Stations of the Cross (Part 2)
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Good Friday – Divine Mercy
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Good Friday – Stations of the Cross
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Holy Thursday, April 21
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Retreating from the Pain
By Sue Elvis
From my diary:
23rd November
… This last week has been so miserable. Only a future without Thomas lies ahead… I’ve felt like retreating within myself…
Thomas died 11 ½ years ago after 28 hours of life. But losing Thomas wasn’t our first experience of grief.
I had already lost four babies by miscarriage, one after the other in the space of about eighteen months, a few years earlier. So many cycles of hope and happiness and then sorrow, one after another. I was on an emotional roller coaster and I felt like I was going crazy.
After the 4th miscarriage, my sister arranged to visit me. I came home from the hospital knowing we would soon have a guest in our home. I felt I didn’t have time to deal with the grief. I couldn’t cry and express my sorrow when I had a visitor to look after. I decided I wouldn’t think about the grief. I would leave that until later when I was once again alone. I stepped back from the pain. I didn’t cry. I didn’t grieve. I didn’t feel anything.
My sister returned home but the time for grieving seemed to have passed. I had retreated so far away from my pain, I couldn’t get back. Life went on. I functioned. I survived. I thought I was quite all right. It didn’t really matter that I’d never cried a tear over my lost baby, did it?
And then one day I was at a mothers’ meeting talking to my best friend. Somehow the talking turned to arguing and a torrent of anger flowed out of me. My startled friend couldn’t understand why I was crying uncontrollably and getting very upset over a trivial matter. I gathered up my children and stormed out of the meeting to the great surprise of everyone.
The anger and tears were nothing to do with my friend. She just happened to be there when the dam burst and the grief I’d kept locked up inside me for so many weeks came flooding out. It was time to face the pain. I couldn’t avoid the grief any longer.
When Thomas died, there was a great temptation to withdraw within myself again, to retreat from the huge burden of sorrow that was bowing me down. I just wanted to get away both from the grief and myself.
But this time, I admitted to a friend how I was feeling; “It would be so easy just to draw back until I can no longer feel the pain.”
“But Sue if you withdraw from feelings of pain, you will withdraw from feeling anything. You will not experience moments of joy or happiness or hope. And it is these moments, however short, that will keep you going along that long and difficult pathway to healing. Yes, you will not feel pain. But you won’t feel anything good either. You will feel nothing.”
I cannot say I never retreated within myself while I was grieving for Thomas. There were moments when I no longer cared about the future. I just wanted to escape the present. But these times did not last long. I fought my way back each time.
I had to feel. I had to have hope. I wanted to survive.
Please share my stories at Sue Elvis Writes
Palm Sunday, 2011
May you all have a grace filled Holy Week of 2011
NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING OUTREACH
CATHOLIC HEALTHCARE IDENTITY: MEDICAL AND PASTORAL STRATEGIES
NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING OUTREACH (NFPO)*
NATIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE
July 11-16, 2011
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other;” and, “It is Religion and Morality alone which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our people in greater measure than they have it now, they may change their Rulers and forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty.” Read more here
-Second President of the United States and Founding Father, John Adams
The Saint Charles Children’s Home
In 1913, the St. Charles Orphanage opened its doors in Rochester, NH, and welcomed the first group of children to come and live there under the care of the grey nuns. Over the years, the name has changed and the sisters nurturing the children have implemented innovative programs such as group runs in order to provide outlets for energy and room for healing. Below, listen to Mother Paul Marie of the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love talk about the running program and how the grey nuns of Canada began the work of an orphanage in New Hampshire.
Links:
Longing for a Child, God has all the Answers
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*Something that you may think about with infertility support groups is a Bible study, with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament or Mass/Benediction. This may take time building such a support group but ask Our Lady to help you with opening the door of support with your priest/pastor and she will take care of the rest.
Don’t stop seeking God’s presence, you will be surprised just what is waiting for you.
*Note to the reader, I’m not sure why this post is in all caps, as when I am typing this out I am not seeing it in all caps until it is posted. Sorry if you think I’m shouting, as I’m not. Blessings to you today and always. (Therese)
Have you ever imagined –
… just who exactly is praying for you?
Our little world within ourselves, is pretty small, but in comparison to God’s Church, there’s a mighty ARMY praying and interceding for us at all times.
Can you actually imagine that? Wow, it’s hard to comprehend what a treasure God has for His children.
If you are suffering, look to Jesus and quiet the depths of your soul and rest with Him. He will bring you peace, hope and joy.
The Church Militant
These terms are often used in the context of the doctrine of the Communion of Saints; although Christians may be physically separated from each other by the barrier of death, they nonetheless remain united to each other in one Church, and support each other in prayer.
The Latin word militans has a primary meaning of “serving as a soldier, military“, but it acquired a secondary meaning of “to struggle, to make an effort”, which is the intended sense here. Christians on earth (the Church Militant) are still struggling against sin in order that, when they die, they might go to heaven and be members of the Church Triumphant, those who have triumphed over sin. However, if this struggle is successful, but not completely so, then after death they temporarily become members of the Church Suffering before ultimately joining the Church Triumphant.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Apostolate of Hannah's Tears 