Wounded Hearts on a Journey with Fr. Bill McGarry
The following reflection on Fr. Bill McGarry’s funeral was written by Patty Clemente, a longtime friend and counselee.
Some years back, Fr. Bill gave me a small book entitled ?Hearts on Fire,? which contains prayers of Jesuits. In the introduction of this book, it is suggested that the prayers be used ?when your own words fail you.?? Since my own words fail me, I am borrowing the prayers of others to describe the highlights of yesterday?s journey with Fr. Bill.
We started the journey with the prayer found in the Spiritual Exercises #233: ?In omnibus amare et servire Dominum? (?In all things, love and serve the Lord?).? At the start of his homily, Fr. Thomas O?Gorman bared us his wounded heart by praying, ?Bill, help me through this.?? He then went on to console us by explaining the prayer that is also ?goodbye.?