Sometimes things happen that leave you in disbelief, especially when you were looking forward to such hope, joy and excitement. You look back and ask yourself, “did that just happen?” or “how could that happen at such a joyful time?” Your tears can’t hide the feelings of being broken down, vulnerable, raw, hurt and sad.
Think of a struggle that you currently have or have experienced in the past. Allow yourself to contemplate the following words and emotions of a journey.
Excitement
Hope
Joy
Anticipation
Sadness
Broken-down
Tears
Crushed
Apology
Time
Trust
2 days
Darkness
Tomb
Hurt
Invite Jesus into the struggle
Mass
Our Father
Eucharist
Resolution
Forgiveness
Wounds healed
Smile
Peace
Gentleness
Kindness
Love
Difficult situations catch you off guard and before you know it hours, days, months or years pass without realization.
For two days, I tried to deal with this on my own, thinking that I could keep moving forward, stay distracted enough so that I wouldn’t think about it, pray for the person when my mind would gravitate to the ugly details, then I thought, perhaps, I could just “sweep this one under the rug”, or maybe even just pretend that it never happened. It wouldn’t go away. I wasn’t sure how I would react the next time we encountered each other, but then I knew that the first step would be to allow the prayer of the mass and the power of the Eucharist to physically and spiritually heal me. I knew that I couldn’t receive the Eucharist with an impure heart, so you know when you get to that part in the Our Father when it says, “And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;” that is when my heart was healed. I desired the Eucharist so much that it meant fully trusting in Him, extending mercy to someone who hurt my spirit and believing in what Jesus commanded even though it was difficult. I expressed a true forgiveness and promised to not hold any sort of grudge. I felt a relief, a freedom, a joy in my being that only Jesus could give.
In this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy allow the mercy of Jesus to flow through you in ways that maybe wouldn’t have in the past. Allow his mercy to heal you so that you can also bring healing and mercy to those friends and enemies around you. A devotion that I regularly practice which has helped me tremendously is The Divine Mercy Chaplet.
Jesus, I trust in You.