Our beloved Deacon Larry Buzzeo died on October 25, at the age of 94. He was a remarkable man, who hated attention, preferring to stay under the radar as he ministered faithfully to the people of our parish. During his weekly Communion calls to the homebound he never rushed. He always sat with people and listened to them in a way that was very consoling. He was loyal, encouraging, and incredibly compassionate. His personal sufferings in life didn’t make him bitter. They made him kind and ready to be present to those who were lonely and brokenhearted – anyone who suffered in some way.
When I think of Deacon Larry, I think of the meekness of Jesus. “Blessed are the meek,” says the Lord, “for they shall inherit the land.” Sometimes we can get the wrong idea about meekness, thinking it means weakness. But it doesn’t. Meekness is actually strength – the strength to persevere faithfully in one’s duties in a fallen world, trusting that doing so matters, and is in fact more transformative than any of the loud calls for revolution that seem so in vogue these days. The meek are like a healing undercurrent in this valley of tears, quietly building up the kingdom through their acts of charity. If we think of Our Lord in those 30 years before his public ministry, when He lived and worked as a carpenter in Nazareth, He was the whole time quietly sanctifying the world around Him simply by His presence. I think Deacon Larry had that quality of Our Lord. I think that was his gift to those who knew him and served with him. May Our Lord be good to him and welcome him quickly into heaven to be forever counted among the blessed who inherit the land.
Hello to Hallow
As you probably know by now, our parish has entered a partnership with the prayer app Hallow. Many of you already use the app, finding it very helpful in developing a more fulfilling prayer life. My hope is that our partnership with Hallow will enable us to learn to pray better together as a parish family. To participate, download the app on your phone, and then access our parish resources under the “church” link at the bottom of the home screen. There, you will find a “community library” that features offerings like a homily on the daily Mass readings, daily spiritual meditations for men and for women, and a recitation of the rosary that you can pray along with in the car or while you’re doing your daily chores. I encourage all of you to join our parish account before Thanksgiving so that we can do the “Advent Challenge” together. For each of the days of Advent, Hallow will provide a guided daily prayer that all of us can do, wherever we are. By doing this together, we can help each other stay grounded in the midst of the hustle and bustle of December and prepare our hearts well to welcome Our Lord more generously this year at Christmas. If you have any difficulties signing up or using the app, feel free to let me know.
posted 11/7/26
