This is stupendous. Take a few minutes to watch this.
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Biretta tip to Kathryn Lopez.
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“This blog is like a fusion of the Baroque ‘salon’ with its well-tuned harpsichord around which polite society gathered for entertainment and edification and, on the other hand, a Wild West “saloon” with its out-of-tune piano and swinging doors, where everyone has a gun and something to say. Nevertheless, we try to point our discussions back to what it is to be Catholic in this increasingly difficult age, to love God, and how to get to heaven.” – Fr. Z
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Life and Death, It’s what its all about.
“out of the mouth of babes” Innocence speaks louder then intellectualism.
May this young “man” (more manly than many men) lead us to peace and holiness.
Not enough words of hope and praise can be found but in the True Faith.
God Bless this saint in heaven and may he intercede for so many of us, as we face our maker
Beautiful! Showing this to others in the household now.
How old is this child? He speaks like an adult, not just in form but in content. I’m shocked.
Wow, this boy is a very good conversationalist. God bless him.
When I first read the title of this posting, Fr. Z, on my blog roll, I thought you were going to post something like this :)
Wow! that is so amazing. This boy’s hope and confidence should be an ispiration to all. And did you see the expression of love in his eyes when he talked of receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion?
That young man is precisely the sort of person the eugenics proponents seek to kill
in the womb. To them, it would be better Garvan Byrne was never born, or loved,
or spoke. And they call that mercy.
What marvelous parents Garvan had! Clearly they taught him the Faith beautifully, and
gave him a loving, dignified life. It appears he repaid their efforts a thousandfold.
Did you hear his last statement? He had already joined Christ while on earth–I have never heard anyone else say they would be in their loved one’s midst like that, other than Jesus Christ. Wow.
StevenDunn,
The boy was 11 years old at the time of this video. He was born in the 70’s, and his father videotaped this interview – the last before he died. They give the date of his death, but I did not see a date on the video to see how long after. It was uploaded to YouTube in 2010.
This kid seemed very advanced spiritually – more advanced in his relationship with Christ than most will be in their lifetimes. When he spoke of the Eucharist, it brought back memories of a story that St. John Bosco conveyed about St. Dominic Savio – the teenage saint. I did a post series on Savio – one of my favorite saints some years ago, from a book I was reading at the time. In this post, I explored the contemplative side of Savio.
http://te-deum.blogspot.com/2008/03/9-days-with-dominic-savio-contemplative.html
From the mouths of babes indeed!
During the two minutes or so, I thought sure someone had to be coaching him somehow. He didn’t speak like any 11-year-old I ever met; he sounded more like a college-educated 27–if not older. Yet coaching along those lines typically requires a good deal of input from adults..and I saw and heard nothing from anyone except the nun.
And realize, that recording happened some 27 years ago.
..Come to think of it, if he WAS 11 years old in 1985..he and I would be the same age. Or near enough to it.
Huh.
I’m suddenly reminded of stories I’ve heard about or read, especially in the last five years alone, of truly remarkable people. I’ve heard a few stories of knights who did remarkable things during the Middle Ages. I’ve read the story of a princess who approached the guillotine with dignity during the early days of the French Revolution. I’ve read other stories of people I don’t remember just now.
..And, of course, I learned about Thomas More from a movie I saw during Air Force Field Training. I never would’ve dreamed that I’d see a movie of that ilk in a distinctly secular environment. ..Which reminds me, I need to find a copy of that movie, “A Man for All Seasons”, I think.
..And now this.
Our Lord DOES work in mysterious, mysterious ways!
This is supplemental to my last comment, which is in moderation at this time. It will make sense after that is posted.
He was born in 1973. The video tape was made in February of 1985, and he died in April of 1985.
We used to show this video to Confirmation candidates in our Parish, I suppose I am going back twenty years. It always had a marked effect on everyone who watched it.
Is there a case for sainthood open for this remarkable young man?
Puts all our intellectual quibbles into perspective. In 60 years I haven’t the insight this boy had at 11. “But now ’tis little joy/ To know I’m further off from Heaven/Than when I was a boy”.
Extraordinary. Fr Z, we must be telepathic.
I remember this story of Garvan Byrne from years back, and I saw it on Australian television in 1985.
I have never forgotten Garvan’s wisdom (although I had forgotten his name), and just thought of it a few days go. Then I find it is posted on WDPTRS.
This person may be a youngster in age, but everything about him is that of an adult. His sophisitcated way of syntehsizing his religious faith in to a whole, is little short of a miracle.
Thank you for the privilege of seeing this again.
What a beautiful child, and what wonderful parents he must have had!
I too thought about the parents. He spoke about how his Mom helped him to put things in perspective. As difficult as it was to be losing a child, look at the gift they gave him. Not only did he have peace of mind, but an opportunity to grow in love for the Eucharist, which he obviously did.
Sally Quinn, are you watching…?
This boy goes a long way towards answering the theological problem of “natural evil”–ie, why would a good God allow a boy like this who never knew a well day in his life (a life of considerable pain) to exist?
The inner-city, childless, Nepal-trekking, latte drinking, fashionable atheists who cite the existence of children like Gervan Byrne as evidence against God’s existence should stop trying to act as his spokesman and let him speak for himself. If the existence of children like Garvan Byrne is proof against God’s existence why not ask his opinion?
I had heard about Garvan Byrne many years ago, but I forgot where. I did know that he died.
I’m also thinking of another little boy who was spiritually advanced for his age. I read about him in Ann Ball’s book, ‘Young Faces of Holiness’. His first name was Danny, and his parents were lay members of the Society of Our Lady of the Trinity (can’t remember his last name offhand). Danny was terminally ill with cancer, but he said many astonishing things that were beyond a child of his age.
That child is the living embodiment of Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for and conviction about things we do not see.”
Wow! What a precious gift Garvan was (and is)! I’m glad we have the video today – as I know I sure can learn something from it.
In a way, he reminds me of my little cousin Nathan, who has SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy – a form of muscular dystrophy). Like Garvan, he is 6 going on 26… and such a sweet, precious boy. He notices things and events/activities that other people miss. God creates children like these for a reason, even if we don’t understand why they seem to suffer. They affect the family and friends of those around them in such a positive way, when God is a part of the picture – or allowed into it. These children help heal families and people, even if that seems counter-intuitive. We simply need to realize that Our Lord knows best.
Laura,
That’s a coincidence — I know a young man with SMA, and he has the same quality of sweetness, of patience in suffering, and great kindness. I would ask your prayers for him, and I will pray for your cousin.