August 16, 2023
“We would like to ignore suffering, hide it, and pretend it is not there, but reality forces us to face it in spite of ourselves. Some are made holy by embracing it, and others become bitter and resentful by refusing it. It makes some strong and crushes others. Some will never acknowledge its presence in their lives, but somehow everyone realizes that this game of pretend destroys and disfigures the soul.”
— Mother Angelica
Mother Angelica, who founded EWTN, the global television network, knew suffering throughout her life. Her parents got divorced and she grew up poor. Her mother suffered from depression, and as a young woman, Mother had a nervous condition. She was injured in an accident and had to use a leg brace. Later in life, she had a stroke, and during her last 15 years, she suffered from paralysis and had to wear an eye patch. After a second stroke, she stopped doing TV programs because she could no longer speak.
She died on Easter Sunday in 2016 at 93. The priest with her said, “It was on Good Friday that I heard from one of the caregivers who was helping Mother, as well as one of the sisters. Mother began to cry out early in the morning from the pain that she was having. She had a fracture in her bones because of the length of time she had been bedridden. They said you could hear her crying out on Good Friday from what she was going through.”
As Mother said, suffering can lead to resentment or compassion. In her life, she was known for her compassion to the sick, to the dying and to the grieving.
***
May our healing journey lead us along the same path and may we have compassion for others who are grieving.
Sign Up for Healing Journey Messages
Receive a daily message to your email address.