I attended the funeral of little Leo Primeaux last Friday which was also the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The solemnity felt fitting, as I believe it was the most somber and dignified moment of their entire lives and possibly in the lives of many who were there. There were so many revelations imparted on me as I watched this family grieve and as I watched our big, loving community wrap around them. One of the sentiments I could not help but experience yet again was that Acadiana is a special place. Tragedy has nothing on us. We rally around each other, we pick one another up, and we declare our strength bigger than Satan’s attempt to steal it. But, even more special than Acadiana is my Faith. And, the lasting revelation that I have carried with me since Friday’s funeral is that it matters.

There are so many images that stand out to me when I recall the funeral. I watched a young, grieving mom in the arms of her grieving husband. I watched a large community of faithful friends surround them. I watched Leo’s godparents offer gifts of bread and wine, along with their grief and support, to the altar. I saw a beautiful and holy Consecration with 10+ clergy who support and love the family. I heard the elegant Rite of Committal that assured us of Leo’s entrance into Heaven. I saw people standing in the bitter cold, supporting this hurting family as they offered their sweet boy into his eternal resting place.

I sat there beside my husband and some of my best friends crying deep cries of grief during that Mass. It was so beautiful and so heartbreaking and it dug up in me many emotions of loss – from the loss of my mom, our 3rd baby, my friend Tanya, and now another child that belonged to another one of my friends. There has been so much letting go in the last few years and sometimes it feels too big and too heavy.

But, somewhere in the midst of all of those feelings of loss, I was grounded by the thought of the Sacraments. I was reminded that, at the start of each year when I introduce the Sacraments to my juniors, I begin with an opening lecture on why they matter, not why we do them. And, throughout the year, I try to make relevant to them those visible signs of the invisible grace that God bestows on us. The formality and ritualism of my faith is so beautiful and I was able to witness that again on Friday.

In the best and worst moments of my life, the Sacramental outpouring is exactly what healed, transformed, and made possible what was impossible. It is in those Sacraments where I received Jesus, where I encountered Him in a real and tangible way. Whether it was my baptism, the baptism of my children, the exchange of my marital vows on the altar, my anointing in a triage unit in the emergency room, or a funeral Mass, it was in those moments that He climbed down into my life and met me in my joy, in my grief, in my hope, in my loss, and in my humanness and He imparted on me more of Him, so I could have less of myself. And, thank God for that.

They may seem invisible, but the fact that we can even make it through some of those moments is in fact what is visible. It gives name and proof to that which we cannot see – strength for the journey, courage for the moments where we cannot continue, breath and hope and lasting love. The reception of that grace abounds, making the grief manageable and the future possible.

In all of this, it was never more evident that it matters. It matters that we choose to receive Him in baptism - passing through the necessary waters from death into life in Christ. It matters that we take Him up on His offer to heal us from our choices that turn us away from Him - freeing us from what binds us on earth and in Heaven. It matters who we choose to “yes” to - as Sean held Brittany, I recognized all of the similar times that Josh has held me. It matters who you choose for your children – those godparents who can faithfully love your children and your family through the good and the bad. It matters that we can choose to ask for and receive the most precious Anointing in our most needy moments - a covering and a strength that only the Holy Spirit could provide. It matters that everyday we are allowed the opportunity to receive Him who matters most in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist - a food for life, both now and forever. All of these choices add up. And, it may not feel as grave as it is until suddenly it does.

How fitting is it that this Advent we will open ourselves to receiving God as He climbs down into Mary’s most sacramental womb & into our lives at Christmas. No other events or choices in your life will matter so greatly than that of your faith. It is my prayer that just like Leo’s life mattered, so, too, does your choice to receive Him this season.