tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post1924431398874801771..comments2024-03-17T22:48:00.427+08:00Comments on Reflections and Ruminations: Suicide and Christ’s ability to cross bolted barriers in lifeFr Luke Fonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03079016104331055895noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-14151703275444378692012-09-02T22:27:12.365+08:002012-09-02T22:27:12.365+08:00When the Church deems any act a Mortal Sin, it is ...When the Church deems any act a Mortal Sin, it is necessary that the person committing the act has full knowledge of the act and its consequences and on top of that, is completely free in carrying out the act. When these criteria are only partially fulfilled, the act is not a Mortal act, but its degree of severity will be noticeably lessened, though not altogether nullified or made void. This is good news to many people, especially those for whom the act has become a habit. When a habit is formed, one is less free than one should be. You yourself mentioned that you have no complete control over the act, and this would mean that your personal culpability is compromised. However, this does not mean that this is not a serious act that is detrimental to your physical (and spiritual) health. You may do well to look for a spiritual director coupled with repeated visits to a person who can help you medically. One should not be substituted nor mistaken for the other. Let the priest help you in the spiritual dimension of your problem, and the medical doctor, the physical. <br /><br />May God guide you in your journey towards recovery and healing.<br /><br />Fr LukeFr Luke Fonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03079016104331055895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-44749359634805878712012-09-02T12:25:08.493+08:002012-09-02T12:25:08.493+08:00hi Fr, chanced upon this post of yours and I would...hi Fr, chanced upon this post of yours and I would like to ask a question about self injury since it is rather linked to the topic of suicide. Is self mutilating one's own arms considered a mortal sin? It is of course known that our bodies are temples of Holy Spirit and we should not harm ourselves. However, very often, it is not something I can have complete control over and I've been stuck with this coping mechanism for a very long time. I went for confession recently but I'm still doing it and I feel bad, extremely guilty too. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-24363589597924148352012-07-14T14:14:48.543+08:002012-07-14T14:14:48.543+08:00Thank You Anonymous, for sharing with us the blog ...Thank You Anonymous, for sharing with us the blog by Fr Ron Rolheiser. Just to share another article by him which I came across in his archive, which brought me yet another enlightening perspective on this topic of sucide. Hoping it may help clarified any other misconceptions we may have. And hoping to bring some comfort too, in knowing that God's<br />understanding and compassion exceed our own.<br /><br />http://www.ronrolheiser.com/columnarchive/?id=160<br /><br />Thank You. God be with us always.Lauranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-68107047641629760962012-07-13T11:43:23.509+08:002012-07-13T11:43:23.509+08:00Thank you Marian for opening your heart and sharin...Thank you Marian for opening your heart and sharing it with us. May we draw strength from your story. I pray that we all are able to stay close to our Lord, especially during our dark hours.Nnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-45017654573146098822012-07-12T08:52:18.848+08:002012-07-12T08:52:18.848+08:00That's a beautiful sharing, Marian. Thank you....That's a beautiful sharing, Marian. Thank you. I believe we need to pray regularly for the broken-hearted - those whose lives have been torn apart by circumstances beyond their control (I'm thinking children whose parents divorced, among others).Robbie Jnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-72722754320203021822012-07-11T21:15:28.599+08:002012-07-11T21:15:28.599+08:00Dear Fr Luke
During my darkest days trying to rec...Dear Fr Luke<br /><br />During my darkest days trying to recover from a certain trial, suicide was an option I had considered before. It was very dark, and having personally walked that path to light, I can attest that it is not out of a desire to live outside of the Church's mind and heart. Rather it was many momentary losses of sight, not being able to see past the emotional pain, not being able to see any hope of arising from that pain, that constant wishing of not having to wake up each morning to that gnawing ache at the heart again. A friend said, it's really a desire for a death to that pain, not so much a desire for death itself. The road to recovery was slow, painful and many a time, regressive. There was no magic pill or antidote to recovery, one just had to cling onto God every single step of that rocky road, sometimes screaming and crying at Him in anger. And because He loved me so much, He let me. And this venting was what propelled the recovery process. There is no safeguard for a painless future, we will get hurt still, even after having cleared this hurdle. What I took away from this journey which took me almost 3 years to emerge entirely from, was truly, He never promised life would be easy or painfree, but He promised He would be with us every step of the way. <br /><br />My heart truly goes out to anyone who has or is contemplating suicide because I understand that despair that leads to such thoughts. I pray for you if you are going though such a journey, that you will come to know and love the Lord even more as He walks with you through this very dark period. Stay as close as you can with Him, because in seeing life though His eyes, you will learn to overcome what you are going through right now. <br /><br />God bless<br />MarianMarian Angnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-68172266396156637642012-07-11T16:10:09.512+08:002012-07-11T16:10:09.512+08:00Hi Fr Luke,
Thank you for this blog,let us pray fo...Hi Fr Luke,<br />Thank you for this blog,let us pray for all who are considering suicide thinking that's<br />the only way out of the misery they are going through.God is loving and merciful,and He is their Hope.And so we will entrust them to His care.God Bless.sicilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14823152002857436991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-24198339808707899002012-07-10T17:42:10.726+08:002012-07-10T17:42:10.726+08:00Thank you for your blog this week about suicide. Y...Thank you for your blog this week about suicide. You have given hope to the living on how to deal with a suicide of a loved ones(and I need to pause and thank the Church for dignifying the dead).<br /><br />Uncanny or what? Fr Ron Rolheiser also wrote about suicide (as opposed to killing oneself)this week. Reading both blogs assure me of God's immense mercy for the suicide victim. Reference http://www.ronrolheiser.com/ Misunderstandings of Suicide dd 8th July 2012.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-14669495527054674912012-07-10T08:22:02.074+08:002012-07-10T08:22:02.074+08:00Our God is almighty, powerful, kind and merciful. ...Our God is almighty, powerful, kind and merciful. If not for his sanctifying grace, theologically, it includes hope, love and charity, I do not think I will pick myself up so gracefully after a painful setback. It's my total trust and submission to him, surrendering to him that I gained this freedom.<br /><br />Peace be with you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7853204965986587589.post-55645407851467439852012-07-09T11:53:43.457+08:002012-07-09T11:53:43.457+08:00dear Fr Luke
just last week.. my friend son comm...dear Fr Luke <br /><br />just last week.. my friend son committed suicide by hanging.. and just yesterday.. a NTU undergrad apparently jumped from his flat after a nite out.. <br /><br />I dun know .. the reasons.. ehy?? wat's this a new trend.. .<br /><br />though there are 2 sides to the story.. all i can say "life is worth living....." remember Jesus say our lives is much much more worth in His eyes than the animals in this planet..<br /><br />There's hope beyond hope.. seek help if you are depressed abt anything BGR.. financial, spouse, crises all sorts..while asll seems lost remember there a solution to every problem.. pray and persevere as .. help will eventually come.. <br /><br />God Loves you!!<br /><br />GAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com