The Walls are Broken Down and I am on my Knees

It's been a hard week.  By the time yesterday rolled around, I was ready to hold up a white flag.  As I worked on lesson plans, Finnian scattered flour all over the kitchen, the dining room, the hallway, and some of his siblings.  No one said a thing.  I knew something was wrong, when I said, "What is going on?"  The only response I received was the sound of a certain two-year-old's feet scampering away.  I spent a couple of hours vacuuming and cleaning the floors.

My husband knew that it had been a difficult week and joked with me, "Your walls are broken down.  You have no defenses left and they know it...  I can bring in the big guns if you want."  I let him know the walls were not completely gone.  I went to bed feeling optimistic, knowing that things could only get better.  Then, today dawned.

This morning left me reeling and feeling completely sick to my stomach.  Someone sent an email, letting me know that they were planning on jumping off a moral cliff.  I responded out of love and let the person know that I could not support them in their decision.  I received an eloquent email from someone else basically saying that I had no right to judge, only God can do so.  I wanted to ask, "If someone were about to jump off of a cliff, would you let him do so or would you advise him against it?"  My husband encouraged me to simply remain quiet.  I am doing so and I am reminding myself of my mom's words, "God knows the truth and that is all that matters."  The walls are broken down and I am on my knees, but I know that tomorrow is another day and I will take up my cross.

...After Cain had killed his brother Abel, our Lord came to him and inquired concerning the whereabouts of Abel. Cain replied: “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9).

6. Christ has supplied the definitive answer to Cain’s question in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and ultimately, on Calvary, by giving Himself up to death for the salvation of the world (John 3:14-15; and 12:31-33). Yes, we are our “brother’s keeper.” We are responsible for the good of all our brothers and sisters in our nation and in the world, without boundaries. The Good Samaritan gave every possible care to the foreigner, a citizen of an enemy people, whom robbers had left along the roadside to die. His fellow countrymen, indeed religious leaders, saw him and “passed by on the other side” of the road, avoiding him and failing to help him. As followers of Christ, who is the Good Samaritan, we can never excuse ourselves from responsibility when there is something to be done to save the life of a brother or sister in great need. We are called to be “Christians Without Borders,” without boundaries to our love of neighbor.

~ Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke, D.D., J.C.D., Civic Responsibility for the Common Good ~