A Lenten Pilgrimage, A Weekly Reflection and How Faith Inspires Service 

Week Four: Sacrifice, the Family and Service

The Presentation: Service, Sacrifice, and the Family  

This week’s reflection is centered upon The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the immeasurable faith of Jesus’ mother Mary and his earthly father Joseph demonstrated knowingly presenting their child to the Lord. 

Interestingly, despite this being a revisiting of a Lenten Pilgrimage, it was during this reflection I began to think about a Christmas tune that has become quite popular, Mary Did You Know? As Catholic’s we believe that she did know who Jesus was and his purpose. Knowing, accepting and understanding do not mean the same thing. This is the focus of this week’s reflection. 

Acceptance of the Unknown

It was during the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple that Mary received a prophecy from the just and holy priest Simeon, who prophesized that a sword will pierce the soul of Mary (Luke 2:35); foreshadows the pain and suffering that she will experience as the mother of the Messiah.   

There are times that I think that I truly understand the Holy Trinity and what it means when we believe in One God; the Father is God; the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. During that moment I am in awe and attempt to hold onto the understanding beyond just a fleeting moment because my wholly human nature triumphs and I lose the understanding and hope that my faith remains strong enough to say “yes” to God.   

Service and Sacrifice: The Fire Service View 

For the past five years approximately 14,700 firefighters are injured each year. According to the NFPA, firefighter fatalities have ranged from 48 LODD in 2019 to 89 in 2023. Each of these individuals who are now viewed as statistics were members of a family. It must be noted that these losses were shared by the family, the department and the community at large.   

The support of the family is incredibly important for emergency responders as they are the ones that will be responsible for the warmth, security, safety, emotional support and provide the unifying sentiments that are necessary for the well-being of the home front.  The challenges faced by families can be similar to those experienced by military families who have loved ones that have been deployed; experiencing increased anxiety due to the unpredictability of the jobs the member has; the disruption of family routines; the struggles that children can have in the form of behavioral problems, anxiety, trouble sleeping or problems at school; and the isolation experienced by the spouse during the times when the member is at the station working. These create strains on relationships and realizing that these pressures exist underscore the importance of communication and the availability of mental health resources.

Awareness and Knowledge Are Not the Same: A Personal Perspective 

My wife was aware of the dangers that emergency response personnel face and the stresses that affect the family. She is that daughter of a police officer and had several uncles and cousins who were police officers when we met. Our children were aware that I helped people, and I worked with my friends and each evening prior to them going to bed they would call me and wish myself and my friends, members of my company goodnight. This changed 13 years ago when I was injured while operating at a fire and a roof collapse causing me to fall into the room below necessitating a MAYDAY and subsequent rescue. The recovery and rehabilitation took two years before I returned to duty. The stresses endured by my family were profound and their effects have been long lasting. My wife and I learned that there is a difference between being aware of a potential event and the event itself. It was through a strong faith, strong support from the family, strong communication, strong support from friends and the community that we were able to emerge from the overwhelming stresses that were caused by the event.  

A Call to Support Those Who Have a Need 

Returning to the question, Mary did you know? Yes, Mary knew, and she accepted God’s will and the mission of Jesus and what his life meant. As emergency responders do we know what it means to be told that we can be injured or killed in the line of duty? From a personal perspective, I do not believe that we know the personal and individual impact of injuries or fatalities; from the exterior we can observe how they impact others and be sympathetic and empathetic to the victims and their families. We can use The Presentation as a model for our preparation for the potential sacrifice that families may have to experience. Unlike the inevitability of sacrifice of Jesus, emergency responders spend a large amount of time looking to avoid “unnecessarily” their lives through specific and relevant training and education intended to improve their operational capabilities. We need to increase the amount of time supporting families before the event and the type of support offered after the event. We must realize that sacrifice is not only experienced directly experienced directly by an individual but also by those who love and support them.