I read awhile back that the closer one gets to the Cross, the fewer people there will be. It stayed with me. Then recently, I heard a true story about a young man who lay dying in a hospital. He had led an "alternative" lifestyle, abandoning his faith and his family, eventually contracting the disease associated with that life. His mother was the only person to stay with him, visiting him in the hospital and comforting him as she could. His friends had abandoned him. His mother had asked a priest to visit with him, and so the priest and his mother were the only ones who stayed with him until the end. Hopefully that poor man made his peace with the Good Lord. It struck me as a real testament to a mother's love for her son and that of a faithful priest for a man's soul.
After mass sometimes, or when I am in the cathedral praying the Rosary, I go up to the front and get down on my knees in front of the tabernacle and Jesus on the cross and just look at Him and meditate on Him and what He has done for us. It is most intimidating at times. But it is also incredibly beautiful also. Unconditional love spoken without a word. Yesterday at mass just before going up to receive, I practically started crying. It can be an emotional rollercoaster at times. I feel so incredibly unworthy and insignificant. It can be like a peculiar, spiritual romance with The Architect of the universe. What is mortal man that God Himself loves us so...?
At the back of our cathedral, above the magnificent copper pipes of the organ, is this rendition of Raphael's Sistine Madonna in stained glass. I am madly in love with it. The afternoon sun pours through it.
Yes. The closer we get to the cross the fewer are those who go with us. That is a touching story. In a way it reminds me of Father Hugh O' Flaherty who visited the Nazi who governed Rome cruelly--killing anyone who got in his way and persecuting Jews. He had been particularly terrible to Fr O'Flaherty Yet when he was convicted and sent to prison Fr O'Flaherty visited him every single day. His only visitor. After many years he became a Catholic and Fr O'flaherty baptized him!!
Have you seen The Scarlet and the Black? That is a really good movie about Fr. Hugh O' Flaherty, starring Gregory Peck and Christopher Plummer. Amazing movie.
Great movie! The good monsignor (Gregory Peck) had a very human side that I appreciate; it was his faithful visits to the prison to see the convicted German Commandant (Christopher Plummer) that wrought a marvelous conversion!
As the darkness incringes upon this midnight hour to leave us alone, it is a reminder of Jesus alone on the Cross, abandoned by all but a few: Mother Mary, John the Beloved, Mary Magdalen, Mary the wife of Cleopas, who was mother of Jesus' cousins, and perhaps a few others. He was followed by thousands during his ministry and at one time sent out "the seventy" to share the Gospel. But only a handful were there at the end. It is often like this in a hospital or nursing home setting, especially if family has headed home believing their loved one will rally. Sometimes there is a peaceful hush at the time of death, sometimes a frantic effort by medical staff to revive the dying, sometimes inconsolable anguish, sometimes the moaning or even stony silence of one who has lost the chance to reconcile, but most precious when faithfulness has brought family persistently day after day. I even remember the consistent and tender accompaniment of one same sex partner who was there day after day for 3 weeks. I recall the stifled silence of about 15 members of an Italian clan as the grandpa was dying and I encouraged them to caress and speak words of love, not to stifle their feelings. An outpouring of tenderness ensued and they then joined in praying a decade of the Holy Rosary and part of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as he died. There was the day I arrived at the nursing home at the last moment. Family had been waiting and praying. The dying gentleman's breathing had slowed and it appeared he would not regain consciousness again. So we began to pray a decade of the Rosary together. When we came to one of the last Hail Marys, he opened his eyes and prayed (barely audible)... "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen." He then closed his eyes and died a few minutes later. My heart aches to realize it will probably never be for me again. Lord have Mercy! Christ have Mercy! Lord have Mercy! Christ hear us! Christ graciously hear us!
