King David was shaken, and went up to the room over the city gate to weep. He said as he wept, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Sam 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30-19:3).
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020122.cfm
The death of Absalom pierces David’s heart. His anguished lament is the cry of every parent who has lost a child. Today is the feast of Saint Bridget, one of the three patron saints of Ireland.
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Saint Bridget of Kildare, February 1
