppose, caught up in thanksgiving for the gift of his life. Or the Sesame Street coloring book, I’m not sure which.

Whether you’re confronted with death or a 2-year old, just remember…

Hope is a virtue!