Category Archives: Child Loss
DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
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Wordless Sunday
The Servant
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Who’s In Control
Mother Teresa: “I belong to Jesus. He must have the right to use me without consulting me.”
1 Cor 6:19-20 (NIV) …You are not your own; you were bought with a price…
Rom 14:8 (Jer) If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that alive or dead we belong to the Lord.
“Right here we must see the difference between choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant. When we chose to serve, we are still in charge. We decide whom we will serve and when we will serve. And if we are in charge, we will worry a great deal about anyone stepping on us, that is, taking charge over us. But when we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge. There is great freedom in this. If we voluntarily choose to be taken advantage of, then we cannot be manipulated. When we choose to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide when we will serve. We become available and vulnerable.”
The Father’s Will
Have you opened your heart to the Father’s holy will for your life? When you do, you will be set free as He doesn’t hold us captive and His perfect plan for you is LOVE. Take this chance and go to confession so that your heart and soul will be free in Christ Jesus. His plan is perfect our plans have flaws.
The Fifth Station of the Cross: Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
Image courtesy of St Raphael Parish, Surrey. http://www.straphael.org.uk
When God lays a cross upon us, some misfortune, some unexpected burden, instead of thanking Him for this precious gift, too often we rebel against His will. We forget that our Savior never sends a cross alone, but ever sweetens its bitterness, lightens its weight by His all-powerful grace. With reluctance, with unwillingness, Simon bears the cross of His Master. At first his spirit revolted against this injustice, his pride rebelled against this ignominy. But once he accepted with resignation, his soul was filled with heavenly sweetness, he felt not the weight of the heavy beams, he heeded not the jibes of the multitude but pressed on after His Master, proud to be His follower.
The Fifth Station of the Cross by Fr Willie Doyle, the original post can be found: http://fatherdoyle.com/2011/04/04/the-fifth-station-of-the-cross-by-fr-willie-doyle/
Dealing with a Miscarriage – “Mary, Our Mother in Grief”
Mary, Our Mother in Grief, Dealing with a Miscarriage
Join Msgr. Charles M. Mangan as he helps us understand the importance and distinct role that Mary, our mother in grief, plays for those suffering from a miscarriage and early infant loss.
TO WATCH VIDEO CLICK the LINK BELOW
www.sfcatholic.org/MediaOD/VOD.aspx?SubCat=284&video=2756
Unite these sufferings to Jesus as you pray the chaplet of Hannah’s Tears, please consider offering your pain for someone who could use a prayer. Please follow the link to download the chaplet prayer http://hannahstears.net/chaplet-of-hannahs-tears/
Our Sufferings
Our Sufferings must become our prayer united to Christ Jesus who suffered more then we will ever know. We must unite ourselves to Christ each and every moment of the day that nothing will be wasted but used for God’s greater glory! We can do nothing without Him who is perfect, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, my Lord and my God please take that which is my greatest suffering at this time in my life and use it for your divine will and for the conversion of sinners. For all of those suffering with infertility, the loss of a child within the womb and those that have died after birth be with them my Lord and my God that their tears may be dried with your loving mercy in Jesus name we pray. Amen
Saint Faustina: “On the First Friday of the month, before Communion, I saw a large ciborium filled with sacred hosts. A hand placed the ciborium in front of me, and I took it in my hands. There were a thousand living hosts inside. Then I heard a voice, These are hosts which have been received by the souls for whom you have obtained the grace of true conversion during this Lent.” (Diary, p640)
Jesus to Saint Faustina
“For the sake of your love, I withhold the just chastisements, which mankind has deserved. A single act of pure love pleases Me more than a thousand imperfect prayers. One of your sighs of love atones for many offenses with which the godless overwhelm Me. The smallest act of virtue has unlimited value in My eyes because of your great love for Me. In a soul that lives on My love alone, I reign as in heaven. I watch over it day and night. In it I find My happiness; My ear is attentive to each request of its heart; often I anticipate its requests. O child, especially beloved by Me, apple of My eye, rest a moment near My Heart and taste of the love in which you will delight for all eternity. But child, you are not yet in your homeland; so go, fortified by My grace, and fight for My kingdom in human souls; fight as a king’s child would; and remember that the days of your exile will pass quickly, and with them the possibility of earning merit for heaven. I expect from you, My child, a great number of souls who will glorify My mercy for all eternity. My child, that you may answer My call worthily, receive Me daily in Holy Communion. It will give you strength’… Jesus, do not leave me alone in suffering. You know, Lord, how weak I am. I am an abyss of wretchedness, I am nothingness itself; so what will be so strange if You leave me alone and I fall? I am an infant, Lord, so I cannot get along by myself. However, beyond all abandonment I trust, and in spite of my own feeling I trust, and I am being completely transformed into trust-often in spite of what I feel. Do not lessen any of my sufferings, only give me strength to bear them. Do with me as You please, Lord, only give me the grace to be able to love You in every event and circumstance. Lord, do not lessen my cup of bitterness, only give me strength that I may be able to drink it all. O Lord, sometimes You lift me up to the brightness of visions, and then again You plunge me into the darkness of night and the abyss of my nothingness, and my soul feels as if it were alone in the wilderness. Yet, above all things, I trust in You, Jesus, for You are unchangeable. My moods change, but You are always the same, full of mercy.”
