Accidents happen everywhere and every day. Some are annoying but trivial like a broken glass or a spilled carton of milk; others are devastating and tragic. They always come at the wrong time. That’s why they’re accidents; otherwise they’d be expected and part of the plan. They catch us off guard, and suddenly everything can change.

The God of the universe is the God of history. Having created the various physical forces of nature, such as gravity and motion, and having endowed them with their own specific powers, God allows them to operate in our world. Sometimes those different forces collide with disastrous effects. Hurricane Katrina quickly comes to mind, as do all the other natural disasters which have filled the news over the past year.

Sometimes people are simply at the wrong place and at the wrong time. God never promises to protect us from all injury or hurt, nor does God protect us from the consequences of our foolish mistakes (as the devil’s tempting suggestion that Jesus jump from the temple roof reminds us, Matt 4:5-7). God promises, however, to remain with us through thick and thin, in good times and in more difficult ones. God doesn’t cause accidents, at least not in any direct manner, but God remains at the very heart of everything and brings surprising blessings from the most unexpected and even painful intersections in life.

In celebrations of confirmation over the years, I have regularly reminded the newly confirmed that “life never turns out the way we think it will or should.” I have also insisted that the point of the sacrament of spiritual maturity is the recognition of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives with all the gifts needed to make us and our neighbors a blessing for each other and ultimately to form us into images of God in Christ.

Some very unexpected blessings can come even from the more serious heartaches of life. We suddenly discover how precious every aspect of our existence really is! We learn what/who we take for granted and we certainly become more conscious of the fragility and frailty of our own lives. We learn how interdependent we really are … on God and ultimately on everyone we meet, casually or tragically. Everything matters, far more than we ever realized!

In the instant of the auto accident last month I never gave a thought to any prayers, neither petition nor contrition, because everything happened so quickly! But I certainly have done a lot of praying ever since. My prayer before the utter mystery of God has become a fundamental appreciation for everything, and a prayer of abandonment to whatever God may bring out of this or any heartache.

Before the moment of the auto collision, I’d hardly ever been in need of medical care, and in 70 years only once been hospitalized for minor surgery. The professional kindness of the emergency technicians and the calm helpfulness of the Dodge County sheriff personnel and the competent compassion of the folks in the emergency unit of the Hartford Medical Center were simply memorable. I wrote a letter to each office to express my gratitude for a job well done under duress.

I don’t know who may have called 911, but I pray for that individual often. I certainly pray with and for the two individuals in the other car who also were injured.

I mourn the loss of Deacon John Wargin after all the years of his companionship for the celebration of confirmation at virtually every parish in the 10 counties of the archdiocese. Somewhat like Peter and John who traveled to Samaria to bring the gift of the Spirit to those early Christians (Acts 8:14-17) we may have participated in more than 500 confirmations during our years together. No words can adequately express my appreciation for the assistance he rendered. Local folks at the parish could pray without worrying about the smooth flow of the ritual; so could I.

The fact that so many of the diaconal community came to John’s funeral was a consolation and a reminder of the blessing which the diaconate can be in our church. The countless kind notes and prayers which came from every direction made the healing of body and spirit so much easier.

Everything converged to demonstrate the grace of God who loves us into goodness in good times and in more difficult ones. Blessed be God forever!