Thank you so much Padraig for your prayers. My brothers name is Christopher. I understand about the suffering for souls. And God uses such mundane things, don't you find? No one knows, not even yourself, that this suffering is going to be used for such a purpose. At least the suffering should come with a note (preferably a banner) stating that the suffering you are lumbered with and humiliated with, is in aid of such and such. It would make things so civilised.
I think the bottom line on bottom line suffering would be that we , like Jesus drink the Chalice to the dregs. What does , 'Drinking the Chalice to the dregs', really mean? Well I think it is like Jesus when He lay dying on the Cross and said, 'My God my God why have you forsaken me?' (of course after this He turns in hope to Holiness of God and the People of God ..the Church and is relieved in His pain) 'But you oh God are Holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel' But the dregs of the chalice is that point were there seems no point, no meaning , no vocation. When we are in agony of soul wandering in a meaningless desert. Of course mostly we do not, any of us get to drink the Chalice for long; how could we bear it. St Therese of Liseaux of course, for instance totally drank the dregs to the last drop on her death bed. “It's true, I suffer a great deal--but do I suffer well? That is the question.” ― Thérèse de Lisieux, St. Therese of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations
Todays reading. A reading from the second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 5:6-10. We are always full of confidence when we remember that to live in the body means to be exiled from the Lord, going as we do by faith and not by sight, we are full of confidence, I say, and actually want to be exiled from the body and make our home with the Lord. Whether we are living in the boby or exiled from it, we are intent on pleasing Him. For all the truth about us will be brought out in the law of Christ, and each of us will get what he deserves for the things he did in the body, good or bad. The word of the Lord.
To live in the body means ,we are exiled from the Lord! How true is this!! But whether we are living in the body or exiled from it, we are intent on pleasing Him. This all will be judged on the last day. AMEN. Use your body wisely. Remaining always with the Lord.
Christopher needs quite a lot of prayer, Jackie, it seems. You have prayed a lot for him already. Continue to do so and make sacrifice and you will succeed. Some things take a little longer than others. Each soul steers its own course.
From Josephite: No one knows, not even yourself, that this suffering is going to be used for such a purpose. Ovey! I watched my mother, Christine, suffer for years! She exercised well the gift of "offering it up". Until now, I have not dealt well with suffering, Josephite, so I will ask Christine, in heaven, to pray for Christopher. May the Lord grant us all the grace to suffer well through the Storm, and for those who will be martyred, to do so with courage and joy! St. Cecilia, pray for us! Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!
I too have a wayward single brother. My mother prayed constantly for him and there seemed to be no change. A few months before she died he had a very lucky escape from a farm animal that attempted to Gore him. After that experience I saw a change in him. He seemed to to take his faith more seriously. In recent times I sensed he had reverted a bit but he had a second lucky escape so he is back on track from what I can tell. Don't ever give up on prayer for your brother. The Lord will find a way. I too will remember your brother.
At first I read this wrong - I thought it was lucky a farm animal almost gored him. I guess it would be lucky, if we believed in luck. Providential, maybe.
Yes Chris needs a lot of prayer. And when someone in the family is in such need of prayer it certainly weighs on the other members in the family in ways that are unseen/spiritual; to the point where the battle for that soul affects all members of the family to different degrees and of course some family members don't know that this is the reason they are suffering. It seems really unfair that someone can cause such havoc to all other members in the family and sometimes you just want to grab the person and shake the living daylights out of them for living so obstantly in sin. But it wouldn't help, so we must go on. Thank God for His Merciful Heart and for taking the lions share of the suffering. It really makes you appreciate Our Blessed Mothers Sorrowful Heart Btw, Padraig I think you may be just a wee bit frazzled at times, with so many members on the forum now, its no wonder. I think Jackie is a lovely name, and I've decided you can call me that. God Bless Love Carolyn aka Jackie
