This is an opportunity to open our eyes, ears, hands and heart to see sickness, old age, suffering, misery, loneliness, disappointment, broken families, the lifelessness of young people, and more. These happen because of natural disasters, turmoil in the world, joblessness, misunderstandings, etc. If we listen with our heart, the groaning of all these people could be heard!
Since I cannot work anymore, I pray and offer my day for all these people but especially for the unfortunates: like those in floods, tornados, fires; victims of violence and shootings, war and being misplaced from home and families, etc.
“Therefore let all the faithful pray to youwhile you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.” (Ps 32:6)
These disasters are the cause for many people dying, perhaps in anger, unprepared for the encounter with the Lord.
“For when he had not expected the fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead.” (2 Macc 12:44)
This is the field in which I can work: Pray for the living and the dead. Every day I spend some hours in our Chapel to pray for them.
And with prayer I unite my sufferings, sacrifices of life, my many health problems, etc. I use making the Sign of the Cross with Holy Water for the souls in Purgatory and I include my Thankfulness to God for He is so good to me in every way.
“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.” (Rom 14:8-9)
Sister James, SDR
