I Wish I'd Known Him Better

In my community, people spoke of him. I know for certain that Jean Vanier was an important person. What hurts is that distance kept us apart. You can't see someone you live far from. I glimpsed him once, when I was forty. He was beloved for what he taught about young people and the Church. When Mass came, I appreciated him. But to see him, we had to wait for some religious event, some public appearance. In my view, religion brings us all together because we're all waiting for a miracle, for the Holy Spirit to descend. If Jean Vanier had been Italian instead of French, I think I would have understood him better. He is a person to honor and cherish for what he wanted to tell us. We shouldn't be sad or discontent with life when we can't get a job or love—for Mary and for her life, which was an example to us. Vanier too is an example for us. I feel as though he were a friend I didn't appreciate enough. Yet I know he stands among the important people in our lives. I'm not sure how I came to understand his greatness, but there remains a sorrow for someone dear whom I never knew well enough. And yet through his words and his teaching, he made us stronger and more united, following in his footsteps. I came to understand that he had so much to say, because he was a master.