Euthanasia, Not The Only Option

 

1 Corinthians 10:13  New American Bible (Revised Edition)

This verse clearly states that God will give you as much as you can take.  So why do people choose euthanasia? We all have an assigned time to be born and a time to die. When we take that role away from the Creator, we are destined to be held accountable for our own actions. I can only speak for myself but, if you are truly serving God, you would understand the big picture of life. It’s not complicated  because we are to be witnesses to the rest of the world as to how we manage difficult situations like facing death. You can either give up, or give it to God.

Ann

I have known this lady for several years, but due to COVID we both got busy with life. Ann always attended the same 6:15 a.m. Mass as me and we became friends. Once our church opened up for regular indoor services, the 6:15 a.m. Mass was no longer available. I knew that Ann was going to another parish, attending daily Mass and going to Adoration. I had no idea what my friend was about to encounter. In November she developed sepsis and, due to the severity of her condition, both of her legs were amputated. By the time I reached out to her, she was already at a rehab center learning to get in and out of the wheelchair and moving toward prosthesis. Ann wants the freedom to attend daily Mass once again.

Kathy

Kathy is another lady about my age who attends daily Mass. About a month ago I noticed that she was wearing an unusual hair covering, so I started to pray for her. On Friday after Mass, I approached Kathy and told her I was praying for her. She shared with me that she was suffering from ovarian cancer and had to go through one more round of chemotherapy before her surgery. Her optimistic demeanor was written all over her smile. Kathy is the one person who is always filled with the joy of the Lord.  She exudes instant forgiveness in her everyday mannerisms, and everyone who knows her loves her. She is in total dependence on the Lord for her healing, and she is in my daily prayers.

Carol

Carol was a powerful woman in God. She was my dear friend and helped me interpret difficult dreams. Her cancer was slow and excruciatingly painful; she had an aggressive type of metastatic breast cancer that spread to several places in her body. Carol never, ever gave up the fight; instead she offered up her suffering for others. She died a beautiful, peaceful death.

Jamie

A year-and-a-half ago, Jamie contacted me via Facebook. She was a distant relative of ours.  Other than what she shared on her social media, I knew very little about her. She was highly regarded as a mover and shaker in the public schools. Educating and mentoring students was a gift that she graciously shared with others. She was suffering from pancreatic cancer and, as her health was declining, she continued to post thought-provoking information about life. None of her posts mentioned God. I do not want to be misunderstood about Jamie because I am not her judge; only God is. She kept her communication open to us and we were planning a trip to visit her right before Christmas, but with her health concerns it was not possible. She spent the holidays in the hospital, attempting to manage her pain. Last week she posted what were to be her last public words. She stated that she could no longer fight, thanking her family, friends, colleagues and students. This alarming post was troubling because it left me with so many questions. When we reached out to her she texted back that she had decided to take end-of-life drugs on Wednesday of the same week. I quickly made phone calls to several prayer warriors,  and we started praying for her. I prayed that she would experience the presence of our Lord. I prayed that He would take her home naturally, and I prayed that she would be at peace.

Why did she take this extreme measure? Pancreatic cancer is known as the cancer that causes the highest degree of pain. Pain invades your cognitive thinking and can control your emotions. It seems that Jamie was desperate and gave in to her pain. We serve a merciful God Who knows the hearts of all mankind. To those who cannot bear the crosses God gives us, they, for whatever reason, take control of their personal situations. As Catholics we are taught that end-of-life drugs are forbidden because they are used to assist in euthanasia.

I took the time to read many of Jamie’s responses on Facebook. She was loved and made a huge impact on her colleagues and students. Mays she rest in eternal peace.

Euthanasia

We do not know the hour of our death. That is why we trust God with all of our trials. My friend Ann accepted her fate. She said that while she was in the hospital praying, she did not complain to God; instead she prayed, “I surrender my life to you.” She experienced an inward locution speaking to her and saying, “I gave you the mountain, now climb it.” Ann did not ask for this horrendous trial, but she is withstanding it with the grace of God.

Dear Lord, I pray for an end to euthanasia and for those who are gravely suffering from incurable diseases. Lord, give them the full knowledge of what they will experience in Your Kingdom. I pray for Ann to adjust to her new life and that she would soon be able to return to daily Mass. I lift up Kathy, Lord. Please heal these precious women. Lastly I lift up Jamie. She was Your daughter and her life had worth. I pray that her family will honor her with a beautiful service. Amen.