March 24 Gabriel, archangel

John and Thommy
Good morning
I love you

Angels are a bit of a waning fad – Uriel as a confirmation name was a bit over the top, but hey, when the pastor accepted it and you understood why you’d chosen the unnamed OT archangel, going with the flow worked out ok…. Not quite as reinforcing as choosing John for confirmation on top of the John for baptism…. Nor not quite Joseph because I was not confident I could spell Christopher and I was not about to let the teacher know that I hadn’t gotten the ok from my parents nor to embarrass myself about the spelling. That turned out ok, tho. We’ve given Christopher back to the legends – as the patron saint, at the time, of travelers, he was apropos for me; always on the road back to nyc for holidays, weddings, etc; we seemed to be taking that 8 plus hr drive from Portland, throwing up right around Hartford, I could have used some saintly motion sickness relief. But Joseph had turned out to be the better choice for me. Father. Husband [although not, the beauty of annulment]. A source of inspiration for fatherhood and a model to hold up to y’all for your being a husband – the first criterion is for you to discern your sacramental vocation and, if marriage, to find a woman like Mary…. And be a husband like Joseph….

Daniel ix:21. Gabriel who appeared to Zachary.
Luke i: 10&19. Gabriel to announce Jesus’ coming
Luke i:26. Gabriel who appeared to Mary in Nazareth.

So, maybe that’s why he got the 24th ,with the Annunciation on the 25th?

We didn’t get Gabriel or even the metaphorical trumpets blaring…

Still, the annunciation of your births each made the Decembers of 1986 and 1988 forever special.

Find a woman like Mary. Become a husband like Joseph. And then, as pater materque [of course, unequivocably forever] have the holy family…. Any other model, any caveats will get you results no better than what you’ve experienced since 1994 – with great loss and suffering, much of which you have yet to experience. With Gabriel’s help, we’ll find ourselves on the same road again…

I love you
dad