Dear Fr. Paul McDonnell, O.S.J. and the Provincial Council of the Oblates of St Joseph:
What a joy it is to present my Lay Associate application to you on this most Blessed Feast Day of St. Joseph Marello! Why would a wife and mother of three, one who seemingly has everything the world could offer, want to dedicate themselves and serve in an additional role? The simple answer is that I’m keenly aware of my need for God. The one thing that I can claim as uniquely my own is my brokenness and vulnerability. My weaknesses are a snapshot of the larger trends of what is imperfect in our world. The providential combination of healing graces received from God through the OSJ, along with a servant’s disposition, childlike trust, simple faith and hope,
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The suffering endured as a young child taught me to run to God for safety, reassurance, and balance. As a young mother, moved by my awareness of the sacredness of life and birth, and desire to protect our children’s entrance into this life, I chose to give birth in the intimacy, warmth, and peace of our own home. I share this in the hope that you will understand my childlike trust in God’s Fatherly protection. In the act of giving birth at home, I brought my pain, vulnerability, fear, and joy, to Jesus at the foot of the Cross. The decision of not paying heed to mainstream choices and conventional wisdom regarding childbirth was rooted in a complete and utter Trust in God, not the world, for guidance. Listening to God, amidst fears, and responding to Him authentically is key to who I am; I simply cannot do something where I’m out of alignment with God’s Will. The agony is …show more content…
When our son Andrew was a baby, an accident changed us. I was home alone with our sweet baby boy and our two young daughters. While I was in the kitchen, unbeknownst to me, our Andrew fell into a bathtub of hot water. I sensed an urgent tap on my shoulder and ran in haste to check on him. By the time I reached him, he was underwater, not breathing. I desperately pulled him out of the bath. With my blue, swollen, lifeless baby in my arms, I looked into the image of Divine Mercy hanging above our bathtub -- the blood and water flowing forth from Jesus -- and put my complete trust in Him. In a bargain with God (I now know that He doesn’t work this way), I implored, “God, if you save my baby, I will give my entire life to you and I pray that my son - my sweet boy - will do the same!” It was in that exact room that Andrew had been born underwater- just a few, short months earlier. I was facing the possibility of losing my precious boy….in that same place, where in such joy and trust, he came into this world. After my cry out to Our God, I began CPR on him and did so with faith for 25 minutes while awaiting the arrival of the ambulance. All the while…I attempted to console our frightened young daughters. After 30 minutes, just as the paramedics entered through the doorway of our home, Andrew began breathing on his own. Thanks be to God!
Earlier in my life, I thought I had to work my way to heaven. Outside of my awareness, without knowing it, I made myself into a factory
In kilner’s case study “Having a baby the new-fashioned way”, present a story that can be relatable to a lot of families struggling to have a child. This is a dilemma that can be controversial and ethical in own sense. The couple that were discussed in the case study were Betty and Tom. Betty and Tom who are both in their early forties who have struggled to bear children. Dr. Ralph Linstra from Liberty University believes that “Fertility can be taken for granted”. Dr. Ralph talks about how many couples who are marriage may run into an issue of bearing a child and turn to “medical science” to fix the issue. He discusses that “God is author of life and he can open and close the womb”. That in it’s self presents how powerful God.
As I continued to chat with my pastor that day, I really sensed the hurt in his eyes – the anger that comes from an unsolvable injustice, the tiredness of a problem. “What’s wrong?” I finally asked, “Having a bad day?” Sensing that I was truly concerned, he let the truth be told. “I talked with a woman today whose baby died suddenly of unknown causes. As we worked through her grief, she talked about how numerous friends and family, even a religious leader had patted her on the back, shook their heads and said, ‘It was God’s will.’ I find few things worse to say to a grieving parent. Saying nothing at all would be of more help.” It was obvious from our conversation that he had an understanding greater than I about God’s will, and his insight created in me a curiosity and desire to learn more.
The event of childbirth is one that changes a person’s life. Women dream all their lives of holding their newborn child and raising them to be fine young men and women. Couples try, sometimes through many long and time-consuming methods, to conceive a child. And when that little bundle of life is born, nothing in the world is as wonderful.
Jesus is Lord because he reunites all creation to God, but Jesus accomplished this mighty task by coming to be with us in our brokenness.16 I visited a woman in intensive care repeatedly over the entire summer. She had a chronic and likely terminal lung disease, and during every visit she would yell, plead, and bargain with God for healing. On one visit, I ask...
As I was taking care of a crying distressed baby in the NICU during my third year of my medical school, I wanted to do everything possible in my power to help that little soul. He was diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. As the time passed, helping just the baby for his present condition did not seem enough to me. A week later,I followed up on the mom who had been struggling with heroin addiction for years. She broke down in tears and told me how guilty, she feels about the health of her baby. As we talked more, she told me how she tried her best to give everything up for her child’s sake. She had a troubled childhood and wanted to do as much as she could to give her baby a good and healthy life. While I was consoling her, I counseled her and gave her all the resources available in the hospital and the community to help her make a full recovery. Over the coming months as I followed up on her recovery, I witnessed the strength of human determination. For me, it was starting, to think of health in terms beyond physical illnesses. I became fascinated with
The version of childbirth that we’re used to is propagated by television and movies. A woman, huge with child, is rushed to the hospital when her water breaks. She is ushered into a delivery room and her husband hovers helplessly as nurses hook her up to IVs and monitors. The woman writhes in pain and demands relief from the painful contractions. Narcotic drugs are administered through her IV to dull the pain, or an epidural is inserted into the woman’s spine so that she cannot feel anything below her waist. When the baby is ready to be born, the doctor arrives dressed in surgical garb. The husband, nurses and doctor become a cheerleading squad, urging the woman to, “Push!” Moments later, a pink, screaming newborn is lifted up for the world to see. Variations on this theme include the cesarean section, where the woman is wheeled to the operating room where her doctors remove the baby through an incision in her abdomen.
