I wish to write a little about suffering. You might think I know nothing about this topic considering my abundant blessings. I assure you, suffering is no stranger to me. We all have them, some greater than others. Some are hard to understand and terribly painful. To those of you in pain, confusion and heartache, I offer you my heart, my prayers and mostly my sufferings that they may alleviate some of your pain. I beg of you to open your heart to a loving God who desperately wants to hold you in His arms and comfort you like only He could.
If you feel alone, unwanted, unloved, look at a crucifix - if you don't have one, find a picture online. Know that Jesus suffered out of love for you so that He could share eternity with you. He didn't have to go through the pain, but He chose to - so that when we are heavily burdened, we might unite our heart to His and find the solace we are looking for. The pain is not lessened, but it becomes easier to bear.
I often think of our Blessed Mother. She not only lost her son, but witnessed Him being severely tortured knowing there was nothing she could do. I believe her pain intensifies when she sees her children on earth refusing the mercy her Son offers to each and every one of us, for He might have died in vain!
None of us can change the past, but all of us can change the future. Change begins with a glance at the suffering Christ. Cry out to Him: Lord, Save Me! He'll be there in an instant.
Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain; He may prolong my life, He may shorten it; He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends, He may throw me among strangers, He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide the future from me. Still, He knows what He is about! He loves to see the trust makes us persist in knocking unceasingly. -- John Henry Cardinal Newman
6 comments:
Thank for your words, I must have touched your heart with darkness that is beginning to enter my soul. For me, as in all time, a battle is coming, and coming soon. The choice I make will decide my fate. I seek nor saintly hood nor sinnerhood but because of life's inundated circumstances, it is a battle I will have to face nonetheless. It is the great battle of our time, the great battle of all of our times, that which is within ourselves for I both love God and curse God. I will not be writing again old friend, but I wish you continue to write such words of wisdom and comfort in a world where Christ is more absent than present. And I mean that in the sense in our hearts for God is always here/present. My present disposition to him, my loss, my darkening can only be a manipulation of that which is the ultimate evil for just as God is in everything, the deceiver is ever present here on earth. The current of events are dragging me down and I have called out but have not gotten any hand. I still believe so I have a sword in this fight, and this is not the first current attempting to bring me down so I may have more good left inside that I am leading on. Be weary of calling out for God, especially for people take that in a literal sense. Mankind, Womankind, Humanity was created in God's image, but not to be God themselves. I once heard a wonderful story, and you may have heard it too.
"A woman lived in home near a great big river, when rains came, the weather service forecasted extensive flooding and devastation. When the neighbor began to evacuate they asked the woman if they would like to drive with them in thier car to safer ground. She replied, no thank you, God will save me. The rains became more intensified and the water level rose to fill the first floor of her house, she went to the second floor and along came some men on a raft. The men said Ma'm would you like to get on this raft so we can take you to safety? She replied, no thank you, God will save me. The flooding continued and she was foreced to sit on her rooftop in the wet/damp/shivering environment until she heard thunder and saw a white light, a spotlight for a helicopter, they called down to her, Ma'm grab the ladder and we can take you safety" She looked up and said no thank you, God will save me. Eventually the water levels rose up enough and took her away. Upon reaching the gates of Heaven, she look befuddled and said, God why didn't you save me? He replied, I tried 3 times, I sent you a car, a boat and a helicopter! The End
The morale of this parable, an excellent one is that you must help yourself in order for God to truly help you. Not be selfish but must do what you can to preserve yourself, your life for that is Godly, for God is in you if you have faith, if you believe. My dilemma is a simple one from my words the previous evening, God will not save...God will not save me because I may not save myself and I may not save myself because I am not sure I am worth saving, for all those I love, for all those that were taken, I find myself here, staring at the abyss, the light has grown very dim, I am slipping. Will I have the courage to save myself and to find God again? Only time will tell, but as a man of prior faith, your prayers and the prayers of others will always help. May God Bless You and Yours.....
