Friday, August 28, 2020
HAVE A HAPPY ETERNITY!
8/28/2020
Hello, Everyone!
Just to share a moment of gladness/sorrow with you.
On Wednesday, I received a funeral card from an unknown source
that "announced" the death of a good friend of mine.
That friend, Carl, died suddenly on July 23rd with his dog "Cooler"
by his side. That is all I know about the circumstances of his death.
Carl Beavers and I attended Powell, Wyoming High School
together in the 50s and graduated together in 1960.
In high school, Carl and I were somewhat distant in terms
of chosen friendships. Carl chose his own and I chose my own.
But after high school, Carl attended one year at Northwest Community College in Powell - and I attended one year to get Latin at St. Lawrence Seminary in Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin. At it turned out, both Carl and I learned Latin in the first year after high school, but the reason I learned it was because a familiarity with it was required for entrance at St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colo. I wanted to be a Catholic priest. I am not sure what Carl wanted to be and I do not know what he intended his major in college to be; but while at Northwest Community College, Carl decided
he, too, wanted to be a Catholic priest and wanted to attend St. Thomas
in Denver. Both of us wanted to be priests in our diocese of Wyoming.
So, Carl and I started at St. Thomas in the same year - 1961,
but Carl had one year of college behind him that could be applied
to studies at St. Thomas and he was able to start as a Sophomore.
Ole Francis here had to start as a Freshman because all he did
at St. Lawrence in Wisconsin was learn Latin.
From there, Carl and I traveled to St. Thomas in Denver from our homes in Powell for a whole five years; but after my 5th year, it was decided by seminary faculty that my "thinking is not that of a Catholic priest" and I was terminated from further study. Carl went on to be ordained in 1968 - and served valiantly as a priest till his death at age 77 on July 23rd. It is interesting how things go. Isn't it? Always during our travels in our St. Thomas days, Carl and I discussed the meaning of life. Carl was sure the church was right in its belief that we all inherit sin, but with sin being defined as "being separated from God," I disagreed. Carl often wondered why I would want to be a priest if I did not believe in sin - and I argued that maybe I could change the church from a pulpit to try and get it right. What a dreamer I was! Huh?
The reason I argued with Carl that we could not have been "born in sin"
was my idea that an Infinite God could not be separated from anything;
but both Carl (Father Carl) and I both believed that the essence of Heaven is being in the presence of God. I believed that we are already in the presence of God because an Infinite God must be in us - whereas Father Carl believed that we have to earn the presence of God to get to Heaven.
But does it really matter how we get to Heaven - just as long as we get there? Right? Does it really matter if I am already in Heaven and take Heaven with me when I die and Father Carl has to die to get to Heaven? As long as we both believe that the essence of Heaven is living without shame for being in the presence of God, so what if I live in Heaven without shame during life and Father Carl has to die to "live without shame"? I don't think Father Carl imagined it that way precisely, but I do believe he believed that I was right in believing the essence of Heaven is to live without shame because of God being where we are.
Carl and I did not keep in constant contact since our days at St. Thomas,
but we did exchange a few letters. The last letter I received from Carl
was in January of this year when he asked that I refrain from sending him
any more of my books because his book shelves were full, but he signed
his letter this way - FRANCIS, HAVE A HAPPY ETERNITY! I guess he
thought our correspondence would be ending if I would not to be sending
any more books - but what a sendoff! FRANCIS, HAVE A HAPPY ETERNITY!
And his sign off in a letter he sent in the Fall of 2019 concluded with,
FRANCIS, SEE YOU IN HEAVEN!
What a nice thought! So, Carl has gone on now - and I am left behind
to try and do more of what I have been trying to do all my life -
encourage people to live life like we are IN Heaven because, in fact,
we are because all Heaven probably is is being aware of the
presence of God. If I live with that sentiment, then it is likely
that wherever I go, I will continue it. Carl may be more aware
he is in Heaven now wherever he is - and I sincerely believe he is.
As I see it, Carl was almost there when he lived - and probably
will "be there" in a next life.
So, Carl, glad we knew one another somewhat while you lived.
I will leave you and everyone with a song I wrote a few years ago
about Heaven. I am so glad you are in Heaven now -
and like you said in a past letter - SEE YOU IN HEAVEN!
Farewell, Father Carl!
Gently,
Francis William Bessler
and wife, Nancy Shaw
HEAVEN
By
Francis William Bessler
Laramie, Wyoming
2/2014
REFRAIN:
Let me tell you about a place called Heaven,
a place called Heaven, a place called Heaven
where you can reside.
All you have to do to live in Heaven,
to live in Heaven, to live in Heaven,
is to know that - you are God's child.
Where is Heaven, my friend?
It's where you are.
Look up in the sky
and find a star.
Imagine you're there
and you can know
there's no more God there
than on the Earth below.
Refrain.
What is Heaven, my friend?
It's knowing you belong.
Be proud of what you are
and sing your song.
There is no room in Heaven
for a thing called shame.
If you're ashamed of yourself,
you've got yourself to blame.
Refrain.
Where is Heaven, my friend?
It's in your dreams.
It's up in the mountains
and down in the streams.
It's in the fish that swim
and in the squirrels that lurch;
and, yes, it's even in all
who praise in a church.
Refrain.
What is Heaven, my friend?
It's having an open mind.
It's knowing all are worthy
and it's being kind.
It's believing Life is a miracle
that's full of majesty.
Each is part of that miracle
and is a king or a queen.
Refrain.
Where is Heaven, my friend?
It's in yourself.
It's in all that you see,
all that you feel and smell.
It's in all the sounds you hear,
all that you love to taste.
It's knowing that all of this
is what makes Life great.
Refrain (2).
Ending:
All you have to do to live in Heaven,
to live in Heaven, to live in Heaven,
is to know that - you are God's child -
is to know that - you are God's child -
to know that - you are God's child.