When it’s So Difficult to Pray
I often hear newly bereaved parents say, “I just can’t seem to pray at the moment.” Yes, I remember feeling the same way in those early weeks after our baby Thomas died. When we need prayers most, why is it so difficult to concentrate and pray?
I tried to pray the Rosary. I’d sit with my beads and begin, but my thoughts would wander away after the first few words. Eventually I’d realise I wasn’t praying at all. I was thinking about Thomas.
I confided my problem to my close friend, Sarah and she kindly said, “But Sue, we will pray for you. That’s what we’re here for. Don’t worry.” This brought me a lot of comfort. I am so grateful for the people who prayed for me. But still I was concerned. Why couldn’t I pray? I needed God. I had to pray.
A long time later, I realised I was actually praying during those traumatic and difficult days. I was praying non-stop. I was just praying in an unaccustomed way.
For weeks, all I could think about was my son. Thomas consumed every thought. I thought about him all day. I went to bed thinking about him. I woke up thinking about him. Nothing else was important. And what I was thinking about most of all was, “Why?” Why did God allow my baby to die when I wanted him so much? Why didn’t God answer my prayers? Was I unworthy? I was suffering like I’d never suffered before and I was trying to make sense of it all.
Then I realised my thoughts of Thomas were bound up completely with God. I was trying to make sense of my suffering, but no answer was possible without Him. I was having an unending conversation with God.
Living continually in God’s presence? That’s something we all try to do. I think that’s exactly what I was doing during those early weeks of sorrow. Despite thinking it was so difficult for me to pray, I was actually praying constantly. I was praying like I’d never prayed before.
And though I felt far, far away from God, I am sure He was there holding me so very close. He was right there beside me, listening to my prayers… the prayers I was unaware I was even praying.
Please feel welcome to visit my blog, Sue Elvis Writes, to share more of my grief posts.
To Whom Shall I Go?
The day after Thomas’ funeral I visited Father F.
“I feel so angry with God,” I confessed. “All the doctors told me that there was little possibility that Thomas would live after birth, but I refused to accept that. I told them that there was a greater Power than them. I insisted God could heal our baby.”
I had on many occasions voiced my faith in God. The doctors had looked at me with pity. Why wouldn’t I just accept their prognosis? Why did I keep burying my head in the sand, unable to accept reality? They didn’t think God would help me. I hoped so much He would.
But the doctors had been right and I’d been wrong. God hadn’t come to my rescue.
“God just doesn’t care about me,” I said to Father. “He doesn’t love me. Why did He allow such suffering when I was willing to profess my faith in Him? It wasn’t easy going out on a limb telling those doctors I had full confidence in God. Maybe they thought I was crazy.”
And then I said, “I’ve decided I’m never going to Mass again.”
Father told me a story. When he was a seminarian in Vietnam, he was imprisoned with other seminarians and priests. All he’d wanted to do was give his life to God and God had allowed Father F to be imprisoned. It didn’t seem fair. He wanted to do good work for God and there he was shut up in a cell. He had survived by eating rats. He had suffered. And he felt that God had abandoned him. “I thought that God didn’t care about me at all,” he finished.
Then Father gave me a hug, a hug from one sufferer to another. Tears flowed down my face and my body shook and Father held me. He understood.
A few minutes later, I dried my eyes and attempted a smile. “Well, I guess I’ll see you at Mass on Sunday after all,” I said.
Father smiled. Yes, he understood.
I think about the apostles when Jesus said they must eat His flesh and drink His blood if they wanted eternal life.
After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
“To whom shall we go?” The apostles didn’t understand but they knew Jesus alone had the words of eternal life. He was the Son of God and they believed.
I also didn’t understand. Why did God allow Thomas to die? I had tried so hard to stand up and proclaim my Faith in Him. Why was I suffering? I had no idea but I knew I had to trust Him.
So I turned to God. There was nowhere else for me to go. For who else could bring me through the pain? I knew I couldn’t survive on my own. I needed God.
And He didn’t let me down. I survived.
One day, I am sure, just like the apostles, I will understand why God allowed Thomas to die. Even now, I catch glimpses of the meaning of God’s plan. But to understand fully is no longer important. “You have the words of eternal life and we have believed.” I believe. That is all that really matters.
If you would like to share more of my grief stories, please visit my blog Sue Elvis Writes
National Infant loss Awareness
October is National Respect life month and National Infant loss Awareness month. Please consider making a donation to ” Back In His Arms Again” a ministry that helps nearly 80 families a month in the Columbus area through infant loss. For more information please visit our NEW web site at www.backinhisarmsagain.com to learn more about our services and how you might be able to help or donate. We are most grateful for you response to this growing need in our community.
When making a donation. Go to our new web site…….hit the DONATE tab at the top and follow instructions!
God Bless,
Kambra Malone
President/CEO
Back in His Arms Again
The Apostolate of Hannah's Tears 