Our Thoughts are on Brittany

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This is not necessarily a post about our family today; however, our family is praying for a young woman who needs your prayers as well.  Maybe you have heard about her...she is the young woman who has a brain tumor and has decided to commit suicide on November 1st.  Her name is Brittany and we pray that she will see that God is a part of her life.

I have been praying for her since her story was first made public.  However, this morning during our family prayers, I felt called to talk to the family about her situation.  It began when we read from chapter 3 of Ephesians:

"Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine,
by the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus
to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."


I am not sure why this made me think of Brittany, but we had discussed how we can do all things through Christ and we should not be afraid to ask God for assistance in our lives.  I was giving examples of taking tests and other things that would relate to their lives.  However, then I thought of Brittany, made me realize that many of the choices in our lives are not so easy.  I felt that the older boys especially needed to know that sometimes the choices in our lives would be hard but God could help us during these times.

So, I shared Brittany's story.  The boys immediately said that we needed to pray for her.  Brendan began by praying the Glory Be in his sweet little voice:

Glory be to the Father,
To the Son,
To the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning,
Is now and ever shall be
World without end.  Amen


I felt the need to add that it is in God's glory that we are alive and we need to be thankful for being alive to the last breath.  We asked that Brittany know that she is being held in God's arms at this moment and he knows her needs, if she will turn to Him.

Then Edward prayed the Apostles Creed.  And I added that God the Father is is our creator...His Son...Jesus Christ is our healer...and the Holy Spirit is our guide in all things.  May God give Brittany the grace to know that God is with her even in her most difficult times.

Then we prayed to the Blessed Mother with the Hail Mary.  I begged Mary...the best mother of all times....to comfort Brittany in her sorrow.

We also prayed the act of faith, hope and charity.  We asked that God would show Brittany the faith to know He is with her.  We asked that God would fill Brittany with hope to feel his presence and his eternal life with Him.  We asked God to show Brittany that God's charity was beyond and love here on earth.

Then we prayed from the Psalm 33:

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
...For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
...But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
...But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.


God...in His goodness...is there and knows our plans but wants us to follow His plan.  We can choose to turn our backs on Him but He will still be there for us with the grace to make the right choice.

Then we read from chapter 12 of Luke:

 Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” (verses 49-53)


Jesus did not say that life would be easy.  He has come to bring division from this world and His own.  He wants us to turn to Him and follow in His ways.  There are those in our society who do not believe in the dignity of life.  They think that Brittany is making the right choice.  She is taking matters in to her own hands.  Maybe she thinks she is preventing suffering in her life and for those around her.  In the society that we live in today, it is easy to think that this is heroic.  However, it is in fact, making us our own demi-god.  We decide that we can choose life over death, but only God through his son, Jesus Christ, can deliver us from death...not death of our bodies but our souls!

This might cause division in our lives but we must stay strong.  Every day we have that conversion moment when we decide to be a follower of Jesus Christ...we are Christians...seeking God in faith, hope and charity.

I asked the children to take some time asking God to give them grace for this day...to have their own moment of conversion.  Edward brought out our hymnal and began to sing (He has such a lovely voice!):

We remember how you loved us to Your death, 

And still we celebrate for You are with us here. 

And we believe that we will see You when you come in Your glory, Lord. 

We remember, we celebrate, we believe. 

Here, a million wounded souls 

Are yearning just to touch you and be healed; 

Gather all your people, and hold them to your heart. 

Our family continues to pray for Brittany.  It is not too late.  We ask that you pray for Brittany also.  Together we can ask God to give her the grace for life, whether on Earth or with Him paradise...whether she is healed in body is His decision, but He can provide the most important healing which is within her soul.