Earlier this year, one of my young adult sons tore his ACL. He was on crutches, in a brace, had surgery, went through rehab. During those months, either he or I would have many occasions to mention what had happened: to friends, neighbors, fellow parishioners, friends of friends, even store cashiers. It was quite surprising how often someone would say, “Oh yes, that happened to me.”
This secret society, as it were, of the knee-injured prompted me to consider how much else we have in common with others, both the good—but here specifically—and the wounds. The revelation of this specific, hidden commonality reminds me of the more general and very real woundedness that we all share underneath—and that the Lord comes, very soon, to share himself and to heal.
Jane - there is good and bad in every day. See the good and let go of the bad. Hold on tight to God and He will help you and your Mum - in ways that you may not be seeing right now. You and your Mum are in my prayers every day. May God give you His peace and may you trust in Him - no matter what happens. Peace!
"Lord Jesus, help me to draw near to you with faith and trust in your saving power and mercy. Free me from doubt and unbelief that I may approach you confidently and pray boldly with expectant faith. Let your kingdom come and may your will be done in me." Amen
Knees Amy thank you for your reflection today about common ailments. 8 years ago I had double knee replacement. During my stay at the rehabilitation center. I picked up the Living faith booklet. That's when I started posting. During the time I met and started seeing my 93yr old fellow parishioner. Pam has met her. Quite a journey I have been bringing her the Eucharist every day and that has blossomed into bringing the Eucharist to other parishioners and people on my Feedmore circuit. All because of knee surgery. Carol it is late but I did pray for you and your husband's journey. Jane what a blessing you are to the living faith family and others in your life. Horray for Susan (Still can't get my blessed phone to enter Jane without a capital J ) Bill S you have brought back fond memories of my wife and best friend Kathy and her journey with cancer. After every meeting or chemotherapy she woul stop at our front door and thank me for taking and staying with her. Jane I will pray for you and your mum right now. Vicky your a blessing to the living faith family with your tender comments to Ray today. Living faith family please keep praying for Christine and her mom Stephanie and those people who have no one to pray for them and have no one to share the holidays with. Ken
Loved this post Ken. There are angels among us!
Trust in God: "Nothing can happen to me that God doesn't want. And all that He wants, no matter how bad it may appear to us, is really for the best." St. Thomas More "Mercy is the greatest attribute of God." St. Faustina How well I know this! Prayers & blessings to all LFF.
AMEN!
Amy thank you for sharing. I never thought of it that way but your words give strength in healing to everyone as a whole with Jesus. LFF is one of those bonds. Blessings to all the LFF, especially those with extra needs these days and may we all bond together to spread Gods love through all the world.
My husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s earlier this year, but may have had had the start of it two years ago. He is 71. He didn’t want to tell anyone at first, but now is more open to talking about it and was amazed at how many people he knows who also suffer with Parkinson’s. He attends exercise classes five days a week and has made friends who support each other. He is now starting to experience tremors in his right arm. Pray for him, and me, to get through this long road ahead of us. We constantly ask ourselves why this happened now….him retiring at the beginning of this year…to finally able to travel more. But we are both strong in our faith and now take each day as it goes thanking God for what we DO have. God may never physically heal him in this life, but we never give up the faith. Prayers for mental strength.
Carol, thank you for sharing this and Bill S. I always appreciate that you speak to your wife’s post-stroke condition and your role as caregiver. I pray that God continues to bless you with the strength and fortitude to continue this loving service. May God continue to allow you both to find redemption in your journey’s and feel God’s healing presence along the way. Amen.
Thank you, Bill! Those were encouraging words. Prayers to you, also.
Carol, praying for your husband and you as you navigate through this chapter of your lives. It is much the same as me and my bride. Her stroke 11 years ago completely changed the landscape of retirement for us. But we are thankful for the many blessings that the Lord has given to us. As my counselor told me, “There is redemption in that stroke, look for it and you will find it”. We finally found it and I pray you find yours too.
