Exactly one year ago, one of the worst nightmares that a pastor could ever experience occurred when word came out during the 3:00 PM hour of Divine Mercy that the bus on which our high school youth group, some of their parents and our seminarian Jason Marshall was on, had been in a horrific crash on their way back from a conference in Colorado.  The next eight hours would be a whirlwind of texting, phone calls and emails trying to sort everything out.  We knew fairly quickly that the driver of the bus, Anthony Padilla, was killed but that there was another fatality. One of ours had died. For hours the status of those on the bus remained vague and the attempt to sort details out as to what was fact and what was speculation was agonizing.  I thank God for those caring parishioners and staff who came to the church that afternoon and evening to hold vigil and to coordinate texts and calls as they came in. And I thank God most especially for those who got into their cars and drove to the hospitals where the injured were being taken.  I can only imagine how they managed to keep their senses making that drive up.  The waiting is always the hardest part.  Who also could have died?  Yes, my nephew was on that bus, and I was feeling terrible for my sister, but everyone else on that bus was my spiritual son or daughter, these were Newman people, these were our people, and my mind kept going through the possibilities of who it might have been.  But when word eventually came from the Colorado State Police that the immediate family members had finally been contacted, I will never forget what the officer told me.  She didn't even mention his name, but his title:  "The other fatality was the seminarian."  There was a awful lot of heroism that day, a type of heroic attitude that carries on to this very day for those who survived the accident, for so many did so much for one another.  In the midst of what had to have been hell for those on that bus, love was still given, pure charity was still shown.  But even though others on that bus would have gladly given their lives in order that the rest would have lived, it was "the seminarian" it was Jason whom God called to be the one who would imitate our Lord Jesus in laying down his life for the sake of others.  There is still healing that has to take place for those involved, an event like that heals slowly, but surely, but for those on that bus, and for all of you who are reading this, here are three things that I want you to keep in mind and in heart. First, the example of those on that bus, the "bus buddies" most especially those incredible young adults, have blessed us as a parish in ways that they may never fully know.  They helped to galvanize us, to inspire us, and show us that suffering offered for the sake of others brings huge amounts of grace.  I could not be prouder of every single one of those on that bus, but please pray that all of them will be able to make the transition from being a "survivor" to becoming what all of them truly are:  heroes!  Second, those who did eventually come back home from that bus crash, and for all of the rest of you who have been saved from an accident, or a disease, or any other situation that could have taken your life, you were saved because you have a purpose, you have a mission.  Someone who has traveled to the very edge of death knows that life is worth living, even if we have to go through other trials and difficulties such as the corona virus pandemic.  Those who have tasted death, know how to live!  May all of you always live through, with and in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  But finally, do you all want to know how blessed we are here at the Aquinas Newman Center?  We don't have one, we have three patrons!  We have St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John Henry Newman, and we definitely have Jason Marshall.  Now no, I can't officially put the word "saint" in front of his name, but come on now, for those of us who have been blessed during this past year by his still lingering presence, or by his inspirational life, or certainly by his answer to our prayers, we know where he is at!  No one knows how to turn a curse into a blessing like our Lord Jesus Christ.  He turned Good Friday into Easter Sunday, he turned a horrible bus accident into a major source of grace and blessing for our entire parish, and he can now turn whatever it is that you are facing, whatever it might be that you are suffering with into an encounter with the One who is trying to save you.  Remember, where Jason is now, that is where you belong!  You make sure, with God's help and grace and with the great example of those who were on that bus, that you get there.