Semper Fidelis!!
Always Faithful.
It’s the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps. It also describes all of our military personnel. Today we buried a friend who lived those two powerful words to perfection. At the funeral mass for my friend, Kevin McQuade, his son Sean recounted some of the highlights of his father’s life. Something none of us knew was the fact that Kevin rescued over 1,000 lives in 11 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard. That’s almost 100 lives per year, which is an astounding feat.
He wasn’t fearless. He did his duty in spite of his fear, which is the very definition of courage.
Throughout their marriage and especially throughout the last three years of his life, Kevin’s wife, Anne, was the model of fidelity, and courage, and compassion. In a word, soul. Anne was there for Kevin in every way a wife can possibly be present to her husband: physically, emotionally, spiritually. Anne surrounded Kevin with her love, and did as much, if not more, than all the radiation and chemotherapy to help him live, truly and authentically live.
We look about us at the climbing divorce rate, the declining marriage rate, and we cast about for answers, for something that will reverse the trend, something that will resonate.
Today, as I sat in Church and contemplated their marriage, Billy Joel’s song, “It’s All About Soul” kept crowding in on me, and I realized that I have been blessed to be in the same parish family of so very many women whom this song describes so well, especially Anne and my wife, Regina. There are plenty of Annes and Kevins among us, beautiful people who live beautiful marriages, whose lives are the very models of love and fidelity. We just need to celebrate them more. So the following lyrics and video are for Anne and Regina, for Joyce, Annette, Joannie, Susie, Joanna, Joanne, Sue, Denise, Nancy, Maryanne, Lucielle, Linda, and all the many beautiful wives of the Holy Name men and my brother Knights of Columbus, the women who are the crown jewels in our lives and in our Church.
Semper Fidelis!!
It’s All About Soul
She waits for me at night
She waits for me in silence
She gives me all her tenderness
and takes away my pain
And so far she hasn’t run
though I swear she’s had her moments
She still believes in miracles
while others cry in vain
It’s all about soul
It’s all about faith and a deeper devotion
It’s all about soul
‘Cause under the love is a stronger emotion
She’s got to be strong
‘Cause so many things getting out of control
Should drive her away, so why does she stay?
It’s all about soul
She turns to me sometimes
and she asks me what I’m dreaming
And I realize I must have gone a million miles away
And I ask her how she knew to reach out for me at that moment
And she smiles because it’s understood there are no words to say
It’s all about soul
It’s all about knowing what someone is feeling
The woman’s got soul
The power of love and the power of healing
This life isn’t fair
It’s gonna get dark, it’s gonna get cold
You’ve got to get tough, but that ain’t enough
It’s all about soul
Na na na na na na na
It’s all about soul
Na na na na na na na
Yes it is
Na na na na na na na
It’s all about soul
There are people who have lost
every trace of human kindness
There are many who have fallen
there are some who still survive
And she comes to me at night
and she tells me her desires
And she gives me all the love I need to keep my faith alive
It’s all about soul
It’s all about joy that comes out of sorrow
It’s all about soul
Who’s standing now and who’s standing tomorrow
You’ve got to be hard
As hard as the rock in that old rock’n’roll
But that’s only part, you know in your heart
It’s all about soul
Everyone interested in what makes marriages work should read this brief, but powerful post by Dr. Gerry Nadal.
Beautiful!!! Thanks for sharing this touching story of a life well lived. God grant him eternal rest and give comfort to his family…………………
Coast Guard motto “Semper Paratus” (always ready or always prepared) is also a very apt motto for this man’s life.
“Eternal rest grant to him, oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.”