When my fourth grandson was born with an intestinal abnormality, it was necessary for my son and daughter-in-law to find an apartment in a neighboring state, close to the hospital where the baby would ultimately stay for almost six months. My daughter-in-law stayed there for the entire time.
I stayed at their home with their three young sons to help keep life as normal as possible, as hard as that can be when visits to mom are limited to weekends, and dad is balancing work, home, and being present for mom and baby.
by Nancy Bird
Your life is not your work. Conventional wisdom tells you that to be successful you must maintain the non-stop hustle and bustle of navigating daily life. You wear your busyness as a badge of honor and always say yes to the requests from work, home, church. What is the old saying? “Ask a busy person...”
Where have you recognized Jesus present with you in recent days? A chance invitation to a fall concert led my husband and me to join our community chorus, where we are once again singing Bach, Handel, Mozart, and other works that challenge and engage us. We feel Jesus present in the choir, which is directed by a faith-filled and extremely talented woman who is welcoming and inspiring.
We often refer to today’s Gospel (John 20:1-9) as the story of “doubting Thomas”—the Apostle who wouldn’t believe Jesus was resurrected from the dead unless he saw the nail marks in Jesus’ hands and put his hand in Jesus’ side.
Many years ago, I was hospitalized for several months. I suffered an illness that normally affects the very elderly (I was 38 at the time) or alcoholics (I don’t drink).
Even though most of us will be unable to celebrate with our parish communities, one of the best ways we can show respect for Jesus this Holy Week is to set aside time to celebrate the great three days of the Triduum in prayer and reflection. The following are some simple suggestions.