Sometimes, a patient will tell me that he/she wants to die. Unfortunately, in a growing number of places in the world, they can get their wish. Pro-life isn’t just about saving unborn babies. To be pro-life means to respect and cherish life from conception to natural death.
A blog post on euthanasia and assisted suicide that I wrote in June, 2012, was published at CatholicLane.com this morning.
http://catholiclane.com/euthanasia-its-not-enough-to-say-no/
Deo Gratias
Excellent article Terry! Words are not enough. We need to put our words into action. God Bless.
Thanks, Teresa. Yes, those of us who are able ought to perform corporal works of mercy as well.
This is really great. Have you read the story of Don Ritchie(he died in May this year)? He saved lost souls from committing suicide at the GAP a notorious suicide spot for 50 years. I think he shows great example of what we can do in the daily circumstances we are in and make a real difference. According to his story, it only take a cup of hot tea. So inspiring.
Thanks, lilyboat. I haven’t heard of Don Ritchie but will look him up. Thanks for the tip. It’s amazing how even the smallest gestures contribute to the culture of life.
Terry,
Beautifully written and right on the money. We can use the same thinking in regard to any of the ‘Life’ issues. For me to respect your life requires more of me than simply lecturing you about your obligation to endure suffering as you wait for the end. I also must do more than wag my finger as I demand that you complete a pregnancy that is a terrible burden to you and those you love and which promises to provide more burdens after your child is born.
Jesus promised an easy yoke and a light burden, but it takes our willingness to submit to God’s will to manifest this promise for those in undesirable circumstances.
Suicide is a terrible evil, abortion is a terrible evil, there are so many evils in our world, but don’t be too quick to assign the blame for these evils to the one committing the suicide or procuring the abortion. When I’m rounding up suspects to charge with these crimes I begin by checking the mirror.
I wrote about suicide in my 2011 Respect Life talk (10/02/11). You can find it on my blog under “Seeing Things as God Sees”.
Peace,
Paul
Thanks for the tip re: “Seeing Things As God Sees.” Maybe the more bloggers write about it, the more we can do to discourage people from taking their own lives.
Reblogged this on The Peanut Gallery.
Thanks for the reblog. With God’s grace, maybe it will convict at least one person to help. To God be the glory, to us be the work, in Him and through His Spirit..
We plant and water, God brings the harvest. Thank you for being on the front lines of this battle for life.
Great article, Terry! I believe a lot of those who choose assisted suicide are depressed from receiving news of their terminal illness. I was diagnosed with ALS 16 years ago and there was a period early on that I thought it would be best for everyone if I died quickly. But that is a stage of grief and I wonder how many people choose assisted suicide while in that stage. Sad! I would have missed my daughters growing up!
Bill, thank you so much for your input. Your blog on life with ALS is a gift. No one can write about euthanasia/assisted suicide better than someone who lives with terminal illness. God bless you. Please keep writing.
Good article. It’s so hard now to provide care for anyone, when you can’t criticize their “choices” and they can commit suicide. What is the meaning of health if it doesn’t preclude preventable death?
How true. It’s certainly becoming more popular and acceptable to verbalize wanting euthanasia/assisted suicide. But still I think if there were more support for people in terminal illness, loneliness and pain, they would feel more hopeful and less likely to want to end their life.
Probably so.
BTW, are you in the storm area? Are you OK?
We’re Ok, thanks for asking. We got the tail end of the storm here in Southern Ontario. Nothing as horrific as NYC and New Jersey. Just power outages, down power lines and trees, lots of rain, strong winds. One poor woman was killed when the sign from a store blew off and hit her.
Glad you and your family weathered the storm alright, Terry. (Bad pun not intended. Oy ve.) That’s horrible about the poor woman being killed by the store sign. And the fires and floods I saw on the news. Terrible! Keeping everyone in harm’s way in my prayers. God bless!
Thanks. Yes. All the people who are recovering and rebuilding after the storm need our prayers.
Good points, Terry. You’re right. But I think we must also recover (and in many cases, discover) our Catholic understanding of the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering, which just happens to be the title of an encyclical by the late Pope John Paul II. For those who have not read it, here’s the link to read it online: http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/rdmpc1.htm
I do believe we can do better to help relieve unnecessary suffering and pain. And I know we can do better at understanding how to use our suffering as Christians, uniting our suffering to Christ’s redemptive suffering. Our suffering, un-united to Christ’s, is not redemptive in the least. Not at all. But united to Christ’s redemptive suffering, our suffering can work wonders for the conversion of others and for their salvation. And ours. This teaching is not some Catholic morbid aberration but comes to us from the early Church. You can find St Paul writing of it in his epistles, which Pope John Paul II references throughout his letter.
I grew up as a Methodist and then traveled down many winding paths (and blind alleys!) before discovering Holy Mother Church. And I never heard any teaching on suffering (other than how to avoid it) until I discovered Catholicism, even though it’s right there in the Bible I grew up with and read from cover to cover when I was still a kid–either in the eighth grade or in the first year of high school.
I know some will not like the Catholic teaching on suffering and some will reject it outright. Well, be that as it may, there it is. And it’s been there from the beginning. From the beginnings of Christianity, anyway.
Thank you for bringing this up, Terry. There is much more to explore here but my comment is already too long! Peace be with you. God bless.
Thank you for comment. (which is not too long)
Does Canada have Hospice care like the US? My grandmother volunteered there a great deal and made lap quilts, peanut pillows, and more for each patient while she was able. I hope to do the same someday. They had some home made love and comfort in their final days and it meant a great deal to the families.
Yes, we do and hospices are always looking for volunteers. One of my sons has just finished training to be a hospice volunteer. He learned valuable skills that will be put to good use in a hospice setting. Thanks for bringing up that point.
Glad to hear that!
Wonderful article, Terry! Pertinent to the US as well as Canada. Love is expressed in prayer and realized in deeds.
Thank you. How right you are. Prayer ought to be the foundation of all our deeds.