Monday, February 20, 2023
Peter always strove to be a loving father, a virtuous man, and a follower of Christ. Gifted with many talents, Peter was always the life of the party and jovial entertainer. Peter had a great love of baseball and made many sacrifices to be an umpire even though it caused him great physical pain. Indeed, Peter was a fighter. We often joked how he would be a great actor in Hollywood - but the primary focus of his life was his family, his children. In a world of many challenges, Peter wanted one thing most of all - to be united with Jesus and to help guide his children to heaven.
Peter carried an immense burden as he was often in physical pain and continually facing a world that could be cruel to him because of his disability. Although he shared a great deal of this pain on a personal level, he strove to hide his suffering from the world and was a man very capable of doing the extraordinary despite these limitations. Peter loved photography and birdwatching. He loved to observe and capture the lives of squirrels, bears, and birds - and loved the warm companionship of his cats. Many evenings we would chat while he iced his ankles which were swollen and aching from his desire to be active and to not allow his pain to keep him from doing what he loved.
Still almost every conversation I had with Peter came back to God, and to his desire to please the Lord with his life. Peter was able to relate to many types of people because of his vivacious personality, great sense of humor, sharp wit, and his knack for great storytelling. To me, Peter was larger than life in his heart and mind. Peter was always thinking about the good of his children and about how he could help them in this life and into the next.
Peter is greatly to be admired for his perseverance amidst a life a great struggle. Often misunderstood and misrepresented, Peter had a heart of gold, and he always wanted the absolute best for his six children. Peter and I walked together through the last ten years of his life, carrying one another at times, always with the goal of heaven ahead. Peter had a strong personality and was outspoken and rarely hesitated to speak his mind. In a world that is often anti-Christian, Peter fought to share his values and to live in the way of Christ.
Peter always talked about his desire to live a virtuous life, to be a valiant man, a man of God. To understand Peter, one needed to look into his heart, and understand who it was he truly wanted to be. To understand Peter is to realize how much pain he suffered from the moment he woke up in the morning to the time he closed his eyes for sleep. Peter fought to maintain his independence and to gain respect in a world that was physically bigger than he. Peter had to fight harder than most people to gain respect and to be seen for who he really was.
Peter had one of the biggest hearts I have ever known. He was a fantastic friend. He always wanted the best for his children, and day to day he thought almost constantly about their wellbeing. From heaven I know he is sending one message - and that is a message to his six children. Keep your heart and eye on the Lord above, fight against the temptations of this world, always seek to be good and upright, never give up, always be willing to admit your faults, be courageous and carry your cross, put your life into the hands of Our Lord and Our Lady, and remember that God knows our hearts and He sees us for who we truly are, seek always for purity of intention and to accept the Will of God in your life. Live not for this life but for the next. Amen. Love you forever, Peter. You have been a guiding light in my life and I trust that you will continue to be with us 'till heaven.
Praying for you today and always. Offering up Masses and sacrifices for the rest of your blessed soul. Keep an eye on us always. I know how much you loved Our Lord. I know how much you loved the Mass. Now you are forever united in the eternal sacrifice of our Loving Savior and Seeing God face to face. What a glorious day! I love you, my dear.
