I've been perusing old church photos that showed up whilst cleaning out the dumping room office. Some are 4 years old and more. How time flies. How our family has grown. How we have loved and annoyed and cared for and changed over the years. I am part of a large family.
Our family has been suffering lately. When one part hurts, all parts feel it. It is our duty to bear one another's burdens. If we don't, then we are all lost. The hardest thing to do though, when you are suffering, when you are in that dark valley, is to ask somebody to come down and walk beside you. You feel diseased and infectious. This is where the family must step up, and do what has to be done. One of our sister parishes is also going through some hard times, and this sunday, the priest of their parish has beseeched the whole parish (on behalf of one couple in particular, who are suffering greatly, and have been on the verge of a separation for a while now... they have also just welcomed their first baby into their lives)... sorry, I digress: he has beseeched the whole parish to step up their prayer and fasting this advent season on behalf of this family. Instead of facebook, and blogs, more prayer, stricter fasting. When one part suffers, the whole suffers.
I was speaking to the someone about this, asking: "Is there something in the air? Is mercury in retrograde? Why are so many marriages and people suffering right now? What is happening?"
To which this wise person replied "It's just people. And sin. And struggling to die to self. It's a hard thing to do, when it comes down to it"
Lord have mercy on us all.
Our family has been suffering lately. When one part hurts, all parts feel it. It is our duty to bear one another's burdens. If we don't, then we are all lost. The hardest thing to do though, when you are suffering, when you are in that dark valley, is to ask somebody to come down and walk beside you. You feel diseased and infectious. This is where the family must step up, and do what has to be done. One of our sister parishes is also going through some hard times, and this sunday, the priest of their parish has beseeched the whole parish (on behalf of one couple in particular, who are suffering greatly, and have been on the verge of a separation for a while now... they have also just welcomed their first baby into their lives)... sorry, I digress: he has beseeched the whole parish to step up their prayer and fasting this advent season on behalf of this family. Instead of facebook, and blogs, more prayer, stricter fasting. When one part suffers, the whole suffers.
I was speaking to the someone about this, asking: "Is there something in the air? Is mercury in retrograde? Why are so many marriages and people suffering right now? What is happening?"
To which this wise person replied "It's just people. And sin. And struggling to die to self. It's a hard thing to do, when it comes down to it"
Lord have mercy on us all.
5 comments:
A beautiful post. I love you guys! Thank you for being with us in Christ! A blessed and happy and fruitful Advent and Nativity to you all!
Lovely Vic.
We are fortunate indeed to be part os such a family that carries the burden for each other.
Thank you so much, diakonissa. Our family is so beautiful. I love you a lot. I hope one day I can have the privilege to die for our family as you and so many others have.
-Seraphim
And a reminder to pray for those people who do not feel that same warmth of the Church enveloping them as Mother, and its members as siblings; those who after many, or few, years still feel like outcasts among their own. May we all come to enjoy such a deep and rich appreciation as you have here described.
it isn't only marriages suffering.
thanks for the post - i have recently realized how completely lazy and self-indulgent i have become with regard to prayer and fasting etc.
and meike - i will make a point to pray for those who still don't feel like they belong - i can personally relate to that feeling - it took me years to feel at home within my home
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