Reflection for today...

What will you remember about the time you spent with Jake yesterday?

• What he described Heaven like--I hope I will remember that forever. I will remember how the disease nearly killed him, now I will remember it even better.
• I will remember how he had over 20 surgeries and how one person can make a blessed into a saint. I think it is amazing many, many people are praying for him to Blessed Kateri and how the doctor found the disease had stopped the next day.
• How Kateri Tekakwitha is becoming a saint because of him.
• When he talked about his trip to heaven, and how he described Jesus and heaven, and how he felt.
• When we were with Jake he told us that when he was in the hospital from getting Strep A, he got an out of body experience and he went up to heaven. He saw Jesus, he ran up to him and gave him a big hug.  Jake asked Jesus if he could stay in heaven? Jesus said no, you have to stay down on earth.  Jake said why not? Jesus said your family needs you.
• I will remember when he was talking about heaven. It helped me believe in heaven more than before.
• How he told his story so clearly and calmly. HE took his time and his family was all there for him. Everyone came together for him out of love. They pray and give their hope to God to help Jake. Also I loved how Jake still plays the sport that caused him all this trouble.  I got into a bike accident and shattered the bone in my chin. It also caused me to lose teeth so now I have a couple of fake teeth in my mouth.  Ever since then, I am always nervous to get back on a bike, but now I know to just enjoy it.
• I will remember his story. It was so... seriously, there is no work I know of to explain his story.  What happened to him was heartbreaking.
• That he is a true miracle and that his story will go on forever. And nobody should have to go through 29 surgeries.
• Miracles can really happen and they can happen to anyone. In the darkest of times you must keep faith.  God only takes you when it is time.  Heaven is everything you can dream of and more.
• Oh my, so hard to say.  Honestly, everything. I mean it was truly a life-changing experience, and such an incredibly moving story.
• What heaven looked like: white clouds and the sun always shining.  That Jesus wore a white cloak and a red sash with a golden cross on it. I will remember the feeling when Jake talked to us, and told us about heaven, and about Jake's accident. It was inspiring and comforting to hear about heaven by someone who'd seen it in person. Now if I ever doubt in the faith, I can be reassured that heaven IS real, and Jesus loves us and cares about us. I will remember that Jake's' miraculous recovery was because of Kateri's intercession.
• How he had been the cause of the canonization of Kateri Tekakwitha. I can make a connection with Kateri, because I had a dream of her once, and it's nice to know that she is a saint. She is also one of my patron saints.
• I will remember how strong the family's faith grew tenfold, and how they will never doubt their faith again. Jake was their confirmation that heaven and God are real, and it was a confirmation for all of us as well.  I will remember their strong faith, and try to have such faith as they.  Even though death was on their doorstep, they persevered, and prayed to Kateri. That was their faith that Kateri received, and they were rewarded with Jake's life.
• He was stricken by a flesh-eating disease, which miraculously did not kill him.  While on the brink of his body's death, he went to heaven. He felt happy and free, and he met close relations. He then met Jesus and God, and they hugged.  He asked whether he could stay, but Jesus told him he must go back for his family's sake. God miraculously saved Jake's life that day, which constitutes the second miracle worked when Kateri was prayed to.
• I will remember how he still plays basketball even after he got Strep A from playing it.  I would never play basketball if it had happened to me.
• Jake was a very inspirational person. The one thing I will always remember that Jake was not sad that he had gotten this disease Strep A but was always calm as if nothing had happened to him and rather mentioned his spectacular trip to heaven during his out-of-body experience.
• I have always wanted to know what God and heaven look like.  But now I know because of the time I spent with Jake!
• How the flesh-eating disease ate the flesh around his brain but didn't get to Jake's brain.  Yay!
• I will always remember the way he described how Jesus looked because now I can't wait to meet him!
• What it taught me about life. Thanks to God and Kateri, he is alive, and every moment he inhales fresh air, looks upon the stars, or feels the grass beneath his feet is a gift. When you think about it, it is the same for all of us.  For each of us miracles, there is a blessing in each moment, even the most painful. As we have been each given these moments, we must give them back to God in the way we use them.
• I will remember how God doesn't wear only white, he wears a white robe with a red sash that goes from shoulder to waist and has a gold cross on it.
• Even when times are tough for him, he always fought through the time and went on.  He inspired me to always be a model and always have your head up even when times are deathly. Also to hear about his out-of-body experience, it really makes you aware that heaven is really for real.
• I think I'll remember his description of heaven. I never knew that someone could have an experience like that. I've also fully realized just how much life should be appreciated. I've never paid much attention to how much of a miracle it is. But meeting Jake has sort of opened my eyes to all this.
• It was very moving for me to meet him and I can't imagine how my friends will react! I will remember this day for a very long time.  Thank you so much JAKE!
• I will always remember Jake and his family because of their faith in God.  Jake is very brave and I am sure he will be around in Heaven.
• I remember that he had Strep A.  I felt very sad when I heard that happened.
• How he got blessed and touched by a relic of Saint Kateri from Strep A.
• How happy he was when he went to heaven, the happy feeling inside him and how he got to see God.  How everything was sunny and bright.
• His out-of-body experience description.
• That he got infected with Strep-A.
• What I will remember is how St. Kateri saved Jake in a prayerful way before he passé don.  I am so happy that he came to us, he had put my way of feeling at a different perspective.  I feel bad for his family when they couldn’t stop the infection.  I learned so many things that day.  God bless Jake and his family.
• The hard times he went through and how he was at heaven for a little bit.  Dream big.
• I will remember Jake’s story and his trip to heaven.  I will also remember the things Jake went through when he had the infection.
• I will remember when Jake told us how he had his out-of-body experience. 
• I was very interested that Saint Kateri did a miracle and that Jake made her a saint.
• He talked about when he was five.  The disease almost got into his brain.  Then he was all better.
• That he was healed by a miracle of Blessed/Saint Kateri.
• I was amazed at how much he remembered from when he was five and answered the questions as if he knew what we were going to ask.  Jake’s words are like a verse in the Bible.
• I will remember that he became part of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha’s story by getting flesh-eating disease and surviving.  The story makes me think that no matter how hard time scan be, everything will be all right.
• How important it is to be grateful for what you have or have had.
• I will remember that it was an amazing time with him, and his story and how he said it was wonderful, so I will remember that as well.  I will remember how strong he was through this.  I could not be that strong, but I will try.  I also remember how he expresses his feeling.  I bet he is used to it.
• I will remember that right when Jake walked in he looked happy and a very nice person.  I will always remember the story when he got hurt on his lip and then he got an infection.  It is called Strep A or flesh-eating infection.  When he told us that he went to heaven that really was amazing.  When he told us how God looked I was about to cry it was so amazing.
• I will remember his story and how he got healed of the flesh-eating disease.  This experience helped me believe in God more!

