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SPEAKING TO THE SOUL

Ecclesiasticus 38:34a But they maintain the fabric of the world, and their concern is for the exercise of their trade.

Roy never came to church. He was the town craftsman and a superb cabinetmaker. His mother was a cornerstone in the parish, but her son found communion with the Creator by working with his hands. Anytime the church needed something built, Roy was the one to see.

My favorites of Roy’s creations were the choir chairs for the priest and deacon. They were gorgeous, fit for royalty, and very much off limits to kids. In fact, the first time I sat in one was the only day I ever remember Roy being in church. It was the day of his funeral. As a family friend and a priest, I was asked to read the burial office. This was also the first time I had given much thought to this reading from Ecclesiasticus. Roy was not a saint in the usual sense of the term, but he showed me that prayer comes in multitudes of form, including in the love crafted into two beautiful chairs.

MOVING FORWARD: What is your favorite form of prayer? Pray that way today.


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