Inspired by Scholastica

As we grow older many of us experience weakness or pain in various parts of our bodies. We slow down and often have memory lapses and sight/hearing losses. We may joke about our age-related difficulties but they are no laughing matter. We don't like to admit some of our problems because it makes us look deficient. If we forget someone's name, we try to cover it up. If we miss what someone says, we nod and pretend we heard it. If we need larger print to read, we are reluctant to ask for it. We want to appear "with it" and not needing additional help. We want to keep up appearances as long as possible. We have to realize that needing assistance is not the end of the world. It gives younger people a chance to be helpful and know that others depend on them to some extent. Sometimes disabilities are not visible, but just as real. It is good remind ourselves that everyone is doing the best they can with the limitations they have. Some of us can make light of our aches

Around this time of year there are many occasions for family gatherings. The holidays often bring families together to celebrate with elaborate dinners. When members are in loving relationships this is fine, but what if they aren't? What if Aunt Betty doesn't get along with cousin Flo? What if Uncle Tom always argues with sister Mona?  What if brother Jim is uncomfortable with sister Kit's second husband?  Unfortunately, families aren't as perfect as they are in Family Circle. Families need to set some ground rules for conversations. First of all, avoid discussions of politics and religion. These tend to be heated and no-win situations. Second, be positive and affirming of each person. After all, most people are doing the best they can with the limitations and backgrounds they have. Some are dealing with sickness of mind or body and others may be caring for an elderly relative or a special needs child. Third, relate some funny family stories or tell a few jokes

"God is always a surprise. You never know how or where you will find him. You are not setting the time and the place of your encounter with him. You must therefore discern the encounter."                                                                          -Pope Francis I'm sure that the election of a progressive Jesuit cardinal from Argentina was not the expected choice of a successor to Pope St. John Paul II. The election of Donald Trump as president was a surprise to many also. Sometimes we are not happy with the surprise, but we must discern the message. We expect to find God in prayer, in the chapel, in the cemetery, in the cathedral, yet he is often more present in simple ordinary places and times. God comes in very unexpected people: in the homeless veteran on the street, in the young girl whose mother just died, in the weary bus driver on his last run, in the old woman lonely and afraid, in the prisoner on death row. God comes

What do you do when    you hear that  your grandmother has been in a car accident and there is little hope of recovery?    Or your 94-year-old father who has dementia    has fallen and broken his hip?    Or your Aunt Matilda has stage 4 ovarian cancer that has spread?    How do families make decisions in these kinds of situations?   To support caregivers faced with life and death decisions, Reverend Jamie Haith designed a five-part series called the Hope Initiative that covers love, hope, peace, joy, and faith. It has a Christian focus, but is relevant to people of all faiths. They need to focus on the last chapter of the person’s life and know that God is there to bring peace.   According to Mona Hanford, an end-of-life activist and teacher, “having God in our lives and having spiritual lifelines that attach us to God’s care are so important, because otherwise we are left with the grim reality of looking at the furnace or the dirt.” Often families feel they have to do ev