For Ray: Sometimes we MUST experience the darkness. Why? Those answers may come to light sooner or later—-or maybe never in this lifetime. Be assured, answers or not, there is a reason. These words are easy to say and not easy to take in when we are in our darkest places, I know. From experience I can tell you, it will only be in hindsight that you will see how the darkness worked in the ultimate plan of God. None of us would choose to walk through a dark place as human instinct tells us we can’t see where we are going—the perils that we may likely step into; and yet God knows it is only getting through that dark passage that we will come out on the other side into light—-His light. And then you will look back, and yes only a brief glance or two because the sight is still so painful, but in that glance and on steady lit ground you will know this was the only way you could get to this new place. It may not be a place you ever planned or a place you thought yourself to be, but a place that is full of possibility and opportunity to find a new peace—a peace only Jesus offers. Hold on, my friend, to the knowing that what lies ahead is filled God, and the worse the devil can do is tempt you by earthly means. Win the race by finding Christ next to you even when dragging a heavy cross because God made this world where nothing, not even suffering, can last forever here on earth as time passes. You have prayers here, there are people cheering you along your journey here. May you feel it in your heart today.
Listen to.your heart. Amen!
Thank you Amy for reflecting on the woundedness, the brokenness and the grieving that can feel so heavy during the holiday season. Yesterday I was having a farewell chat with Mike, a dear work friend who several years ago lost his 4 year old son. Tristan, was born severely disabled with multiple health issues until finally his little body gave out from pneumonia. They are now blessed with a beautiful 5 year ol daughter Victoria. As we were talking, I mentioned what loving parents he and Vanessa were to Tristan. Mike visibly teared up and said, “Oh my goodness you remembered his name….” And we talked about him and grieved a bit. I think sharing our woundedness and loss - naming it - is part of the healing. May the angels be playing with Tristan today and continue to bless Michael and Vanessa in their parenting journey. Amen. Continued prayers for Jane and her mum, Ray, Laura and Susan. BTW….Susan is gaining strength, walking and has made it up stairs and bathed on her own. Rehab going well. She is so grateful for the prayers. Last day in office today…thank you again for all your kind words, prayers and support / strength on this road. Amen.
Jane, on your last day of work, may you experience peace and joy in knowing that you made a true impact not just on the company but most importantly, on the many co-workers that you encountered. I always said that I may miss the job but I will miss more the many friends that I made along the way. Enjoy this Advent Season, take some time to refresh and then enjoy the next chapter of your life.
jane you are my idol with that great talent of yours to remember names and people. It is a blessing to those in your life. Have a great last day at work and may the new path be a smooth and loving one. That's good to hear about Susan. This has been a long struggle for her but going the right direction eh?
God bless your new horizons, Jane!
Tears come easy these days and they welled up here. Faith said it exactly, Mike will remember that someone had his little boy tucked in their heart and oh how much that means to a parent or grandparent. I know you will do great things in His name beyond that workplace Jane.
God bless you today on your last day of work and in your next adventures Jane! I look forward always to your insights here and marvellous memory of those who need lifting up. Mike will never forget that you remembered his little man’s name- he will carry that with him always. Congratulations on a well deserved retirement!
