Thursday, July 23
This post was provided by Lydia Regan-Chuckwudebe
A note from Fr. Desmond Drummer:
Lydia Regan-Chuckwudebe's blog post is a testimony and a reminder about the seriousness of suicide and our role to advocate for and support our neighbors. Many of us know people who have taken their own lives. They are our friends, coworkers, and members of our families. In times past, the Catholic Church used condemnatory language when referring to the experience of suicide. This language made the pain of loss so much worse for people who suffered the suicide of a loved one. I deeply lament the pain caused by the Catholic Church in this regard. Thankfully, the Catholic Church has developed its response to suicide and now focuses on the mercy of God:
"We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2283).
If you've lost a loved one or friend to suicide, commend them to God's tender mercy -- God understands them; God does not condemn them. The Catholic Church continues to evolve over time. In changing its understanding of suicide, the Catholic Church caught up to where God has been all along.
If you are thinking about suicide, there is hope. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1.800.273.8255
If you know someone who has mentioned to you that they are thinking about suicide, believe them and advocate for their life by connecting them to help.
If you are worried about someone's wellbeing, reach out.
Learn more about suicide prevention at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.
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by Lydia Regan-Chukwudebe
Below is a post I just made on Facebook [last week]. I just want to remind everyone to PLEASE never hesitate to help someone you believe is thinking about ending his/her life. Sometimes, as you already know, the smallest gesture will help!
Please Trust your Gut, that Inner Voice or Feeling that Won’t Go Away, God’s Voice Whispering in your Ear, His Words Tugging at your Heart....
Late Last Night around 1:30 in the Morning, I was reading a Poem posted in a Poetry Group I’m a member of. The poem was so Sad, so Gloomy, so Hopeless, so Morbid, so Full of Despair. It detailed a Horrible Life filled with Bad Choices, Bad Results and being Damned to Hell, and it was titled “Final Words.” I immediately thought, “This guy is going to kill himself!” And I wanted to call him or rush to his house, but I couldn’t; I do not know him personally. So, I panicked and then, I remembered my Grandmother’s words, “LiLi, Where there is Life, there is Hope. Please choose Life.” So, I sent him her words, along with the National SUICIDE Prevention Hotline Number, and I contacted Facebook, and I prayed for him. A few minutes ago, I saw that others in the Poetry Group also reached out to him this morning, and his response was, “I've been better. Came very close to killing myself last night.” Oh My God! Praise God he Did Not! Praise God!