A priest, 45 years old, was buried today. He took his life a few days ago. At the same time, media reports on the untimely death of Ms.Whitney Houston left me saturated. I was saddened beyond words by the death of this priest, even though, I knew him only casually. Suicide is a definitive act leaving those left behind numb to face many unanswered questions.
I'm looking at this painting of an agonizing Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane thinking of him reaching a breaking point. I turn to the book of Job, chapter 42. He says: "I know you are all powerful and yes, I am that man who obscured your designs with my empty-headed words. I have been holding forth on matters I cannot understand nor marvels beyond me and my knowledge." Job cursed the darkness before he could regain an optimistic spirit! Even Saint Paul felt at one time that all his work was useless: "To the weak, I became a weak person with a view of winning the weak. I have made myself all things to all in order to save at least some of them."
I learnt some years ago that suffering does not save anybody. There is nothing good about suffering. Suffering does not redeem. We put up with it but we should not be controlled by it.
Not easy to find a solution! It is hard to reason why we suffer or why people choose to terminate their lives. But, yes, I understand. At the crossroads in struggle, how can we find strength to move forward?
We can only hope that those who felt unable to forge ahead; find the peace they deserve.
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