Illustration

Fr. Bernard Gerbus recently celebrated his 91st birthday. He was one of 10 children and has been in the ministry for 63 years. His first love was teaching, but most of the years of his priestly ministry was spent in parishes in Indiana, Ohio, New Mexico and Kansas where, in many cases, he found a way to continue teaching. From 1963 to 1974 he served as Newman Chaplain for Kansas State University in addition to being chaplain at Saint Mary Hospital in Emporia.

In an essay he wrote on the "Hidden Blessings of  Obedience" he discusses briefly his desire to be a teacher and his provincial superior's desire that he minister in parishes. While he served in Wichita, he was the confessor of many of the parish priests and was much loved by everyone. Shirley (my wife) and he thoroughly enjoyed our too infrequent excursions to a stocked fishing lake in Leon Kansas. As he would catch each fish, he would chuckle and conclude how much more fun this was than church. I was president of the parish council, and we both struggled with having to deal with politics and hurt feelings. He avoided passionately anything political and was only available for something to do with ministry.

When our older girls went to school, they would always meet us at the rectory where Fr. Bernie and Brother Jude would have cookies and milk waiting for them. As they grew older, Paula and Mary had him bless their cars, and he even has a special blessing for Lisa's water turtle, which lived for many years and traveled with us all over the US. Fr. Bernie lived as a blessing to others and we will miss him sorely. Even though he was officially a parish priest, he was always a teacher. He slept away to his promise of eternal life on November 14th, 2001.

Quote

People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
—Abraham Lincoln

Verse

Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.
——2 John 1:6 NLT

Commentary

As I reflect on the people who have had the most impact in my life, I'm surprised that most were people who lived quiet lives. Even the ones that were well known, did not try to be respected. They simply tried to be the best they could at whatever they were doing. They didn't force it. The things that were most important to them were their relationship to God first, their families second, and their business or call in life third. 

My teenage love, Doris Day used to sing "Que Sera Sera" - "What will be will be" - a philosophy that makes life simple. If we really believe that God has a plan for our lives and our "job" is to bring joy to Him, then, it makes life simple. "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. If God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you?" MT 6:27-30. 

12/3/01