POV

La bendicin de Padre MychalPadre Mychal Judge era un frailefranciscano y capelln para elDepartamento de Bomberosde la ciudad de Nueva York.El 11 de septiembre de 2001,lleg al Centro Mundial deComercio poco despus delimpacto del primer avin y muricuando la Torre Sur se derrumb.Padre Mychal se convirti en elprimer muerto confirmadode los atentados del 11-S. Su amigo y hermano franciscanoPadre Michael Duffyvino a StoryCorps pararecordar el sermn que dioen el funeral de Padre Mychal.Father Michael Duffy: We Franciscans are a little odd and one of our oddities is, there's a form we fill out Padre Michael Duffy:Nosotros franciscanos somosun poco raro y una de nuestrasrarezas es, hay un formulario and it's called "On My Death."

que llenamos y sellama "Al morirme".

It says where you want your funeral mass to be, who you Dice el lugar donde prefierestener tu misa de cuerpo want to do the homily, and et cetera like that.

presente, quien quieres quehaga el sermn y etctera, as.

So, 9/11 happened on a Tuesday.

Pues, 11-S fue un martes.

Well, the next day the phone rang and it was our provincial in New York.

Bueno, al da siguienteson el telfono y era nuestro And he said, "Mychal wanted you to do the homily."

provincial en Nueva York.

And I said, "Well, yes, but this is different.

Y l dijo, "Mychal queraque t hicieras el sermn".Y dije, "Bueno, s,pero esto es diferente.

It should be someone with a little more import.

Debera ser alguienms importante.

So, I think you should do it."

And there was a long pause.

Creo que usted lodebera hacer".

And he said, "But Mychal wanted you."

Y hubo una pausa muy larga.Y l dijo, "PeroMychal quera t".

So, I mean, what are you going to say to that?

ARCHIVAL TAPE : "Family and friends of Mychal Judge.

O sea qu se puede decir a eso?

Good morning everyone..." I said to myself, when I see Mychal I'm going to kill him.

ARCHIVO DE GRABACION: "Familiay amigos de Mychal Judge.Buenos das a todos..." (Laughs) ARCHIVAL TAPE "I stand in front of you and honestly feel that the homilist at Mother Teresa's funeral Me dije que cuando yo vea aMychal me lo voy a matar.

(re) had it easier than I do."

There were 3,000 people at his funeral.

ARCHIVO DE GRABACION: "Estoyparado enfrente de ustedes The church wasn't big enough to hold them, they were outside.

y honestamente sientoque el homilista del funeral Bill Clinton was there, Hillary Clinton, all New York.

de Madre Teresa lotena ms fcil que yo".Hubo 3.000 personasen este funeral.

And the moment arrived, I stood up, and I reached in to get my La iglesia no tena espaciosuficiente para todos,estaban afuera.Bill Clinton estuvo all.Hillary Clinton,toda Nueva York.Y lleg el momento,me par y cog mis gafas... glasses... and couldn't get to the pocket because y no pude sacarlasde mi bolsillo my vestment was covering them.

porque mis vestimentaslo cubran.

Thank goodness I'd practiced it because I couldn't read it!

Gracias a Dios yo habapracticado el sermnporque no lo poda leer.

He loved to bless people.

And I mean physically, even if they didn't ask!

Le gustaba bendecir a la gentefsicamente, an si no se peda.

A little old lady would come up to him, and he put his big, Una viejita se acercara a l yl apretaba su cabeza con sus thick Irish hands and press the head till I think the poor woman grandes y gruesas manosirlandesas hasta queaplastaba a la pobre mujer.

would be crushed Everyone thought Mychal Judge Todos pensaban que MychalJudge era su mejor amigo.was their best friend.

He'd remember significant things in their life and he would write El recordaba cosas importantesde sus vidas y los escriba una a little note -- just one or two lines.

nota breve -- solouna o dos frases.

Of course, they'd write him back.

Por supuesto, le escriban.

So, he had a big black satchel filled with letters to answer.

Entonces, l tena unacartera negra enormellena con cartas no contestadas.

ARCHIVAL TAPE "He would say to me once and a while, 'Michael Duffy' -- he always called me by my full name -- 'Michael Duffy, ARCHIVAL TAPE"El me deca devez en cuando, 'Michael Duffy -- you know what I need?'

And I would get excited because siempre me llamaba pormi nombre completo -- ' it was hard to buy him a present or anything.

I said, 'No, what?'

'You know what I really need?'

Michael Duffy, sabeslo que necesito?

'Y yo me emocionabaporque era difcil 'No, what Mike?'

'Absolutely nothing.

comprarle un regalo o algo.Dije, 'No, qu?

'Sabes lo que yo realmentenecesito?'

'No, qu cosa Mike?

''Absolutamente nada.

I don't need a thing in the world.

No me hace faltanada en este mundo.

I am the happiest man on the face of the earth.

Soy el hombre ms contentoen la faz de la tierra.

Why am I so blessed?

I don't deserve it.'

Mychal Judge's body was the first one Por qu estoy tan bendecido?No lo merezco'.El cuerpo de Mychal Judge fueel primero soltado de Zona Cero.

released from Ground Zero.

Su certificado de defuncintiene el nmero uno His death certificate has the number one on the top.

puesto en la parte de arriba.

Of the thousands of people who perished in that terrible De las miles de personasque murieron en ese horrible holocaust, why was Mychal Judge number one?

holocausto, por qufue Mychal nmero uno?

And I think I know the reason: Mychal's goal and purpose in Y creo que s la razn.La meta y el propsito de lavida de Mychal eran traer a los life was to bring the firemen to the point of death so they would bomberos al punto de la muertepara que pudieran conocer be ready to meet their maker.

a su creador.

Mychal Judge could not have ministered to them all.

No hubiera sido posiblepara Mychal ocuparse de todos.

It was physically impossible -- in this life.

No era posible fsicamente-- en esta vida.

In the next few weeks we're going to have name after name En las prximas semanastendremos nombre tras nombre of people who are being brought out of that rubble.

de personas sacadasde esos escombros.

And Mychal Judge is going to be on the other side of death Y Mychal Judge estar alotro lado de la muertepara saludarlas,en vez de enviarlas all.

to greet them, instead of send them there.

And so, this morning we come to bury Mike Judge's body, Y entonces, esta maanavenimos a enterrarel cuerpo de Mike Judgepero no su espritu.

but not his spirit.

We come to bury his voice, but not his message.

Venimos a enterrar su voz,pero no su mensaje.

We come to bury his hands, bu t not his good works.

Venimos a enterrar sus manos,pero no sus buenas obras.

We come to bury his heart, but not his love.

Venimos a enterrar su corazn,pero nunca su amor.

Never his love."