God love you Mario. I think now I better understand the work of a Deacon. They were very blessed to have had you with them ~~~
Yes Lois they were blessed to have Mario. It is hard on you Mario. I used to visit the old-people's homes with our Parish Priest. I remember praying for one man. He was sitting on the side of the bed after having been annointed. I put my hand on his shoulder as we prayed with him. Milk was dribling down his chin as we prayed. I sensed a deep relaxation come over him as we prayed. The next day we learned that he had died. Unfortunately Covid put an end to that ministry. I have had the privelege of being an apostle of Divine Mercy to an aunt and an uncle in their dying moments. I prayed the Chaplet and the Litany of Divine Mercy for them. My uncle was unconscious due to Midazolam. In the case of my aunt she had been unconscious but just after we began the prayers she opened her eyes to everone's amazement. They held her hand as I prayed. About 10 minutes after we had finished the prayers she died peacefully. I consoled everyone present by reading out the following: Jesus said to St. Faustina: "Write that when they recite this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between my Father and the dying person, not as just judge but as merciful Saviour" I had the merciful opportunity to pray the St. Joseph Prayer for the Dying for my father also. Unfortunately, I was only at the very beginning of my conversion then and I was unaware of the Divine Mercy. God our Father in Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the World, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity One God, have mercy on us. The Mercy of God is above all His works, hence we shall praise the Divine Mercy forever and ever. Amen
This is a good thread and so true. All these chastisements and difficulties are allowing everyone, regardless of religion, who is a lover of justice and truth to understand that Christ's Life literally is the Way, Truth and Life. I was listening to Naomi Wolf who is Jewish the other day - she has been ousted from all of her glamorous circles, so at the foot of the cross with few people too now (but she doesn't talk about it that way). She and the protestant author agreed that the terrible events now are a kind of a blessing from God because circumstances are forcing everyone to choose sides and revealing what is inside us all - either we are with God or with Satan. What makes me tremble is that it's not standing at the foot of the Cross that is the final test for us, I think it's forgiving for those who put Him (and now us) there. Fr Ripperger said in an interview that the Virgin achieved Her victory over Satan at the foot of the Cross when She did not hate those who crucified Her Son, but forgave them and agreed to be their Mother. I was also meditating on how the brothers of Joseph in the OT would have all starved to death had Joseph not forgiven them and brought them into Egypt where they prospered. He forgave them for selling him as a slave - could I forgive such a thing? I pray the Holy Spirit helps us all forgive like the heroes of our faith...
You are so right andree. I had a dear and amazing friend who died a few years ago at 90. She is IMHO a saint. She related an account to us once about being a prisoner of the Soviets toward the end of WWII. She was from Czechoslovakia and a devout Catholic. The prison camp was a hell just as Solzhinitsyn described it. She and one other person also Catholic made a Rosary out of little balls of bread and would pray it every night in secret. They were discovered and the guard beat them both so savagely that her friend died. She said as she was dying she was filled with hate for the guard but she knew she couldn't die with such hatred. She begged Jesus "help me! I can't forgive him" she said she immediately saw Jesus before Pilate and He said to her "I forgave you!" She felt the grace inside her fill her with pity for the guard. She told the guard "I forgive you. Jesus died for you too." The guard was stunned. He took her to the camp infirmary. Later as she was healing he came back there and said " why did you do that? Who is this Jesus?" He knew nothing of God or faith. Sbe told him of Jesus. He became a believer. And later helped her escape. I truly believe if we ask for the grace to forgive it will be given to us.
Wow, that is such a powerful story AED. And very hope-filled too because she cried out to Jesus and He came and filled the lady with the Grace necessary to forgive. And by forgiving the faith was passed on. Oh all we need to do is have total faith in Him - I am remembering that Frances Hogan shared in one talk that Jesus told her to tell everyone that the time was soon coming where we would need to trust Him beyond all measure, so really when all looks lost.
Such a wonderful story! A great grace and she recognized it as such. Maybe part of the problems we are having today is that so many really don't understand what grace really is ~ a gift from God, the lifeblood of the soul. It's so easy to attribute the graces we receive to our own doing, when really, it's God saying "Yes, I'm here with you - fear not." Maybe this lack of understanding of God's grace is what has led to so much pride in the world? idk
What an amazing moment of grace: "Who is this Jesus?" O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
