Luminous
A Catholic Woman and Her Thoughts on Life, the Universe, and Everything
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Mother's Day - How do you claim rest, when your soul is in pain?
Mother's Day is heralded far and wide and it is a wonderful celebration. Sunday brunches, roses by the dozen, spa day specials and breakfast in bed all help set aside the day to honor mothers.
Yet for so many it is a day of unspoken pain.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest... rest for your souls."
Matthew 11:28,29
The invitation is for those who have pain within their soul; those who are burdened down and weary; those for whom Mother's Day hurts.
How do you claim this rest when your soul is in pain?
You reply to His invitation.
"I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion... The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. You will come to understand that nothing is definitively lost and you will also be able to ask forgiveness from your child, who is now living in the Lord. With the friendly and expert help and advice of other people, and as a result of your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone's right to life" (Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, 99).
If you have had an abortion, or have assisted someone in having an abortion, or someone you care about has had an abortion - and your heart hurts this Mother's Day, there are some things you can do as you look to God to bring rest to your soul.
Symbolic gestures can be helpful in bringing healing. As you have asked God to bring you comfort, consider some tangible action as you focus on Him, your Redeemer, your Helper, and your Healer.
Declaring the power of salvific suffering, the Apostle Paul says: "In my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church.' ...Thus to share in the sufferings of Christ is to suffer for the kingdom of God."
Saint Paul writes: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake". The joy comes from the discovery of the meaning of suffering, and this discovery.... The Apostle shares his own discovery and rejoices in it because of all those whom it can help.... just as it helped him to understand the salvific meaning of suffering.
Sacrificial suffering is a rich Christian faith expression, modeled after Christ himself. It is a partial answer to the age-old question, "Why does God allow human suffering?" The Church has always taught that physical pain, mental distress, even minor annoyances, are not meaningless but are meant to be put to valuable use. Mary Immaculate is a special model of reparational suffering. Standing at the Cross in interior distress, her soul "pierced by a sword" (Lk 2:35), she offered all to the Father in a silent, "Thy will be done." She invites us, and strengthens us, to do the same.
As Jesus used the anguish of his Passion and the agony of Calvary to accomplish our salvation, so do our sufferings have supernatural value when joined to the Cross.
By willingly accepting our struggles and presenting them back to God as a "burnt offering" for the intentions and for the salvation of others, we cooperate with Christ and become real participators in the mystery of His saving act.
God desires for your heart to be whole and healed and to give you rest for your soul. His ocean of Divine Mercy is deep enough to forgive any sin. He always pulls us upward and onward. It will take time, but with your hand in His, He will enable you to move forward.God waits with open arms to comfort you. His desire for you is to heal your broken heart. Let this Mother's Day be different. Accept His invitation and begin the journey from pain to promise and find rest for your soul.
Let us pray:
Gracious Father,
I thank you for the mercy you have shown in forgiving my sins
and for the peace that comes from being reconciled with you
and with your Church. O God, you are faithful,
and you never abandon those who hope in you.
I know that my redemption from sin and death
has been purchased at the cost of your Son's blood.
In return for this priceless gift, I resolve today
to renew my trust in your unfailing Mercy.
In times of doubt, when painful memories of past sins
threaten to destroy the peace you have given,
let the power of your Holy Spirit cast out
all self-condemnation and give me greater
confidence in your word of pardon.
Teach me to encourage others so they, too,
may seek your tender compassion and come
to know your peace, which nothing can take away.
I pray this in the name of Jesus, your Son,
in whom you have restored me to life.
Amen.
======
"Sometimes it is challenging to find a reason for what appears only as a difficulty to be overcome or even pain to be endured. Yet our faith helps us to break open the horizon beyond our own selves in order to see life as God does. God's unconditional love, which bathes every human individual, points to a meaning and purpose for all human life. Through his Cross, Jesus in fact draws us into his saving love and in so doing shows us the way ahead - the way of hope which transfigures us all, so that we too, become bearers of that hope and charity for others." ~ Meeting of the Holy Father with Handicapped Young People at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, New York (April 19, 2008)
====
www.consecration.com
=====
Yet for so many it is a day of unspoken pain.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest... rest for your souls."
Matthew 11:28,29
The invitation is for those who have pain within their soul; those who are burdened down and weary; those for whom Mother's Day hurts.
How do you claim this rest when your soul is in pain?
You reply to His invitation.
"I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion... The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. You will come to understand that nothing is definitively lost and you will also be able to ask forgiveness from your child, who is now living in the Lord. With the friendly and expert help and advice of other people, and as a result of your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone's right to life" (Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, 99).
If you have had an abortion, or have assisted someone in having an abortion, or someone you care about has had an abortion - and your heart hurts this Mother's Day, there are some things you can do as you look to God to bring rest to your soul.
Symbolic gestures can be helpful in bringing healing. As you have asked God to bring you comfort, consider some tangible action as you focus on Him, your Redeemer, your Helper, and your Healer.
- Consider planting a rose bush or other flower, if you have lost a child by abortion, or by miscarriage, or you have had a child die in any other way - in memory of that special little life.
- Reach out to a child in your community who is starved for the love you have to give, and ask God to begin to heal your heart. This takes time. Be gentle with yourself and run often to the Father for His continued healing.
- Send a simple "I'm thinking of you" card to an elderly person in your community who might be spending a lot of time alone lately. Maybe they don't have any children to come visit them locally. Reach out. Again - be gentle with yourself. Don't expect too much.
- Invite a friend to a picnic in the park or to sit on your deck and drink iced tea on Mother's Day.
