Dear Friends,
Sharing a parishioner’s story about the power of prayer and the hope such power proclaims.
Peace,
Fr. Damian
PRAYER = HOPE
I always thought intercessory prayer was a gift someone SUPER holy had. Now, I can see that it is a gift to be shared, and we are blessed to have been the recipient. Looking back over my life, I can see several times when intercessory prayer guided me, although I didn’t know it until recently.
I was a cradle Catholic who left the faith for 25 years after marrying Chris, despite my Mom’s gentle (sometimes not so gentle) reminders. I know she prayed feverishly all those years, for me to return to the faith. When the day came when I was hopeless and helpless, I opened the door. I realized what a gift my parents had given me at birth. I became an exuberant Catholic on fire! I started to attend daily Mass; I tried to participate in everything. But Chris was not with me; I was missing half of my soul. I prayed and prayed that he would overcome his addiction and join me, and at the right time, God opened his heart, and he did.
We hadn’t raised our children Catholic or with any specific faith, and that will always be a deep regret. But after Chris and I became engaged in our faith, those prayers were answered. Our adult daughter got baptized Catholic, and she, in turn, had all three of her children baptized and our son had his son baptized Catholic. God was with us and had a plan.
Several years ago, Chris was diagnosed with colon cancer followed by lung cancer. We were new to Cabrini but blessed with many prayers through that challenging year. I remember at the time thinking, after Chris was “cancer-free”, “Ok, God, I’ve used up all my chances! You’ve brought back to me the love of my life three times, and I am forever your servant!” But this servant is being tested again. January 26, 2024, my world shattered into a million pieces. A phone call from the hospital ordered me to get Chris to the emergency room immediately! After a 6-hour grueling wait in the ER, a doctor we had never met walks in and says, “You have terminal lung cancer. There is no cure. Without chemotherapy, you have days to weeks to live.”
I want to say we got on our knees and started to pray and felt the Lord’s presence, but that is not true. As I recall, we did pray, although it didn’t feel good. It was hard through the tears. It felt like a cry for help more than a prayer, and I didn’t think God was listening. Looking back, I can see that this is where we felt the prayers of others. Our prayers felt so shallow and self-serving, but your prayers provided comfort. There have been times that I have been so afraid that I can’t think, let alone pray. It felt like I was begging, pleading and bargaining. On those days, I know all of your prayers held us up and showered us with little moments of grace. Like the doctor who walked in and told us, I know you’ve just gotten some terrible news, but only God knows his plan for you. Or the angel that showed up in the ER when we were devastated and I was asking for Tylenol, but the hospital couldn’t give it to me because I wasn’t a patient – that took his own time and money to run to a nearby Walgreens to buy me a bottle. Or the friends who sent us photos during the Creighton Pink Out basketball game holding a sign with Chris’s name. I could go on and on. These were all signs of God’s mercy sent to us when we felt like our prayers were falling short. That is what intercessory prayers can do.
It has been over a year since Chris’s diagnosis, and we have had many ups and downs with his health. We’ve also had personal struggles with a basement flood and the death of a parent. Life keeps moving forward. Our faith has never been stronger. Your prayers of comfort and healing surround us. The future isn’t as scary as it once was; we know God hasn’t forgotten us, and he gives unlimited chances. Days to weeks have become many months of joy, laughter, time with family and friends, and togetherness. Each prayer, text, and card signify God’s love for us. Every moment is precious.
A dear friend sent me this message that I hold close: “Better to live and love daily than contemplate the end, which is just the beginning.” Your prayers help “us” do that every day.
With gratitude and love,
Cathy & Chris Beeler