Death

I lost someone who was very dear to me today.  I feel so empty inside.  What keeps me going is the assurance that I'll see her again someday, that she is no longer suffering, and that she is with the Lord.

I could never be an atheist.  I can't imagine living life with the belief that there is nothing else, and that when someone dies, they are gone forever.  I just couldn't.

Please keep my family and me in your prayers.

An Update

Hello, everyone!

I'd like to provide you all with a quick update.  The poor little old lady at my parish is doing fine.  She's been returned home and is recovering from having a pacemaker installed.  Thank you to all of you who prayed for a swift recovery.  There is no doubt in my mind that prayer saved her.  She went into complete cardiac arrest in the middle of mass.  That means her heart completely stopped beating.  But, through prayer and the timely intervention of our congregation, her life was saved.  How amazing is that?  God bless her and those who helped her!

And God bless all of you!

The Importance of Community

Sometimes, people ask why we need to go to Mass.  Can't I get the same experiences praying at home?  Plus, I can do it on my own time and at my own pace.  Mass is just too long, etc.  The list goes on and on.  And yes, there is something to be said for praying at home.  But, the sense of community cannot be overlooked.  After all, didn't our Lord say that were two or more are gathered in His name, he will be there among them? (Matthew 18:20)

And I think it goes deeper than that.  Today, at Mass, one of our parishioners had a heart attack.  I wasn't able to see who it was, but I heard it was a woman.  As of right now, we do not know if she is alive or dead.  But, rather than being horrified at this news, think of it this way: she was surrounded by her community in her hour of need.  And, if we believe the Gospels to be true (which we do), then God was more certainly with her.  Of course, God is with us always, as was stated in Matthew 28:20, "And behold I am with you always, even to the end of the age".   She came to mass alone, so that means she might be widowed or never married.  Imagine the alternative of dying alone at home with no one to take care of her.  Rather, she was surrounded by community who called 911, performed CPR, and rushed to her aid.  And of course, God was with her.

We all fell into silent prayer while the paramedics came to help.  One of the women from my parish, who was sitting in my pew, gripped my arm and held onto me for support, and I held her hand.  I'll be the first to admit that I'm somewhat emotionally stunted.  I don't like to talk about emotional things, and I don't know how to respond when people cry to me.  But, God blessed me in that moment, and allowed me to be strong enough for both of us, to hold my sobbing sister in Christ, and be there for her in that moment.  That's community.  Being there for each other in good times and in bad.  That's why it is important to go to Mass instead of just praying at home.  Because the early Christians were a community, and because God wants us to remain a community.  And because we need to take care of each other.

God bless you all,

Little Sister

A New Year and the Year of Mercy

Happy 2016, everyone!  I know I'm a few days late, but I've been very busy getting in some well-deserved rest, and wandering around the house in my Snuggie.  I hope all of you had a very blessed Christmas and New Year, as well.

So, with the new year comes resolutions.  I know most of us plan to lose weight, read more, eat healthy, maybe travel.  I have my own list of things that I want to do.  I want to work on self-improvement, work out more, learn a new language, post on this blog more...etc, etc.  You get the idea.  But, there is one thing that I think I'm going to have genuine trouble working on.  That's mercy.  Now, I know what you're thinking.  Mercy?  Little Sister, are you some sort of tyrant?  No, it's not like that.  The issue I'm having is my mother, hovering over me and reminding me, each time I get angry or feel uncharitable, that Pope Francis has made this an Extraordinary Year of Mercy, and that means we have to really focus on showing mercy in our lives, whether that's cutting people slack, giving aid, or not holding a grudge.  In the spirit of honesty, I'm not that good at that.

So, that's my  big focus this year: trying to be merciful.  That means less complaining, not holding a grudge, and giving people what they need, even if it is not what I want (such as talking to a chatty coworker who needs to talk to someone, instead of just avoiding her like I would want).

This is going to be difficult.  And I have a few other things that I'm trying to work through, so this promises to be an interesting year, if nothing else.

In other news, I would really appreciate some prayer help from all of you.  I've been having some pain in my ear for a little while now, and I'm starting to get a bit nervous.  St. Cornelius is the patron saint of ear problems, so I've been praying for his intercession myself.

God bless, and Happy New Year!