I went to the burial of a friend and priest, Bill Lawler, on May 6, 2020. Ordained in 1972. He came to join me at Holy Rosary, Claymont, which was my first assignment as a priest in 1971. A year later I was called away to another parish. For decades Bill and I lead people in Eucharistic Prayer III. It says after the elevation: “calling to mind the death your Son endured for our salvation, his glorious resurrection and ascension [our current feasts] into heaven, and ready to greet him when he comes again, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice.”
   Prior to his dying of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) Bill witnessed that his dying would be a glorious experience. He said it with a strong and radical conviction. So, we can be strengthened by his confident faith in the words of the Eucharistic Prayer and the Bible. One biblical quote: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” I find his witness striking because many find it difficult to rid ourselves of some degree of doubt.
   How might he have gotten to this radical faith? He had been in the boot camp of the seminary for 12 years. All that praying had to have an effect.  And people prayed for him. As you might know Bill stuttered except during a homily. With 12 years of supervision, I am sure people asked him to consider another way of serving God rather than as a priest. Like most of us he had other challenges to work through.  We often call this the dying and rising process. Bill and his secretary successfully set up and negotiated with the over 50 parishes in the diocese to run RENEW. Again, he radically believed that this could transform the life of parish and those making up the parish. He succeeded and brought life. It convinced people of the value of small faith sharing. This process continues today. I was in a small group of priests with him in sharing our faith.
   Bill also dealt with the darker and/ or sinful side of his person. Again he had people to encourage him in that self improvement. He also learned the serenity prayer and the process of letting go and letting God. In a fire he lost his belongings. And then with ALS, he had to let go of his independence and one bodily function after another.  He certainly had his emotional ups and downs. Ultimately, he did not give in to bitterness but showed that striking and radical faith in the glorious life on the other side.