THE LORD’S COMPASSION
“For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” – Isaiah 49:13
When Dad passed away at midnight of March 30 three years ago, the first person I shared the sad news with was my friend Vannie. I could hardly speak as I wept. Without a word said, Vannie comforted me in the way I needed to be comforted — she cried with me and allowed herself to feel the grief and helplessness I felt.
After a while she told me, “I was already awake before you called. I felt a burden in my heart to pray for you and your family. Afterwards, I sensed there was someone telling me, ‘Thank you for praying for me.’ It was Tito Jun. I believe he woke me up to say goodbye.”
I didn’t understand how painfully deep grief could cut into my heart and my entire being until Dad died. But with this pain I also experienced the overwhelming and soothing comfort of God’s love and presence through Vannie and the hundreds of relatives, neighbors, officemates and friends from long ago who simply held my hand, embraced me and cried with me. More than condolences and words of sympathy, the Lord’s compassion, shown through His people, eased my sorrow and abated my grief. Dina Pecaña (dpecana@yahoo.com)
REFLECTION:
“The friend who can be silent with us... who can stay with us in an hour of griefand bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing... not healing, not curing... that is a friend who cares.” (Henri Nouwen)
“Praise be to the... God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3).
Blessed John of Parma, pray for us.
No comments:
Post a Comment