Thank you, Dr. Savage!
 
Thank you so much for all you do for the music program here at St. James Cathedral.  You inspire me to learn more about music.  I really appreciate all you do for us.  Thank you.
 
Thank you for your creative input on all the dances especially the Queen and Princesses.  You are very helpful around the music program at St. James.
 
Thank you so much for the beautiful costumes!  I love my crown and my robe!  Thanks for helping to organize the best Choir Camp ever!  Say hi to the Bombarde for me!
 
Thank you for helping us with our play.  You let us pick our crowns and try to make this a great experience for all of us.
 
Thank you for all your hard work on the Play of Daniel.  The costumes and music are beautiful.  I’ve had a lot of fun and have really enjoyed it.  Thank you so much!
 
Thank you for doing sooo much for St. James Schola!!! (P.S. This includes costumes.)
 
Thank you for organizing the Play of Daniel.  I greatly anticipate Friday, when I will be carted in with manifest pomp and dignity in my shining cart.  I appreciate your encouragement as I sing my lines.  Yours, King Darius
 
I continually think of you being one of the best people ever.  Although I have only been here for a few years, my last two have been the ones where I have had an interaction or two here and there about my psalms, readings, singing, etc.  To me, you have taught me more than you could know.  I have truly become a better person around you.  Thank you.  Thank you so much for becoming a part of my life.
 
