Because of the possible funeral arrangements for Roman later this week I have delayed my scheduled Wednesday departure to Friday morning arriving at 9.25 a.m. in Amsterdam on May 1. I should know more on the wishes of Roman’s widow on Monday.

The second reading at today’s Sunday mass was from Chapter 7 verses 9 to 17 of the book of Revelation:

The Great Multitude in White Robes

 ⁹After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰And they cried out in a loud voice:
   “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” ¹¹All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹²saying:  “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength 
be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” 

 ¹³Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”  ¹⁴I answered, “Sir, you know.”  And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

¹⁵Therefore,  “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.  ¹⁶Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. ¹⁷For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 
he will lead them to springs of living water. 
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

I am convinced, from the rare moments in which we shared our beliefs, that Roman is now robed in white.