"Oft, in the Stilly Night..."

Oft, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber’s chain has bound me,
Fond memory brings the light
Of other days around me;
The smiles, the tears,
Of boyhood’s years,
The words of love then spoken;
The eyes that shone,
Now dimm’d and gone,
The cheerful hearts now broken!
Thus, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber’s chain hath bound me,
Sad memory brings the light
Of other days around me.

When I remember all
The friends, so link’d together,
I’ve seen around me fall,
Like leaves in wintry weather;
I feel like one
Who treads alone
Some banquet-hall deserted,
Whose lights are fled,
Whose garlands dead,
And all but he departed!
Thus, in the stilly night,
Ere slumber’s chain has bound me,
Sad memory brings the light
Of other days around me.

 -Thomas Moore, 1817

Four years ago, we sent a young boy off to far-away school in PA. Looking back on his photo from the day of departure, him sitting atop a small mountain of luggage and belongings, it is a wonder we did it! He is young, so young, a mere 14 year old lad with all the world of experience still before him. All who know us well know well that we had looked forward long by that point to realizing the dream of putting a son in that school - a school we had discovered it seemed by happy chance. But it was inevitable we found and were drawn to it after all, since it was the picture of all we had envisioned of a truly good educational endeavor, and like most good things in this life - small, hidden, relatively unknown. Good fodder for the body, mind, and soul, heroic tasks, manly labors, grand sacrifices, tests of endurance, bonds that last a lifetime. 

When we attended his graduation a few weeks ago, and, as head cantor, he sang a solo for the occasion, Moore's melancholy air, "Oft in the Stilly Night," - it was a moment of bittersweet joy. Not only had we endured with him the years of hard work and silver linings, trials and triumphs, and watched him grow from a young boy to a strong young man - and so this moment held a special cherish as the fruit of such long labor - he had just prior to that occasion suffered a medical crisis which left us all very nearly bereft of the wonderful part of getting to the end! God be praised, he recovered, and now is wrapping up a three week long Way of St. Francis pilgrimage in Italy with his class. The pilgrimage, it could be admitted, is the whole reason we sent him off to this school in the first place. He will tell us all about it upon his return - but we anticipate tales of long days on foot, miles and miles, carrying a pack, sleeping out of doors nights and singing and juggling for their bread each evening along the way. He had been to Rome as a baby; now he will have seen the magnificent holy places told in the great tales and stories of the saints, and will have walked in their footsteps. It is an experience of a lifetime, and we are so grateful!

Why does the head cantor sing Moore's sad song at graduation each year? How is it that that tune is fit to set the stage for the occasion? Perhaps it is because while there are glimpses of heaven in this worldly sojourn the main point is to reach heaven itself. In this fallen place we rest our hopes in the final end, and relish in the reminders of mortality - hence the skull upon the desks of the greatest saints - lest we pursue fleeting happiness and end up disappointed; or worse, lose all that matters. But directly, it simply speaks to the lastingness of worthy pursuit. The boy who ventured these years away from home, learning sometimes through trials of fire about the things that matter most in life with other boys as fragile but as willing to try as himself, gains true friendship and memories for a lifetime, with the impetus to understand and pursue our eternal end stamped deeply upon his soul. We ponder fondly on the good times past, yet hopefully; holding strong and attempting ever boldly to do God's will and win the glad race in the end. 

Our family is about to make a tremendous change, and we are reflecting deeply on all that matters most and praying fervently that God continue to guide and protect us! We have taken an offer for a job that will move us to a traditional, Catholic community in Kansas, a prospect that came up recently, but is the answer to years of prayer. It affords us the chance to integrate work and family life more closely, more time with "Dad" home, more opportunities for daily Mass and sacraments, and good educational opportunities for the children as well - all still with a chance for the rural, homesteading endeavors we enjoy. The transition is mountainous, and we have no small amount of work ahead. May the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts enflame us with the strength and graces we need! 

A friend captured our son's song at graduation, and we listen to it whenever our hearts to feel weary; enjoy!

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