Life is a gift...

04/06/11

Having finished the textbook and still with three weeks to go until we celebrate Easter, the lesson for today was to read an article on assisted suicide. You may ask, “Why have a whole lesson on that subject? “ The purpose was not to debate the subject, it was to open up the discussion and to show the women how very hard it is to take a stand on life issues if you don't really understand how these situations are perceived by God and how they affect us all. The article is a good one - from  Catholic Update.

Each of the ladies agreed that they could not condone assisted suicide but that they weren't sure how to tactfully deal with someone who might want their advice on whether to do it. TS said, "You don't want to ask me, because I would tell you don't do it - its murder." DB said, "In my opinion it is just wrong." RS said, "It never occurred to me that I might have to help someone else decide something like this."

AB brought up the subject of an elderly relative that just wanted to die because of illness and old age. She was terribly sad thinking that this relative might die before she was released from prison. AB hopes that she will live long enough for AB to say goodbye to her. As compassionate people, we find it easy to relate to someone who is hurting so very much.

It is easy to be drawn into agreeing that, to be compassionate, we should always take the action of helping others to alleviating pain and suffering, even if it means ending a life. But as TS wrote in her reflection about this subject, "while on his way to death Jesus endured much pain and suffering yet he did not give up... (He) is with us always."

We are disciples of Christ and if we truly follow him it may mean much pain and suffering but we are assured that throughout our lives God is with us during those struggles. We are part of God's great plan to bring everyone to Him. It means that we must be compassionate to the person but true to our values on life. When others come to us for advice, it is because they know who we are and what we stand for. Instinctively, they really want to hear the truth, and we have an opportunity and a duty to give them advice based on the values we take from our faith and from the Word of God.

DB told us about the time her mom had a brain aneurysm and multiple strokes. DB was the youngest of her brothers and sisters, and 23 when it happened. In the rush of ambulances, police and seeing her mother literally dying on the street, she had to make a crucial decision for her mom. No one else could. DB's family was paralyzed by the tragic circumstances. So she made the decision and chose to give her mom a chance for life. She watched her mom spend months in a coma. She fought the court battles to keep her mother on life support. She resolve to never give up hope that her mom would live. Then days before the judge would rule on whether to pull the plug, her mom woke up.  But in spite of all those months of trauma, pain and suffering, DB recalled that it all was worth it because her family came together and became much closer than they had ever been.

There are times in our lives that we will have to make choices that affect the life and death of others. Though rare these are the hardest choices to make. How do we do that when we are wrapped up in the pain and emotion and suffering of our lives?

I loved RS's response to DB's story. She told us, she could not relate to what DB had to go through in deciding the fate of her mother. She explained that as a Native American, those kinds of decisions are never made just by the immediate family. All members of the family confer and meet several times. Those meetings include grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even extended members of the family. It is a group decision and no one is left to decide alone. To her, making a decision means bringing in others to help you see the whole picture.

The issue of making life and death decisions affects everyone in the family; in fact it can affect a whole community. To make a good decision, one must look at the effects of that decision. We can't always do that if we are caught up in the emotions and pain of our lives. We need to turn to others for guidance, but more importantly we must turn to God. He gave us this gift of life. It is important that in situations where the option of ending a life is being considered, we have a duty to consult him first.

As always, the women thank you for your prayers. God bless you all…krr