For those grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide

This week the son of one of my friends committed suicide.  I called her and talked with her about how her prayers and love were present at the moment that her son died and that even her anguish can become a prayer for him.  Yesterday she called me back and asked me to write a letter to her daughter explaining the things that I had told her on the phone.  I said that I would and that I would also publish it on this blog so that maybe it would be able to help others who are experiencing this terrible grief.  If  you would like to read it, please click on the page that says "letter of consolation."  Feel free to use it to help other people.  We need to stay united in prayer and love and the Holy Spirit so that we can help the many victims of suicide and their families through the Mercy of our Savior Jesus Christ to attain eternal life with our Heavenly Father.  In the end that will be the only thing that really matters.

The Communion of Saints

Tomorrow would have been my mother's 99th birthday.  When she was still on earth I often asked her to pray for my intentions and I know that when I ask her now to pray for my intentions she still does, and she has a much greater power of intercession.  All the people in Heaven are Saints!  That means we all have relatives who are Saints!  We still need to pray for our loved ones who have died because they may need our prayers to get up to Heaven but it should give us great hope that we were all created by God Who is Love and that the way that leads back to Him is Love.  Let us continue to love each other down here on earth but let's not forget to love those who have left the earth and depend on our prayers.  At the same time let's learn to depend on their prayers.  This is what the Communion of Saints means.  Once Jesus said to His enemies who were questioning the Resurrection, "Haven't you read what God spoke to Moses saying 'I am the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.'?  He is not the God of the dead but of the living for all live to him."  Think about the meaning of what Jesus was saying.  Abraham lived about 1900 years before Jesus was born as a man.  He was pointing out that God didn't say, "I was the God of Abraham...."  In other words, Abraham is still alive.  Another time Jesus illustrated that He is God, as well as man, when He said, "Before Abraham came to be, I am."

Ed and Char Reddy, my parents

"Come to Me all you who labor and are burdened"

On this great feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus the very best way to celebrate is to respond to this invitation of His.  Jesus says to you and to me, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light" (Matthew 11:28-30).  Just turn to Him in your heart and tell Him about all your afflictions, anxieties, sufferings, griefs, anguish, temptations, sicknesses.  And when you have told Him everything leave it all in His Heart.  Now you will see that He is sharing your burden and your heart will have a new capacity to receive the great hope that He has for you and the desire that He has to give you "a future full of hope."