I'm going to talk about a very touchy subject in today's reflection: suicide. The reason is that we see a man about to commit suicide in our first reading from Acts 16.
Paul and Silas were in prison when a severe earthquake shook the jail and opened the doors of the prisoners. Paul and Silas' jailer thought the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul stopped him, letting him know they (the prisoners) were still there. So the man took Paul and Silas to his home, came to faith in Christ and he and his whole family were baptized. So if you think about it, this man was saved twice in one day. First when he was prevented from committing suicide, and again when he was baptized! (At least, this is when the process of his salvation was begun.)
Suicide has touched so many today. During the COVID era it was one of the leading killers of young people. It is epidemic among veterans. I would never be so dumb as to pretend there is an easy answer to this problem. But I believe faith in God goes a long way to preventing suicide. Faith in God gives us hope. (And I'm not saying that no one with faith has ever committed suicide. Of course they have.) Loss of hope is often a precursor to suicide. So strengthen your faith, and the faith of those you love. God has a plan for every life until He calls them home on his schedule.
Father, we pray for all those who have lost hope, and those considering taking their own lives. Give us greater faith, that our hope in the eternal will never fade. Amen.
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Alexander, I hope and pray that you are correct!🙏
I listened to today’s show and was struck as to the words the S.F. Examiner took against the Archbishop. To me they sounded like words used by the Pharisees in Jesus’s time. Archbishop Cordileone is brave, true and compassionate and the Examiner may have actually hurt their position because Christians and Catholics are being awakened by these events and coming together more and bringing others with them.