Holy Bible
Two weeks ago, I read an obituary for a lady who had died, aged 106.
In a photo she looked like your ideal great-granny: white hair, glasses, broad smile, lively face. Her name was Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt. Never heard of her? Neither had I. She was a nun who spent her working life as a teacher, helping college athletes maintain their grades so that they would continue to receive their scholarships while playing sport at a high level.
Christine Bryant
You would think she was the person most unlikely to become chaplain to a college men’s basketball team, but that was her role. She was known as the “Booster Shooter” and she was on the sideline for every game.
I always read the obituaries – in fact, I have a book of obituaries. You always learn such surprising things about the subject, about what has shaped their life, the people who have an impact on them and the ways in which they have contributed to making their community better for all. This obituary stood out because next weekend is when the church particularly remembers those who have gone before:
Saturday (November 1) is All Saints’ Day and Sunday is All Souls’ Day. On All Souls’ Day, we think especially of those who have died in the previous 12 months. Many will visit the graves of family members to lay flowers or light a candle in church and pause to think about what this person meant in their lives. Most of us are not called upon to live an “extra-ordinary” life, but a life filled with simple responsibilities to family, friends, work and community. Whether it be long or short, a life with God at its centre is likely to be a life which reflects the love of God for us all.
When there has been a death in my own family, I always regret not having asked more questions. I feel I should have asked my parents and grandparents to tell me more about what experiences shaped them. I should like to have more information to pass on to my own grandchildren. Most people have something surprising or interesting to tell. This is what Sister Jean found when she wrote her autobiography in 2023, aged 104. From humble beginnings in San Francisco, she had no doubt about her calling to be a nun. Most of her life was lived teaching in obscure Catholic schools and universities until her basketball team won some big games in 2018. She suddenly shot to fame as the spiritual sounding board of the young men she mentored.
“Why did I become famous?” she wrote. “Why was I blessed with this kind of platform so that I could spread God’s grace? Our God is a God of surprises,” she concluded. “Things happen in our life that we could never anticipate. God likes to keep us on our toes. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for me next.”
This weekend, I hope you will be able to take a moment to think of those who have been important to you.
