Have you thought at all about where you want to be buried?

I know that may seem like an odd question, but it is one that is fresh in my mind as I learned of the passing of a dear friend of mine, John Gasink. He was a remarkable individual  and in the burgeoning of his relatively recent retirement, he flew to Australia to enjoy gift of a retirement cruise through Australia & New Zealand. Sadly, on the boat, he experienced an extreme cardiac event and while the medical team did their best, he did not live long enough to make it to a hospital where more life-saving measures could be performed. 

Personally, as I write this, I'm jumping over a lot of grief and loss to get to the question that I presented. I want to acknowledge that grief and loss, even as jump to the experience I had in hearing about his death that is the focus of this letter. When I was told about his death, I was also informed that he was being cremated in New Zealand and his ashes being brought back to Richmond Virginia. It made me think, "Hmm... where do I want to be buried? Does it matter? If I died in New Zealand, would I be buried there or would I be flown back to Chicago? Do I want to be buried in Chicago? I don't know."

There seems to be something human about wanting to live, die, and to have our very remains being placed in the familiar. It is so engrained into us that we can trace the origins of it back several millennia. The American Indian mounds that trace the United States and the pyramids of the Egyptians are all a testament of humanity's projected grief and longing hope that we should be remembered after our death by being buried in our homeland. It is there that our progeny can revisit us and recall what we have passed along to them. 

We see this too in the ancestry of our faith tradition. Today's First Reading is from the Prophet Ezekiel who spoke to the exiled people of Israel. Not only were they bearing the shame of defeat and enslavement by a foreign power, but their ongoing grief was heightened by the fact they had to bury several generations of Israelites in the graveyards of Babylon. This was an agony elevated to existential despair. Even if they were to be freed, they would do so at the peril of leaving behind their forebears in the ground in Babylon. The could return home, but only to be separated from the graves of their parents and grandparents. It was tortuous. 

The Prophet Ezekiel wrote six centuries before Jesus, so around 2,600 years ago. In his writing, he gave a great hope to the enslaved Israelites. Not only would they be freed and be allowed to return to their homes, but the generation of elders who went before them would "rise from the grave" and return to Israel with the living. 

Today, most of our imaginations of this event would be skewed by the over-powering image we have of the Zombie-apocalypses. (Not all innovations in literature and entertainment are good.) But 2,600 years ago, this was fantastic! This was hope manifest! This was awesome to even imagine. The restorative power God would be so complete, that not only would the Israelites be freed, but they would bring their beloved dead with them by the very breath and power of God!

Theologians today will trace Ezekiel's prophecy as one of the first emergences of the religious concept of "resurrection" and even though it was revolutionary and awe-inspiring to ponder this extraodinary power possesed by God, the concept of bodily resurrection didn't catch on universally. In fact, part of the religious debates of Jesus' day was "Whether or not there the body could be resurrected?" There were some who believed it because of the prophecy and other purists who only believed it to be a particular blip, an error in the story of God and his prophets. They reserved reverence strictly to the sacred texts of the Torah. The former believed in the possibility of resurrection and the latter denied it. 

Along comes Jesus and settles the debate not with well scripted analysis, but with an example. He raises Lazarus from the dead and weeks later, as we will know and recal in the paschal mystery, himself rose from the dead. 

To those who remain obstinate and question whether Jesus himself rose from the dead, I'd just like to have us frame it within the historical context of what it meant to the people of Israel when the prophet Ezekiel spoke about the dead rising from the grave. It was pure cut, unadulterated HOPE that stood in the face of defeat and ultimate sorrow. It was the audacious aspiration that God's power exceeded all expectations. 

Even if non-believers or healthy questioners can't grasp the meaning of Jesus' Ressureection, I think we'd be trending in the right direction if we can start to understand what God's desire for us is. It is to be a people of hope. It is to expand our sense of possibility beyond the limitations that weigh us down. It is to be imaginative and creative and alive! That's what Resurrection means to us as Christians and why, even if we have a preference and the ability to choose, it doesn't really matter in the end where we are buried. 

Summer Camp 2026

We are thrilled to offer summer options for our families.

• We will hold our traditional summer camps for registered Saint Andrew students during the first two weeks of the summer break. Registration is on Wednesday, March 11 at 9am. (Protip: make sure your account is updated prior to registration.)

• The parish is offering Totus Tuus in June. Totus Tuus, open to all children, is a summer, week-long Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith. Registration for grades 1-6 is open.

• Saint Andrew Summer Adventure Camp will be offered for the majority of the remaining summer weeks. Adventure Camp Registration for SA students, their friends, and neighbors in the community is open. 

Baby Bulldogs 

Our Baby Bulldogs program is gearing up for a fun and energetic spring session! Beginning January 22 through April 30, families with infants and toddlers are invited to join us every Thursday from 9:00–9:45am for a morning of connection and play. Each class includes free play followed by joyful music and movement that little ones love. (Please note: no class on March 19.) We meet in the Saint Andrew School Gymnasium, located at the northeast corner of Addison and Paulina. Registration is ongoing.  Come be part of the fun with our littlest Bulldogs!

Discover the Difference with Saint Andrew School! 

Are you seeking a nurturing and enriching educational environment for your child? Look no further than Saint Andrew School, where Catholic Education comes to life through faith, excellence, and community. Our dedicated faculty inspires students to achieve their full potential academically, spiritually, and socially. At Saint Andrew, we blend rigorous academics with character-building values, fostering a sense of purpose and belonging. Experience our vibrant campus, where every student is known, loved, and challenged to grow. Choose Saint Andrew School today and invest in a brighter future for your child. Enroll now and join our family! Sign up for a tour here: schedule a tour New student applications for the 25-26 can be found here: New Student Application