Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Lenten Retreat & Brain-dead Lawyer who came back to life

Dear All

I had not attended a retreat for about 2 or so years, so it was a lovely surprise that the PP held one. It was led by our beloved spiritual "director" Sr Jan @ their convent. It was held on 6 Mar (Wed) a day before our church's PRE. It was only a half day morning session. Though it was short, it was so refreshing!

The songs chosen by Pris were so apt and reflective. As it was Lent, we reflected on the Passion and we took a session from the Lenten booklet on the Prodigal Son.

Sr was so sweet. She gave each of us a memento from the orphans from Myanmar. The children made rosaries as well as the Lady of Sorrows rosaries for us :) As an ending prayer, Sr taught us how to recite the Lady of Sorrows rosary.

As I reflect on the 7 Sorrows, namely:

1) The Prophecy of Simeon
2) The Flight to Egypt
3) The Loss of Jesus in the Temple
4) The Meeting of Jesus & Mary on the Way to Calvary
5) Mary at the Foot of the Cross
6) Mary Receives the Body of Jesus
7) Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

I couldn't help recalling the tragic death of the 2 brothers at Tampines in Jan this year and the thug on my heart string as I believe all mothers would feel. The boys were school-going age and similar in age to my own kids. My children's tutor who miscarried really empathized with the dead boys' mum as she still mourns the lost of her own unborn child to this day. What more, she said, 2 sons who she had touched and talked to, real persons, who are suddenly gone.

 The above & below: Front cover of Lady of Sorrows, and back cover with the 7 Hail Mary rosary.

 Below: The little altar made by Sr Jan for our retreat.
As I also reflect on Mary's loss of Jesus at the foot of the cross, on her receipt of his dead body, and finally laying his body in the tomb, I can feel her great sorrow, if it was my own child who was dead. It's already so sad to see your love ones like our aged parents passed away, what's more piercing is our spouse and our own flesh and blood--our kids.

This is now Holy Week. A week of final preparation for the Passion of Christ. When I realise that it's my sins that held Jesus on the cross, not the nails, not the envious chief priests nor the Jews, I am moved by His and Our Lady greatest sacrifice, both their sorrows and sufferings for my sake. When I told my mum about the 7 Sorrows rosary when she was recovering from her day surgery 2 weeks ago, she was touched. Our sufferings are real, but our loving Mother and Jesus suffered as well and fully understand our sorrows in life.

When Easter arrives this year, we will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. We move from the depths of sorrow and hopelessness of the tomb to the joy and hope of the Risen Lord.

Coincidently, there was an article in the Straits Times on this lady lawyer, who was declared brain-dead & was sustained by machines for 3 days before she miraculously came back to life. During those trying 3 days, her husband was "bugged" by the doctors to switch off the machines and let her go as there was no hope of her recovering. The husband however felt that was never an option as switching off meant no more hope whereas he was clinging on to whatever little hope there was. The interesting part was during the brain-dead period where all brain activities are stopped, the wife said she was lying on a bed and couldn't move nor talk, and a man was standing over her. She instinctively felt he was not good and he offered to give her back speech and movement if she followed him. It was only when the man got angry that she refused to follow him and threatened to take her daughter's life that she mentioned the name of God, saying something like "you have no power over me, as I am a child of God" that she immediately awakened. It took her just 36 hours after her awakening to get back her full faculties including a stunning self repair of her damaged heart valve (she had a irreparable tear in her heart valve due to a heart attack) which under several MRI scans showed it closing up until the tear was gone!

The current Straits Times article had some sceptic doctors who questioned the battery of tests that were done and that she was actually in deep coma and not brain-dead. It's no wonder in the story of Lazarus and the rich man, God didn't send Lazarus, who was dead, back to warn the rich man's brothers that heaven and hell are real. They don't believe the prophets and teachers, would they believe if a miracle happened before them?

Below: The  Sunday Straits Times 24 Mar 2013 article.