Sandy Hook Elementary School disaster

A Blog on the Sandy Hook Elementary School disaster

The Catholic Church this weekend is celebrating what is called Gaudate or Rejoice weekend. In looking at the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I’m not very joyful at all. Just imagining the scene with the pain, suffering and the deep losses puts me in another mode with Christmas around the corner. And it seems that the first question that comes out of people’s mouths is ‘Why’; why did God allow this to happen? Why, when we hear the cries of the little ones repeated, ‘I don’t want to die; I just want to have Christmas.’
As I look back on my life I see that God just doesn’t seem to answer ‘why’ questions. He asks ‘what’ questions: What do you believe? What do you need from Me? What do you want Me to do for you? Do you trust Me? And my trust is shaken. On the God side, God has enveloped each precious one who died in His loving arms in heaven where there is no more pain; no more suffering…just love with God forever. I know this but I am still confused.

And I have trouble with why questions myself: why did I fly off the handle; why did I get mad; why do I want to get even; why am I the one that is stepped on? In reflecting on these I see that somehow there is always a failure to love: either, ‘I’m not being loved’; or ‘I’m not loving’; and just about always, ‘I’m just thinking just of me.’

And God loves me…and God loves each person…all the time and He sent His Son to show that love...and He died in a horrific way too. His death showed God’s love. And I continue to struggle in loving and am constantly learning love. And God is patient, persistent and loving. I must continually get out of myself and love; this is probably one of the most important lessons I have learned from the many ‘Christmases’ of my life.

What am I do when I see people so desperately suffering and in need? Definitely pray. The people asked John the Baptist this question and he said to give and share and be conscious to others. Paul told his readers ‘to rejoice in the Lord always’ and then says, “Everyone should see how unselfish you are.” When I am in touch with how God loves me, I open myself to loving those God loves, which is everyone.

I love the story Mother Teresa tells, “One night a man came to our house and told me, ‘There is a family with eight children. They have not eaten for days.’ I took some food with me and went. When I came to that family, I saw the faces of those little children disfigured by hunger. There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger. I gave the rice to the mother. She divided the rice in two and went out, carrying half the rice. When she came back, I asked her, ‘where did you go?’ She gave me this simple answer, ‘To my neighbors; they are hungry also!’ I was not surprised that she gave…poor people are really very generous. I was surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are suffering, we are so focused on ourselves; we have no time for others.”

I take a few moments and ask for the grace to be focused on the gifts God has blessed me with and my need to love as God loves; that will get me in touch with the peace and love of God.
And then I reflect on:

• Are there times when Christianity seems inconvenient? Why? Do I give in to the dictates of what the world wants me to do?
  

• Do I really understand the true value of the gift that I have been given this Christmas season, the gift of God Himself each moment of each day?
  

• How important is my faith in my life at this tragic time?
  

• What will be uppermost in my heart these next days and on Christmas itself? Does this involve that I am to be more active in my loving? Shouldn’t I do this each day?
  

• Share the wonderful gift of Jesus…Lord help me with this!