We were trying for a child and I continually had to thank God for his goodness. There was a period of 18 months trying for a child, and I almost gave up, but yet I choose to get up every morning and thank God for my child who was not yet conceived. I continued to worship God through all disciplines the best that I could. On the 19th April this year I gave birth to a healthy beautiful baby girl.
Childbirth and pregnancy are concepts as old as time. For as long as humans existed women have been bearing children naturally and only recently has modern medicine become intertwined with the birthing process. This recent coming together of medicine and childbirth is called medicalization. The medicalization of childbirth was born in the 17th C, and by the 20th C the majority of births had become medicalize (Wilson, 1995). Today, many have questioned the medicalization of childbirth and whether or not it has done more harm or good to this once completely natural process. Two articles “Medicalization, Natural Childbirth and Birthing Experiences” by Sarah Brubaker and Heather Dillaway, and “Revisiting the Critique of Medicalized Childbirth”
It was a 24/7 hour job caring for kids ages six through fourteen who were battered and bruised from their past. God broke me so many times this summer, but each time He broke me, He gave me something in return. One night I wearily led the girls back to our Sassafras cabin. “Okay ladies, let’s say a quick prayer before we go to bed.” My body begged me to let it lay down on my bunk bed, no matter how lumpy. The day had been filled with disrespect and I was ready for it to be over. We were nearly through prayers, when one of the girls said shakily, “My grandma died” and wailed uncontrollably. “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” Several counselors came in to assist me in calming her down, but after they left, she whimpered, “I’m not going to be able to sleep”. I sat down gently on her fleece blanket and wrapped her up in my arms. “Amira, I will stay up with you all night if you want me to. We can sit on that chair together if you want. I won’t leave you.” As I sat on the woven beach chair in the black stillness of the night God spoke to my heart, This is exactly where I want you to be. A wave of peace settled over me, and at that moment I knew, God would fulfill the desires of my
...o someone sick laying in bed and it makes me fell sad. After seen a couple of patients and they were sharing they sorrow with me, I thank Jesus to let me share in the sick the sorrows and pain that he suffer for us on the Cross. In one occasion I was about to start a meeting with my spiritual director, I said to the Holy Spirit to help to se his presence o what he want to say to me in that meeting and indeed I really feel the his presence there.
In February of my eighth grade year, a dear friend of mine passed away in a tragic car accident. He was the first friend I made in youth group and his death definitely took a toll on the church. Shortly after, my father stepped down from his position as pastor, claiming to be mentally unstable to lead a church. A few weeks later my mother served him with divorce papers. Within a matter of months, life changed drastically. I had experienced the loss of a friend and the loss of a complete family and was left with brokenness. When I should have been angry at God the most, he showed me how faithful he was. Jesus was my only hope and stability during this time. Instead of running away from him, he drew me unto himself and gave me joy. Jesus ...
It was the happiest feeling that I have ever felt in my life, and as time came near for me to have my son the feeling became greater and greater. When I heard one of the nurses saying “Were ready, she’s now nine centimeters”, I began to get very anxious and excited at the same time. Although I was beginning to get happy I was still in disbelief as all of it was happening. I see the nurses preparing themselves. I just said to myself, “oh yeah its happening alright”. I was about to become a mother which was so unreal to me and nerve racking because I had no idea how to love or be mother. My heart became full of so many emotions, however the thought that dominated my mind was that I had to be the best mother I can be so my son could grow up and be the man he was destined to
I remembered one night getting on my knees and asking God to send me a child that will love me unconditionally and that I will love it and that know one could ever take the love that we both shared away. I also, remembered telling God that I would love this child forever, you know God granted me my wish it was on a Thursday evening on August 16, 1979 at 4:20 P.M. that my little angel was born she was a sweet little angel. She was very special my family, she was the first granddaughter, great-granddaughter and the first niece and her father’s first of his two children to witness coming to this world. I remember when she was just a week old I laid her down on her stomach in my bed, she tried to crawl. La Shundra, was very happy and loved baby, she was so special she touch the hearts of everyone that came to know her even when, she was at her worst until the day she died.
When I was at the age of seven, I found out that my Grandmother, from my dads sisde of the family was very ill, her kidneys gave out, and she needed a transplant. I remember that day very vividly, i remember walking into the hospital room where she was placed at the time, and a sort of silence with a mixture of darkness in the room. We entered and the Doctor had told my family and I that there was no kidney transplant available for my Grandmother. It was a shock to my family and me. Everyone knew if there wasn't a transplant that she wouldn't make it. Yet my family did not loose faith, they kept on praying and praying just so that she wouldn't die. The next day my father recieved a call, and that call changed the way I felt about my religion and God. The doctor had told my father that my uncle that has been living in another country for over the past twelve years was going to donate one of his kidneys to his mother. I could not believe it but this event, and experience changed the truth.
The miracle of life is something most of us will experience in our lifetime. The process before actually giving birth, I think is the hardest part of the entire scenario of child bearing. This amazing experience is something that can make the individuals who are involved in the process change in so many ways. The process of giving birth, for those of you who have not experienced or will never experience it, can be very hard, long and rewarding all at the same time. To give a better description, think of eating a fireball. At first the fireball is tame and calm, but just when you least expect it the fireball becomes hot. Then, when the hot sensation becomes too much, the sweet flavor of the fireball breaks through.