"Burst of Joy"

This picture is titled "Burst of Joy".

It is a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph by AP photographer Slava "Sal" Veder take on March 17, 1973.  The photograph depicts Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm being reunited with his family, after spending more than five years in captivity as a POW in North Vietnam. The centerpiece of the photograph is Stirm's 15-year-old daughter Lorrie, who is excitedly greeting her father with outstretched arms, as the rest of the family approaches directly behind her.


The topic was "Faith in Heaven".  The retreat master spoke about our longings for heaven, for eternal peace, reunification with loved ones.  Then he passed out copies of this picture.  You may have seen it before if you have enough years on the planet.  This is the pure joy and excitement of a former POW and his family being reunited after 5 years.

Then, the retreat master said, "Our perceptions of heaven are off because we are expecting too little."  He said other things too, but I did not hear him.  I just looked at that young girl and the joy on her face and thought of my Carmen.  (I'm tearing up just typing this now).  She looked so much like that when I met her in college.  I think she even had an outfit like that.

Is she waiting for me in heaven with her arms open like that?  Are the rest of my loved ones also waiting in line behind her?

The picture and the reflection had a big impact on we few widowed seminarians.  Many of us were wiping the tears away.