tvc.dsj.org | March 6, 2018
COMMUNITY
7
Preparing Your Soul for Heaven and Your Legacy for Others
By Kathy Fanger
“The world and its desires pass away,
But the one who does the will of God lives
forever.”
1 John 2:17
At the end of the movie, “The Wiz-
ard of Oz,” Dorothy closes her eyes,
taps the heels of her ruby red slippers
three times, and repeats these words,
“There’s no place like home, there’s no
place like home, there’s no place like
home.” She yearns to go back home to
Kansas. We’ve all had the experience
of returning home. Home is where we
belong. We have a place at the table, a
place to sleep, and a place to be wel-
comed and embraced with love.
At the Last Supper, Jesus spoke to
his disciples of returning “home” to his
Father’s house. “I am going to prepare a
place for you. Then I will come back to take
you with me, that where I am you also may
be.” John 14:1-3
In the last three articles, Catholic
Cemeteries has shared our mission to
assist you with practical and necessary
end-of-life planning: Your Catholic Fu-
neral Services and place of rest; a criti-
cal Advance Health Care Directive and
Estate Plans. Having these end-of-lif e
plans in place is a gift of peace of mind to
yourself and your loved ones. Yet there
are two even more important pieces:
1. Preparing your soul for heaven
How are you preparing to meet the
Lord? Jesus gave us his greatest com-
mandment: “You shall love the Lord,
your God, with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your mind…
and you shall love your neighbor as
yourself.” Does your life speak to this
every day? Lent offers us an opportu-
nity to return to the Lord – with prayer,
fasting, almsgiving to those in need,
and being forgiven in the Sacrament
of Reconciliation. Having a personal
relationship with God and having our
souls prepared helps us to look with
hope to returning to our heavenly
home one day.
2. The legacy of how
you’ve lived your life
How do you wish to be remembered
so that your life can continue to bear
fruit in the generations that will follow
you? It is often not the huge accom-
plishments, but rather the manner in
which we lived, our words, the small
Sister Barbara (James Marie) Geib, SNDdeN
October 3, 1932 – February 4, 2018
We remember with gratitude Sister
Barbara (James Marie) Geib, a Bay
Area native who died surrounded by
a roomful of friends singing “Amazing
Grace” in her adopted hometown of
Monroe, Wash.
Sister Barbara was a Sister of Notre
Dame de Namur for 65 years. Born
in San Francisco, Barbara graduated
from Notre Dame High School, Bel-
mont, before entering the Notre Dame
Community. For 21 years, she taught
in Notre Dame elementary schools in
Marysville, Salinas, Honolulu, Santa
Clara, Saratoga, California; and Des
Moines and Seattle, Washington. In
1967, she responded to a need for a
parish Sister in what was then a small
rural parish in Monroe, Washington.
Her role as a parish Sister soon
expanded to include being a chaplain
and domestic violence advocate for
the Monroe Police and Fire Depart-
ment. Reverend Phil-
ip Bloom, pastor of
Saint Mary of the Val-
ley Parish, described
the “energy, enthu-
siasm, support and
deep involvement in
the community” that
“Sister B” brought to the parish and to
everyone she encountered. Sister Elisa-
beth Tiernan, who has also served for
many years in the Northwest, wrote that
“Sister Barbara has made the words of
Saint Julie, Notre Dame’s foundress,
come alive: ‘How good is the good
God!’ She has lived a life sharing that
goodness.”
Sister Barbara was loved and will be
greatly missed by her brother, Gerald,
her cousins, Fran and Mary Croak, by
hundreds of other friends from the
Church and community, and her own
Sisters of Notre Dame.
Are you connected to The Valley Catholic online?
Would you like to submit an article? Visit our website for the
submission form, deadline dates, articles and more.
tvc.dsj.org
kindnesses, our generosity, compassion
and faith that will be remembered.
Will others choose to follow your lead?
Jesus said, “Whatever you did to the least
of my brothers and sisters, you did for me.”
Matthew 25:45
So, do let Catholic Cemeteries assist
you with the practical end-of-life plan-
ning. And do, also, let your Church as-
sist and remind you of preparing your
soul for your blessed return to heaven,
where “life is changed, not ended.”
For more information on our work-
shops or other end-of-life planning re-
sources, please contact Kathy Fanger at
(650) 428-3730 x 508 or www.ccdsj.org.
Attend one of our workshops:
Spring Open House
Estate Planning Seminar
March 24, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery
Learn about the benefits of pre-plan-
ning your Christian funeral, advance
directives and estate planning. Give
the gift of peace of mind to yourself and
your loved ones by having your plans
in place. Please RSVP: (650) 428-3730.
A Time For You –
A Retreat Day For Caregivers
April 21, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Location: TBD
A retreat day focusing upon compas-
sion and care for self while walking
with someone who suffers. Learn prac-
tical and spiritual support. A sacred
time set aside to renew, rejuvenate and
replenish in mind, body and spirit. For
more information and to register, call
(650) 428-3730.
Solace – Soul + Grief
Monthly Drop-in Grief Support Group
March 28, 7 – 9 p.m.
(Fourth Wednesday of each month)
O’Connor Hospital Chapel
2105 Forest Ave., San Jose
Facilitator: Candee Lucas, M.A. Pastoral
Ministries
Each month we will use a different
scripture as a seed for our sharing, dis-
cussion and support. We hope to create
a sacred space for you to share your
grieving. No RSVP necessary. Free.
Robert Diaz
Financial Advisor
• Personal & Business
Financial Planning
• Investment Planning
• Retirement Planning
• Insurance Decisions
• Saving for College Education
Listening • Planning • Advising
I’ll be with you every step of the way.
Call me for a free, no obligation, financial consultation.
1999 South Bascom Avenue
Suite 400
Campbell, CA 95008
office 408-369-9400 ext. 126
direct 408-963-2864
[email protected]
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Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Waddell & Reed, Inc., a
Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC and a Federally Registered Investment Advisor.
Insurance products are offered through insurance companies with which Waddell & Reed
has sales arrangements.
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