… into grace. God, “rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4), like the father in the Gospel parable (cf. Lk 15:11-32), does not close his heart to any of his children, but waits for them, looks for them, reaches them where their rejection of communion imprisons them in isolation and division, and calls them to gather around […]
suffering transformed … Read More »
… conscience is the place where we perceive dependence, where the directive of Another emerges. (At the Origin of the Christian Claim Luigi Giussani p. 88) “You must live for another if you want to live for yourself”, the Roman philosopher Seneca said. If you want to live for yourself, if you want to discover
what conscience is … Read More »
… count more than words in helping a sick person. [F]aith in what? In the love of God. This is the true response that can radically defeat evil. As Jesus confronted the evil one with the force of love that came to him from the Father, so we too can confront and win out in
serene and sincere nearness … Read More »
… He [Jesus] never refuses a single person who comes to him with an honest request … he turns no one away … “I think the most astounding thing … and really it is an astounding thing … is the infidelity of us, his followers, to just that point … that the following of Christ
he turns no one away … Read More »
… or love from suffering … because love is the self surrender of someone to another and this self surrender requires that we really die to ourselves in order to live in and through the other. The mystery of iniquity is the resistance to this. There is something in us that knows that that is
suffering is inseparable from love … Read More »
… two aspects of communication which need to be kept in balance, to alternate and to be integrated with one another if authentic dialogue and deep closeness between people are to be achieved. When word and silence become mutually exclusive, communication breaks down, either because it gives rise to confusion or because, on the contrary,
the relationship between silence and word … Read More »
Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune—without the words, And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. I’ve heard it in the chilliest land, And on
hope … the thing with feathers … Read More »
Coulehan discusses hope, especially in the context of hospice and palliative care… “Studies of terminally ill patients have demonstrated clusters of personal and situational factors associated with enhancement or suppression of hope at the end of life. Enhancing factors included interpersonal connectedness, attainable goals, spiritual beliefs and practices, personal attributes of determination, courage, and serenity,
hope … a song without words … Read More »
When confronting serious medical decisions our attitude should be one of openness and wonder in front of a Mystery greater than ourselves. We set aside preconceptions and attend to the person in need as well as those who are serving him (doctors, nurses, chaplains, others). As we journey together, we weigh the burdens and benefits
