He was a man of faith who loved deeply and treated others kindly. He embraced the Christian work ethic. He chose joy.
His lifetime encompassed two World Wars, television in every home, man in space, the right to vote for women and men of all races. The Berlin wall went up and came down. There was the flu epidemic of 1918, the swine flu, the aids epidemic and SARS. The polio vaccine was discovered. Books were written. Computer technology hit the scene and and advanced from IBM cards to microchips in a decade or so. Then there was Microsoft, Google and ebay. Famine hit Somalia and a tsunami hit Sri Lanka. New Orleans flooded. Mt St Helen's erupted and destroyed all vegetation for miles and miles. Then it all grew back. Let us not forget Mother Theresa and John Paul II. History continues to happen.
A few years ago I was reflecting on my grandfather's life, and of all the lives that descended from him. He had three children, ten grandchildren, twenty great grandchildren and one great, great grandchild. We compiled a scrapbook of memories and tried to capture the impact and influence that he had on his family and how each family member reflected his values in their own lives. Our humble attempt only skimmed the surface. That endeavour led to my appreciation of genealogies. I especially love the Genealogy of Jesus in the book of Matthew. We all know of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Jesse, David and Solomon, but I like to imagine the unpretentious possibilities of the souls that bore the names of Ram, Salmon, or Asa.
I don't know that my grandfather attained any achievement that would be noteworthy in a history book, but
He was a man of faith who loved deeply and treated others kindly. He embraced the Christian work ethic. He chose joy.
All that is good is of God and has it's place. God created the world and it was good. Kind acts impact history and the world. Just because no one has written about them does not mean that they don't exist. Imagine the possibilities, seek and see the goodness of God in others.
He was a man of faith who loved deeply and treated others kindly. He embraced the Christian work ethic. He chose joy.
True greatness lies in the heart.
Rest in Peace, Benedict Michael Kosmala.
Give, O Lord,
to the souls
thou hast taken.
Rest in paradise,
that place
of light
in the heavenly
Jerusalem forever.
And we who are
still pilgrims here
keep in Thy faith,
giving us Thy peace
even unto the end
and leading us
into Thy Kingdom.
Coptic Liturgy
It is featured as a card for the Feast of all Souls
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