Thank you for all your hard work in everything that you do for us.  Also, thank you for always doing it with great passion and love.  I appreciate it so very much as I’m sure everyone who is blessed to meet you does.  You are an amazing example to follow and truly a wonderful leader.  Thank you.
 
Thank you, Dr. Savage, for directing, and making the Daniel play worthwhile, and possible. You are very good at the piano.  Thanks a million!
 
Thank you so much for organizing the play and setting it up.  It must take a lot of work to get everyone in their places and tell them what to do so they do it correctly.  Thank you so much.
 
Thank you so much for putting together the play and the costumes.  My costume is awesome, by the way!
 
Thank you for organizing the play of Daniel this year, I’m soooo happy to be a princess this year, too.  And I love my cope, cape, coat?  I don’t know what it’s called!
 
Thank you so much for helping with camp.  Thanks.
 
Last Holy Thursday, our priest’s homily discussed how easy it would be to love others if we, essentially, loved loving.  He said that loving what you do makes the quality of your action greater.  Likewise, it is obvious how much you love music and I would like to thank you not only for everything you do based on it (setting up the play, taking time to help us with our parts) but the inspiration it provides.  I am very grateful for the support you have shown us.  ¡Muchas gracias!
 
Thank you for the costumes!  When I saw them in the Schola Room my jaw dropped to the ground.  They’re so beautiful!
 
Thank you for putting in such an effort for camp, and thank you for directing us so well!  Thank you for your support and encouragement.

Thank you, Archbishop Sartain!
 
Thank you for the blessing and for inviting us to your office.  I remember when I was in second grade, I met you (2011).  I was the shy little girl with the rainbow unicorn toy.
 
Thank you for your blessing and for visiting us while we sang.  You are a wonderful man.  Thank you for being our Archbishop!  PS We are moving to Idaho at the end of August, so thank you!
 
I would like to thank you for inviting us to sing to you today.  Thank you also for the blessing that you gave us.  J
 
Thank you for listening to us today and letting us come in.  I had a fun time and I hope you like the songs.  So thank you again for listening to us.
 
Thanks, Archbishop Sartain, for being our Archbishop!
 
Thank you so much for blessing us and coming to our singing.
 
Thank you for taking time out of your life to watch us sing.  I hope you liked the songs we sang.
 
Thank you for coming and seeing us sing!  I had lots of fun singing to you!  I hope you enjoyed hearing “Of you my heart has spoken”!
 
Thank you for coming to listen to us sing.  I love singing in front of people when they appreciate it.
 
Thank you so much for listening to us sing.
 
Thank you so very much for inviting us to your office and letting us sing for you, and thank you for giving us that blessing.  I know thanking you isn’t nearly enough for what you do, but I hope that even this little thanks can build over time.
 
Thank you for listening to us sing.  You’re a great leader!
 
Thank you for having us at your office and thank you for the blessing.  I hope you like your T-shirt.  We sure liked visiting you!!!  Thanks a lot for everything!!!!!!
 
Thank you, Archbishop Sartain, I am so grateful that you find the time to come and listen!  Thank you for giving us a blessing!  And I hope you have a great week!  God bless you!
 
 
 
Thank you, Teachers!
 
Thank you, Ms. Sunde, so much for being the best choir teacher and for letting us have extra breaks when we need them.
 
Dear Ms. Sunde, you make our camp great with you in it.  We love you in our camp.  I want everybody to read our lips:  Sing, everybody, sing.  I love to sing.
 
Ms. Sunde, Thank you so much for helping us with the play of Daniel.
 
Dear Dr. Kraus, thank you for playing the organ at Mass.
 
Dear Ms. Gilmore and Ms Sunde and everyone else that helps out in Choir Camp:  Thank you for giving out the parts in the Daniel.
 
Thank you Ms Sunde, Gilmore, Miss Cuming, Jubilate! and Bombardes.  Thank you for all your hard work that you put into this to make Choir Camp happen.
 
Thank you, Ms. Gilmore for being here at Choir Camp and for being the great singer that you are.
 
Thank you, Ms. Gilmore, for the music.
 
Thank you, Ms Sunde!  Thank you for letting me be in this camp.  I love it so much.