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'Dear Friends' April 2011

Week of April 4, 2011
Prayer Requests
  

Talking to Your Children about Death

Dear Friends:

         It’s difficult, if not impossible, to explain death in words that children will understand when we don’t even really understand it ourselves.
       Still, it’s important to take the time to talk to your children. These are some points to keep in mind:

        --It’s easier to talk to your children about death before your parent is near death. And it is easier to talk about death in general, or the death of someone who isn’t too close to the family, than to talk about the death of a loved one. You might prepare your child by bringing up the subject after an elderly parishioner or neighbor has died.

       --You can use books to prepare your child.  Local Catholic bookstores will have age-appropriate books for children about death. (For example Your Grieving Child by Bill Dodds (Our Sunday Visitor) and Water Bugs and Dragonflies, by Doris Stickney (Pilgrim Press).)

       --You’re upset, too. It isn’t just your parent’s approaching death that can be upsetting to your child; it’s seeing you so upset as well. Don’t gloss over or hide your feelings, but be aware that your child is picking up on them. . . .

      This is the beginning of our newest Topic and it's the subject for the April edition of Catholic Caregivers. We've also posted new Bulletin Briefs and Prayers of Intercession for April on CatholicCaregivers.com

- - -

       As we've mentioned before, here are two resources for Lent:
       --Creighton University has daily reflections here.
       --And the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has the readings for daily Mass here.

- - -

     Again this week we cordially invite you to join the Friends of St. John the Caregiver! (FSJC's programs include YourAgingParent.com and CatholicCaregivers.com.) You can find out more about becoming a member here.
       No meetings, no dues! All we ask is that you pray for caregivers and those receiving care. Our members include caregivers, care-receivers, and those who support both (including quite a few former caregivers).
       You can:

        sign up on-line here
       
        or call us toll-free at 1-800-392-JOHN (5646)
      
        or print and mail an application form.

       God bless you!

                                                          Monica and Bill

To contact us
To join FSJC
To make a donation
To view or make prayer requests
Materials order form
Past "Dear Friends" letters
"Among Friends" quarterly newsletter
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week of April 11, 2011
Prayer Requests
  

'Unforgivable' You

Dear Friends:

       We'll start this week's letter with a quiz. Which is hardest? 1. Asking someone for forgiveness. 2. Accepting forgiveness from someone. 3. Forgiving someone. 4. Forgiving yourself.
       Not even close is it? For most of us, it's number 4. That may be especially so for caregivers.
       Why? Because caregiving can be so complicated, demanding and drawn out.
       --It's easy for you to focus on something you did but shouldn't have done.
       --Or on something you should have done, and did, but didn't do as well as you wanted to.
       --Or, if you did do it as well as you wanted to -- let's call it X -- then you didn't do Y and Z. Those other things you wish you had done, think you should have done, and feel guilty, guilty, guilty for not doing.
       Small wonder Guilt remains one of the favorite Topics here on YourAgingParent.com.
       Our Heavenly Father, who knows you better than you know yourself and who knows your particular circumstances better than you know them, is a God of love, mercy and forgiveness.
       He didn't ask you to be a perfect caregiver. He didn't expect you to be one.
       He asked you, despite your failings and your weakness, to help take care of his beloved son or daughter. And when you ask his forgiveness for the times you fail, for the times you're weak, he expects you to accept his forgiveness.
       He loves you dearly. And, certainly, he wants you to forgive yourself.

- - -

       And speaking of forgiveness . . . The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has a video series on the sacraments. Scroll to the bottom of the list for the one on penance (also known as reconciliation or confession):

 

- - -

     Again this week we cordially invite you to join the Friends of St. John the Caregiver! (FSJC's programs include YourAgingParent.com and CatholicCaregivers.com.) You can find out more about becoming a member here.
       No meetings, no dues! All we ask is that you pray for caregivers and those receiving care. Our members include caregivers, care-receivers, and those who support both (including quite a few former caregivers).
       You can:

        sign up on-line here
       
        or call us toll-free at 1-800-392-JOHN (5646)
      
        or print and mail an application form.

       God bless you!

                                                          Monica and Bill

To contact us
To join FSJC
To make a donation
To view or make prayer requests
Materials order form
Past "Dear Friends" letters
"Among Friends" quarterly newsletter
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week of April 18, 2011
Prayer Requests
  

Dear Friends:

       Our prayers are with you and your care-receiver this Holy Week, this Easter, and always.

                                                          Monica and Bill

To contact us
To join FSJC
To make a donation
To view or make prayer requests
Materials order form
Past "Dear Friends" letters
"Among Friends" quarterly newsletter
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week of April 25, 2011
Prayer Requests
  

Your Easter Will Come

Dear Friends:

       Happy Easter Week to you and your care-receiver! One of the many, many reasons to celebrate Christ's Resurrection is that one day you, too, will rise from the dead. On that day, at the end of time, your body and soul will be reunited forever.
       That teaching of the Church can be a comforting thought for all who are grieving the loss of a loved one. For those whose care-receiver is nearing death.
       Easter tells us death isn't the end of the story. Christ conquered death. In the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

       The Church teaches that every spiritual soul . . . does not perish when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection (CCC 366).

       The end of the story -- of your story and of your loved one's story -- can be eternal joy and eternal peace.
       The here and the now of caregiving is overwhelming at times but that here and that now aren't going to last. What can last, what does last, is love. And God is love. He loves you. He loves your care-receiver. He's with you now and offers to be with you -- body and soul -- forever.

- - -

      This week we're so pleased to welcome Nancy P. of Pennsylvania as the newest member of the Friends of St. John the Caregiver. Please keep her and her intentions in your prayers. She has promised to pray for you and yours.
     
And we cordially invite you to join the Friends of St. John the Caregiver! (FSJC's programs include YourAgingParent.com and CatholicCaregivers.com.) You can find out more about becoming a member here.
       No meetings, no dues. All we ask is that you pray for caregivers and those receiving care. Our members include caregivers, care-receivers, and those who support both (including quite a few former caregivers).
       You can:

        sign up on-line here
       
        or call us toll-free at 1-800-392-JOHN (5646)
      
        or print and mail an application form.

       God bless you!

                                                          Monica and Bill

To contact us
To join FSJC
To make a donation
To view or make prayer requests
Materials order form
Past "Dear Friends" letters
"Among Friends" quarterly newsletter
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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