Reflection on Faith of Ted Kennedy

As he faced his final days of his brain cancer, I am thinking about how Ted Kennedy faced his death. He was attending daily mass (either at his nearby parish or in the home), receiving communion. He wrote a an intensely personal letter to the Pope and cared enough to have it and the response read at his graveside. He spoke of his failings and asked for prayers and forgiveness. He was Irish, Catholic and from Massachusetts - he was wealthy beyond belief and had everything at his disposal. But in death, he could take nothing with him. We saw what was in his heart in these last weeks and days. I saw his faith. I saw his courage in dying.

I cannot help but think about the very recent death of another prominent individual from Massachusetts - also in his 70s, also Irish, also Catholic. He became ambassador to Ireland in 2001, he was wealthy beyond belief - he had everything at this disposal. He also had terminal cancer. We have no news about how he spent his last days, but know he took his own life.

I am not gloating, I am not criticizing, I am not judging. Conversely, I am haunted. Haunted as I think about the sadness of these two deaths. Haunted as I consider that one was criticized for imperfection, accused of not being a real Catholic, yet faced his death directly and embraced his faith to the very end. Haunted as I consider that the second seemingly had everything, he received accolades for his business saavy, being a real Catholic, etc. etc., yet he faltered in the end, took another road. No one (including me) can say what we would do under the circumstances - I am not passing judgement.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-obit-egan-31aug31,0,4272355.story

Richard Egan, 1936-2009: Former U.S. ambassador to Ireland, founder of data storage giant EMC Corp.

BOSTON - -- Richard Egan, who rose from street kid to the U.S. ambassador to Ireland after making millions of dollars founding data storage giant EMC Corp., has died. He was 73.

Mr. Egan, diagnosed with cancer in May, died at his Boston home, his family said in a statement Friday night.

"This is a great loss for our family, and we are terribly saddened," the family said.

Mr. Egan was an electrical engineer and a former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot who worked at Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and Intel before he co-founded data storage technology provider EMC in 1979. He sold most of his shares during the tech boom, shortly before the bubble burst.

The self-made billionaire, who raised seed money for his business by selling office furniture, was a key fundraiser for the Republican Party and former President George W. Bush.

and, as a catholic, believe that he is in heaven. he was not like many of the other sham christians who very publicly announced their love of god but didn't live it. he lived a very christian life but it was not very public. may he rest in peace.

i heard on one of the shows how when he was asked why he did so much for the poor, he quite astondingly asked didn't anyone read the bible. yes, he was a sinner (who the heck isn't?) but tried his best to do what was right.

be able to muster a tenth of the class, dignity, faith and humility when it comes time for me to face my own mortality. RIP Teddy.

Maybe you didn't mean to, but saying that a person who, facing terminal cancer, ends his or her own life has "faltered" compared to someone who waits until the disease ends his or her life sounds pretty judgmental to me.

Maybe we can't really know, either.