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DAY NINE:
January 24, 2016
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Intercession
May
we see and live the truth that every life is a good and perfect gift, and that
our lives—all our lives—are worth living.
Prayers
Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory
Be
Reflection
Our culture is obsessed with perfection—a superficial perfection.
Photos are airbrushed, and social media sites depict seemingly perfect lives.
God calls us to seek perfection, too. He does not call us, however, to
perfection of appearance or abilities, but to perfection in love.
In “A Perfect Gift,” one parent shares about the experience
of raising a child with Down syndrome, contrasting it with what onlookers might
perceive: “It’s like looking at a stained-glass window from the outside: The
colors look dark, and you can’t quite make out the figures. From the inside,
however, with the sun shining through it, the effect can be brilliant. From
inside our family, love illuminates our life with Charlie.* What may seem
dreary to others, perhaps even unbearable, is actually filled with beauty and
color.” May each of us experience the power of God’s transforming love, that
our eyes may be opened to the incredible beauty of the people the Lord places in
our lives.
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Acts of Reparation (choose one)
- Say
a prayer for your parish priest. Without our priests, we
could not have the Mass or the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Pray
for your deceased relatives and those who have no one to pray for them.
- Spend
quality time with a family member or friend; offer to help them with something
with which they need assistance.
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Charlie’s
mother shares in “A Perfect Gift” that when people say, “I could
never handle a child with a disability,” she explains to them, “[Y]ou aren’t
given a child
with a disability. You are given your
child with a disability. …You are not called to ‘handle’ a
disability. You are called to love a particular person, and caring for him or
her grows out of that love. …Our [family’s] hearts…have become larger [by caring for Charlie].”
She
also talks about the “secret” that is the fundamental truth of our existence,
which she and other parents of children with Down syndrome share.
Find out what it is in "A Perfect Gift."
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"In
some cases, a prenatal diagnosis may indicate that [a] baby is expected
to die before or shortly after birth. As parents face the heart-rending
knowledge that their hello may also be their goodbye, those around them may wonder how to provide the best support."
This article contains suggestions for providing loving support in such situations and is also available to order as a pamphlet.
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