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Each month, Pope Francis chooses one specific intention, which he asks the Church to remember in prayer. Throughout 2021, Francis has chosen a variety of intentions including violence against women, environmental sustainability, social friendships and the fundamental rights of all human beings.
This month, Francis has asked that the Church keep in the heart of our prayer those who live and move through life experiencing depression and burn-out. It comes at such an appropriate time, I think - when the beautiful colors of fall give way to the blustery, dark days of the winter transition.
For many of us, these days leading up to Thanksgiving and, soon, Christmas break, are cause for excitement and the warm embrace of family and friends - but that is not the reality for all of us.
For good or ill, every transition into winter functions like a kind of time machine, taking us back to every other winter we have spent on this earth. For some, it is a reminder of the way life used to be, back when we lived with our families, and cinnamon rolls, roasted turkey and warm cider filled our senses.
For others, this time of year is a reminder of the way life should have been but never really was - those who have looked all their lives through other people’s windows and at other people’s families, always peering in but never an insider.
Mix this time of year with the reality of those who live and move through life with depression, whether that be seasonal or always, and this time of year can be difficult, sad and lonely. So it is good that we, as a St. Ambrose community, are called to hold in our hearts and in our prayers the people we know and the people we do not, who are affected by depression.
“Sadness, apathy, and spiritual tiredness can end up dominating people’s lives,” Pope Francis shared at the beginning of this month referring to “people who are overloaded due to the rhythm of life today.” As we spend time offering our prayers for our brothers and sisters who find themselves in this reality, might we also be encouraged to reach out and offer our own hearts and our own love. “Often,” Francis added, “we should just simply listen in silence because we cannot go and tell someone, ‘No, life’s not like that. Listen to me, I’ll give you the solution.’”
In the midst of our shared human experience, we can offer a simple, quiet reminder that no one is alone, that there is room at our tables for everyone.
If it is you, who finds yourself in the midst of depression or burn-out or loneliness, please know you have a community of people here at Saint Ambrose that hold you so closely to our hearts. And however far from home you are this time of year, however less than ideal your circumstances might seem right now, you are not alone. You are not. You are seen. You are heard. You are loved. And we will hold the astonishing light of your own being for you when you cannot.
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In 2009, when my husband Larry died at the age of 47, I felt like a piece of my heart was missing. We had been married for 22 years and had four children. I missed his smile, his voice, his touch, his laughter, his help, his hugs and kisses, his companionship, his care, his advice and his physical presence. Although he was no longer sitting physically next to me at Sunday Mass, it was there that I felt his presence most. During Mass, I experience God’s love expressed through Jesus’ death and resurrection and in the faith community, living and dead, gathered to worship and pray. I hear again and again God’s promise of eternal life and look forward to being reunited with my deceased family members and friends.
We all have special people that have gone before us, who have loved us into being. People who cared about us and wanted what was best for us - people who taught us how to love and be loved.
Throughout the month of November, the Catholic Church encourages us to remember, honor and pray for our deceased friends and family members. In Christ the King Chapel, we have displayed the names of St. Ambrose Alumni, who passed away this past year and invite the St Ambrose community to record the names of deceased loved ones on prayer cards and place them in the basket at the foot of the altar. By remembering and praying together as a St. Ambrose family, we celebrate not only the love we share but also find healing in the promise of eternal life.
