Remembering hearing Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, celebrate Palm Sunday Mass at Holy Trinity Church and speak later that night. The Dominican priest told about being on a plane near a crying baby and having Grumpy Thoughts. Then he put mind to the parents. Their sacrifice from day to day until the little one is grown, to age 18 or longer, is daily a little dying, he said. Small tastes of death as the parents deny their own well-being and comfort for the sake of the vulnerable child.

I remembered this today after attending the memorial service for Thierry Musel, the food service manager and chef at Shepherd's Table, Silver Spring, Md., which provides meals and other assistance to people who are homeless. http://www.shepherdstable.org/  Julia, who coordinates the monthly St. John's Episcopal supper there one Sunday night a month, took my knee scooter down the two flights of stairs and carted the transfer chair to the next landing as I bumped my way down on my rear. We picked up Betty, another volunteer at Shepherd's Table, and the three of us attended the large service at Woodside Methodist Church. 

There Thierry's commitment was remembered. Himself once a client at a time of struggle in his life, and an accomplished chef, in his 13 years at Shepherd's Table he served 600,000 meals to 20,000 clients with the help of 8,000 volunteers. I remember that when we showed up with pots of chili, corn bread and cabbage to chop for slaw, and Thierry was standing by, everything was all right. And God will raise you up on eagle's wings. Small tastes of death daily as we die to ourselves, raised up in commitment. May I learn that commitment.

Photos: Officer Cox, who often provides security at Shepherd's Table, and his youngest. Lower, Betty, co-maker of cole slaw at St. John's Episcopal chili Sunday nights at the shelter.  Both were at the memorial service for chef Thierry Musel at Woodside Methodist Church, Silver Spring, on 6/9/12.