Reminds me of the song, Truth Be Told by Matthew West, https://youtu.be/xC2wk1w09U8?si=jdVt4LQMDeZUFlvY The truth is we rarely talk about God's wrath and punishement! And we assume everyone is a child of God when God's Words clearly said in Matthew 7:13-14, "You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it!" It is so easy for me to assume all my students are children of God becaue they are sweet and well behaved - a lie that can cause someone's eternal life :-( *** This past Wednesday BSF students lesson was on Revelation 6 regarding the 6 seals! What I shared with the students, "This week’s lesson can be a little daunting meaning scary or frightening or troubling with different color horses and riders doing disturbing things! It is also true for us adults studying the same passage as you are! It is not about the 'WHAT' but the 'WHO!' So we focus on God’s attribute and God’s truth and ask the Holy Spirit, the teacher, to help us understand what we need to know today and how we can apply or respond to the truth we learn during this season of our lives! We learned God's attribute this week is Sovereign - God controls all things and planned for Salvation of His people!" and the main truth is God's plan includes a time for His coming wrath and judgement!" *** Summary of the six seals *Seal #1 (Rev 6:1-2) revealed a white horse. The archer riding the horse was given a crown, and he rode out ready for conquest. *Seal #2 (Rev 6:3-4) revealed a red horse whose rider had power to take peace from the earth. He received a large sword, showing many would die. *Seal #3 (Rev 6:5-6) revealed a black horse whose rider held measuring scales. A vice announced extreme food prices, showing many would go hungry. *Seal #4 (Rev 6:7-8) revealed a pale horse whose rider, named Death, was followed by Hades. They received power to kill over a quarter of the people on earth. *Seal #5 (Rev 6:9-11) revealed souls under the altar asking how long until God would judge those who had killed them. Each was given a white robe and told to wait a little longer. *Seal #6 (Rev 6:12-17) revealed a great earthquake, a darkened sun, and a red moon. The stars dropped like figs, the heavens shrank back, and mountains and islands were removed. Earth’s rulers and everyone tried to hid, realizing the day of God’s wrath, which none could withstand, had come. *** The students asked very good questions: Why does a good and perfect God be angry - God's wrath? (Their perception or understanding of good people don't get angry!) Why does God let all these bad things happen? How does the sun turn black? How does the moon turn red? My response was, "Keep studying and keep asking questions and the Holy Spirit, the Teacher, will let us know when it's time for us to know! Look at Q8 of your discovery guide, "What did the people under the altar know about God when they were not given an answer but told just to wait?" ******* Revelation 6:9-11, "When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.” *** These martyrs started the question with God's attributes: sovereign, holy and true! *** Each of them was given a white robe, symbolizing eternal Salvation! *** They had to wait because more martyrs will be killed :-( ******* The truth - God is SOVEREIGN! He controls all things (good, bad and ugly according to human, but all for the good of those who love Him according to God in Romans 8:28)! God is HOLY! He will punish people for their sins! God is TRUE! Those who refuse to trust Jesus will suffer God's wrath! But people who have put their faith in Jesus will not be punished because Jesus took God's wrath for all their sins upon Himself when He died on the cross! Let me repeat this, "people who have put their faith in Jesus will not be punished because Jesus took God's wrath for all their sins upon Himself when He died on the cross!" *** The vocabulary this week for the students… o Famine: a severe shortage of food that may cause some people to die of starvation o Hades: the place of the dead; often used in reference to hell, where the spirits of unbelievers go o Judgment: punishment for wrongdoing o Reveal: to make known something that was secret or hidden; to show or display something o Soul: the unseen part of a person that lives on after the body does o Wrath: strong anger, especially to punish someone who has done great wrong
Lord please hear our prayers and bring your light to all those experiencing natural disasters, as well as those in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur, the Sudan, in addition to all those suffering around the world - also for their strength, courage and resilience to continue walking in faith. Send them your light. Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world! You sent Your Son, the Prince of Peace, for the salvation of the world. We pray that the Peace of Christ will reign in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur and Sudan. Please protect and send aid to those in need and all who are at-risk. We pray for peace and rebuilding– we who are working towards it and for all those who are suffering or in danger from conflicts. We pray for an end to violence and war – we pray for wisdom for all leaders who have a hand in this. Lord God please help those in most need of thy mercy. Amen
Amen.☮️
A truly great 'birth' day today. We just received news of the birth of our 4th great grand baby! Granddaughter and son doing well. Thank you, Lord.
Bill L. Congratulations what a great gift.
Congratulations Bill. This is wonderful news. May God continue to bless this holy family. Amen.
Amen
Amen Amy :-) this is so true . Question seems to me are we prepared . The healing and Gods quick response to assist us in our needs . God bless you Amy and may you have a wonderful 1st Friday . And Bless all the LFF family now and always . Michael
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Today was a bad day.. one of the worse days ever… Prayer to St. Jude for Physical Healing St. Jude, you witnessed the healing power of our Lord Jesus. You saw His compassion for the sick and dying. You yourself touched the sick, shared the sorrows of the mournful, and encouraged the despairing. You received this authority and healing power to work wonders, to cure the incurable, to make people whole. We ask you to intercede with our brother, Jesus, to send His saving grace to heal the sickness and suffering of __________________, to uplift his/her despondent spirit, and to instill hope in his/her heart. Amen.