PERSEVERANCE UNDER TRIAL

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12 NIV

On March 2, Sandy and I attended a concert by The Irish Tenors at the Keswick Theater, Glenside, PA. The leader of the group is Ronan Tynan, the Irish tenor who sang Amazing Grace at the funeral of former President Ronald Reagan. We noticed during the two-hour concert that 63 year old Tynan would sit on a stool when one of the other two men sang a solo section. Wondering if he had some recent disability, I looked up Ronan Tynan on Google. I found out more than an answer to my concern.

On May 14, 2020, Susan Hines-Brigger wrote an article entitled, Ronan Tynan, M. D.: Inspirational Irish Tenor on the Franciscan Spirit Blog, a publication of the Franciscan Order of the Roman Catholic Church. She describes how doctors told his parents at his birth that he was unlikely to be able to walk due to deformities in both lower legs.  He lived on a dairy farm and would sing to the cows with his father.

At age 20, both of Tynan’s legs were amputated below the knee. He became an Irish paralympic track and field (shot put, discus, long jump) athlete in college, winning 18 gold medals.  Next, he raced horses internationally. After gaining a college degree, he worked at a prosthetics firm, then entered medical school at Trinity College, Dublin. His father suggested that he take voice lessons; Tynan won several competitions and made an album with over a million sold.  After becoming a doctor specializing in orthopedic sports injuries, he concluded that God’s will for him was singing, becoming one of the founding members of The Irish Tenors in 1998.  When asked if spiritually oriented selections on his CD’s might limit sales, Tynan said that he is proud of his Catholic beliefs. He says, “faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.”

Prayer: Lord, when the trials of life occur, help us to

persevere. When I have done God’s will, I know that Your promised salvation is attainable. Amen.

                                                                                               Carol Rice