Sunday, September 14, 2014

The Cross

On the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross

We found out last night, on Baby Leopard's one-week birthday, that a dear friend of ours lost her baby in childbirth. I read the email with my son in my arms, and I don't think I've ever reacted so immediately and so strongly to an email or to a death--I couldn't breath and couldn't keep myself from crying. And I wouldn't let Francisco take the baby.

This sad news came in the midst of feeling overwhelmed myself, wondering what I'd gotten myself into with this baby, and wondering how I was going to make it through his infancy, not to mention the rest of his childhood. It made me realize that our baby is a gift, to which the only right response ever, even during the really hard parts, is thankfulness.

My friend went through the troubles of pregnancy, of labor, and even of an emergency C-section before losing her daughter. I can't think of any more difficult cross to bear. At mass today, which was offered for our friend's baby, the priest spoke about the cross--that Christ promises us neither health nor wealth nor success, but only that He will accompany us through our sufferings.

Please pray for our friends in their grief and for the repose of their daughter's soul.

1 comment:

hopkins said...

thank you for this!