Filled with Sadness...

I heard the horrible news today that a childhood friend of mine, Anthony Bonavoglia, was killed in a car crash. Another driver ran a red light and collided with his car.

Anthony lived one street over from me my entire childhood. He would come over all the time. He and I and my brother would hang out all the time. He'd play ball with us. We'd pretend we were the Dukes of Hazard. He'd help my father in his vegetable garden and eat the tomatoes. Every time my father would eat a hot pepper he'd trick Anthony into thinking it wasn't a hot pepper and he'd burn his mouth. Year after year, Anthony fell for this. We'd watched the original Nightmare on Elm Street together. We'd run all over the neighborhood playing "manhunt" and raising hell on mischief night. We'd trick or treat together.

I struggle to understand something like this. In fact, I've been on the edge of a panic attack every since I found out about it.

I can barely breathe.

“O MY GOD! O THOU FORGIVER OF SINS, BESTOWER…”

O my God! O Thou forgiver of sins, bestower of gifts, dispeller of afflictions!
Verily, I beseech Thee to forgive the sins of such as have abandoned the physical garment and have ascended to the spiritual world.
O my Lord! Purify them from trespasses, dispel their sorrows, and change their darkness into light. Cause them to enter the garden of happiness, cleanse them with the most pure water, and grant them to behold Thy splendors on the loftiest mount.