- Take a walk outside and pray for peace as you walk - for yourself, for specific individuals in your life, for the souls in Purgatory, and for the whole world. If you know how, you can pray the Rosary, or the Divine Mercy Chaplet as you walk.
- If the thought of going to a Mother's Day Mass or Sunday Service is too unnerving, then then ask a friend or family member to go with you. You don't have to tell them why. Try going to a different church that day, or to a special shrine, cathedral, or basilica.
- If you go to one of those churches that has all the mothers stand up, and you feel that you just can't stand being there for that ceremony - you have a couple of choices:
- You can "offer up" your suffering - join it to the foot of the Cross, and join it to the suffering of Our Lord Jesus, and ask for his Divine Mercy.
- You can silently pray during this part of the service, asking God to support you through this (very long) five minutes
- If you truly find that you can't cope with you feelings, feel free to go outside for a minute, and get some fresh air - but then go BACK inside the church! ( Try not to let Satan and the demons of despair keep you from the Presence of the Lord - the more you let despair and guilt cloud your thoughts, the more you let Satan keep you away from the Lord - and that's just hurting you even more.)
- Write your story - write out what happened to you. You don't have to show it to anyone. The National Project Rachel Resource Center has a message board where you can share your story, if you want to on their Message Board
- Utilize the power of the Sacraments. If you have been away from the Church or the Sacraments for a long time, returning might be scary. You might want to try a retreat, such as "Entering Canaan", offered by the Sisters of Life, in the Bronx: http://www.flrl.org/EnteringCanaan.htm - or a Project Rachel retreat - http://www.hopeafterabortion.com/
- If you are stuck on inward and downward, talk to a trusted friend, pray together, get counsel if necessary.
Declaring the power of salvific suffering, the Apostle Paul says: "In my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church.' ...Thus to share in the sufferings of Christ is to suffer for the kingdom of God."
Saint Paul writes: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake". The joy comes from the discovery of the meaning of suffering, and this discovery.... The Apostle shares his own discovery and rejoices in it because of all those whom it can help.... just as it helped him to understand the salvific meaning of suffering.
Sacrificial suffering is a rich Christian faith expression, modeled after Christ himself. It is a partial answer to the age-old question, "Why does God allow human suffering?" The Church has always taught that physical pain, mental distress, even minor annoyances, are not meaningless but are meant to be put to valuable use. Mary Immaculate is a special model of reparational suffering. Standing at the Cross in interior distress, her soul "pierced by a sword" (Lk 2:35), she offered all to the Father in a silent, "Thy will be done." She invites us, and strengthens us, to do the same.
As Jesus used the anguish of his Passion and the agony of Calvary to accomplish our salvation, so do our sufferings have supernatural value when joined to the Cross.
By willingly accepting our struggles and presenting them back to God as a "burnt offering" for the intentions and for the salvation of others, we cooperate with Christ and become real participators in the mystery of His saving act.
God desires for your heart to be whole and healed and to give you rest for your soul. His ocean of Divine Mercy is deep enough to forgive any sin. He always pulls us upward and onward. It will take time, but with your hand in His, He will enable you to move forward.God waits with open arms to comfort you. His desire for you is to heal your broken heart. Let this Mother's Day be different. Accept His invitation and begin the journey from pain to promise and find rest for your soul.
Let us pray:
Gracious Father,
I thank you for the mercy you have shown in forgiving my sins
and for the peace that comes from being reconciled with you
and with your Church. O God, you are faithful,
and you never abandon those who hope in you.
I know that my redemption from sin and death
has been purchased at the cost of your Son's blood.
In return for this priceless gift, I resolve today
to renew my trust in your unfailing Mercy.
In times of doubt, when painful memories of past sins
threaten to destroy the peace you have given,
let the power of your Holy Spirit cast out
all self-condemnation and give me greater
confidence in your word of pardon.
Teach me to encourage others so they, too,
may seek your tender compassion and come
to know your peace, which nothing can take away.
I pray this in the name of Jesus, your Son,
in whom you have restored me to life.
Amen.
======
"Sometimes it is challenging to find a reason for what appears only as a difficulty to be overcome or even pain to be endured. Yet our faith helps us to break open the horizon beyond our own selves in order to see life as God does. God's unconditional love, which bathes every human individual, points to a meaning and purpose for all human life. Through his Cross, Jesus in fact draws us into his saving love and in so doing shows us the way ahead - the way of hope which transfigures us all, so that we too, become bearers of that hope and charity for others." ~ Meeting of the Holy Father with Handicapped Young People at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, New York (April 19, 2008)
====
www.consecration.com
=====
3 Comments:
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See it: http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=YxjjyXhO9EA
Santiago (Granada, Spain)
http://opinionciudadano.blogspot.com/
This was a beautiful video, thank you for sharing it! I loved seeing all the Spanish young people telling us so simply and honestly why they loved praying the rosary! It was great!
God bless!
The indelible post traumatic grieving is indeed, heartwrenching... even after decades.
An added message of hope:
Norma McCorvey, head of Roe No More Ministries and the former pro-abortion plaintiff in the 1973 landmark Supreme Court case, "Roe vs. Wade," (formerly Roe vs. Wade) was able to heal from the pain of her trauma, after being involved for many years in the abortion industry. She became a Christian in 1995 and converted to the Catholic faith in 1998, and has been active in prolife ministries for many years.
http://www.priestsforlife.org/testimony/roecatholicnormapressrelease.html
http://www.leaderu.com/norma/