Bearers of Hope
Day 24 : Tuesday, week 4
The Power of Memory
Mindful that birth is always painful we see the importance of remembering our own pain-filled experiences, those moments that seemed like death which in the end erupted into new life. Were we to be a supportive presence to others in their personal crises whatever they were, remembering how we can and could go from deep joy to almost despair in a heartbeat; how light and darkness played out in our own lives, how we have loved and how we have lost love was essential.
Remembering brings to light how often someone has been there for us, never imposing a solution, yet offering their support in times of transition, even in sickness. These are the people who wait patiently for our healing, or for our discovery of new life. Often these people help us to remember the ways we experienced God’s presence in the past and encourage us to hold on to that memory, that God will never abandon us now (Heb 10:23; Is 49:15, Ps 139).
A midwife helps a mother breathe through the pain she experiences in giving birth to her child, to focus her energy, to be patient since anything worthwhile is worth waiting for. As we have been helped to breathe deeply, encouraged to be patient on the journey, so too, will we be there for others.
Memory grounds hope. Hope is the courage to commit ourselves in thought and deed to the incomprehensible and the uncontrollable which permeates our existence. Hope nurtures and sustains us now. (Karl Rahner, The Practice of Faith, p. 260)
Reflection
Can a mother forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child? Even if these may forget, I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you on the palm of my hands (Isaiah 49:15-16).
- Can I trust this promise of God in Isaiah 49:15-16 and be present to those close to me who suffer?
Paul invites us to be a compassionate presence (2Cor 1:2-4).
Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our afflictions, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction.
- Am I able to experience this as a reality in my life?
Reflecting on my past experience, how does remembering joys and sufferings experienced, people who were there for me during good and difficult times, nurture hope in me to day?
Prayer
Song of Quiet Trust
O LORD, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high.
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvellous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.
O Israel, hope in the LORD
from this time on and for evermore (Psalm 131).
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