Dear Lost,
Your story is one I have heard before and I agree. Perhaps you should read it again. It's true God uses his people as instruments. You cried out and I've reached out my hand. It's up to you to take it.
I promise to keep you in my prayers and those are not just empty words. You've awoken a sleeping giant in me. I will offer all of my sufferings for you and all souls necessary.
You are not the first one to suffer and you surely won't be the last. You can either use it for good or let it go to waste.
May God love you and keep you and His Blessed Mother embrace you and pray for you that you may one day be with them in a place that none of us deserve but receive as a wondrous gift. God loves you just as much as he loves the holiest of holies. Please, love Him back.
Dear Lost Soul,
St.John of the Cross reminds us : "My God,My God, why have you forsaken me?" When Jesus said these words on the cross,He was NOT forsaken by God,but was permitted to FEEL this way,so that we could Identify with Him. Each of us will FEEL someday as if God is not really with us.
John tells us,"No matter what you must give up on this earth-don't lose Heaven! Don't lose eternity with God. Once you have seen God,you can never be satisfied with anything on earth. Compared to Heaven,all is worthless. That's why God does not let us see Him. If we did, we could never again be happy here."
What you are experiencing is not a Lost Soul rather it is a Dark Night of the Soul and St.John of the Cross teaches us that during dark night of the soul, it seems that it will never end. But it does and everyone goes through it. How to bear it? With naked faith. "My God,into your hands I commend my spirit.. my soul.. my suffering...those I love,take care of me." And one day the dark night will end. The sun will shine again for you. After Jesus' horrible death came His Ressurection. After each Good Friday we suffer,comes an Easter Sunday.
There are 3 spiritual feelings:
1.Spiritual Consolation
2.Spiritual Aridity
3.Dark night of the Soul
This is worse than aridity: it is a hopeless feeling when all goes wrong and God seems absent. God seems not to exist,or doesn't seem to care. This FALSE feeling is called "Dark night of the Soul."
I do not know you , rather I know what you are going through. You are not alone , you are never alone. I pray for you and all of your loved ones. Peace and Prayer be with you. Trust in Him,Surrender to Him,Let Him Carry You.
Dear Lost,
I'm not someone who is very good with words but what I can tell you is that your story has moved me with great compassion and I can say that I am truly and deeply sorry for your circumstances. My heart and prayers sincerely go out to you and your loved ones who have suffered such a terrible loss.
I thought this simple prayer might be helpful to you. These are the words St. Augustine prayed while going through his conversion:
"Lord I believe. Please help my unbelief."
Also, please know that your life has meaning and value to everyone who loves you. Don't multiply the sorrow of your loved ones by giving up physically, spiritually or emotionally. The emotions that you are feeling now are normal but know that it is your duty to persevere in faith and prayer, if not for yourself, then for those who love you and rely on you. Keep fighting the good fight and Jesus will surely come to your aid. He always does.
God bless you and keep you.
My Dear Friends -
For Megan, for the others, you have already taught me a valuable experience in life, one that aetheism can never preach. Compassion and charity, in the days ahead I will face my darkest hour. I have many demons, the darkest being grief as of late at the loss of my friends but I cannot begin to express my gratitude, my joy in my heart such as it is at your words for me. That will serve as extra motivation for me to find my path toward light, though I know now as I write this, words will not describe the interior horror I will suffer, I abhore the devil and all of his evil works and temptations but I fear my journey out of this abyss will be very difficult. It is with your words that I feel the strength I need to perservere, so I thank God for you! May God watch over you and yours, and if you can spare a prayer....
Dear Blessed Mother: Please bring comfort and consolation to the soul in need; let him/her feel the immense love you and your Son have for him/her especially in those times of deep sadness and despair. Come Holy Spirit, Come by the means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved Spouse! Godspeed, my friend.
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