God’s Love for us, a cure for people who feel alone
A reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS
Many people are alone and cannot cope with that. Especially those who are handicapped. I am thinking of a lady with whom I have been corresponding daily for a few years who has family but they never visit her. She is alone and has trouble coping with it. Of course, I’ve told her that she is never alone because God loves her dearly, and she is a Secular Franciscan like me. Maybe because of that, I encourage her to email or text me. The only way I can help is really through prayer.
Looking for guidance in Scriptures, I found Psalm 34:17-20 (RSVCE): "When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken."
According to the above Scripture, 'crying for help' is to pray for relief - not just for oneself, but for all who ask for prayer. When we do this, the Lord hears. He is always with us and saves those who are feeling isolated, sick, brokenhearted in spirit. "He (Jesus) keeps all his bones; none of them is broken" - that's important - that tells me that as long as I keep being loyal to Jesus, the isolation will be healed. And it always does go away after a time, a time of prayer and suffering, which eventually leads to joy.
Prayer and Suffering is not just a Lenten exercise. It happens all year long. I'll have to admit that I feel it more now that I am in my eighties than I did 20, 30 or 40 years ago. It doesn't help that we're reminded of suffering almost every day. Some people are suffering mentally, and others both in body and in spirit. We continue to pray for each other, especially those most in need of relief from feeling "down." The Lord knows who needs lots of help, or who needs just a little help. Ask Him for help and He will make you well.
The Scriptures of St. John is filled with examples of God’s love for us. “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 Jn 1-3 RSVCE)
We may be alone, but God (the Father, the Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit), are with us and love us deeply.
The Blessing of St. Francis:
"May the Lord bless you and keep you;
May He show His face to you and have mercy on you;
May he turn His countenance to you and give you peace.
May the Lord bless you."
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
August 23, 2023