"Unfortunately we know only too well: the endurance of suffering can upset life's most stable equilibrium, it can shake the firmest foundations of confidence, and sometimes even leads people to despair of the meaning and value of life,"
- Pope Benedict from the mass at Lourdes, France
Read the entire story here.
This can be hard. On one hand, Christ's suffering is an example to all of us. Pope Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, famously said as he was ailing and many were calling him to step down, "Christ did not come down from the cross."
On the other hand, it is very hard to watch a loved one suffer and many times methods used to make one comfortable can also speed up death (for instance, Morphine as I understand, reduces pain but also slows breathing).
What do you think?
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My mother is in the dying process and we are giving her morphine to ease her discomfort. No matter what I do I feel guilty. Am I hurrying God? Could I bear the prolongation of her suffering. I am not made of stuff that strong. This is very difficult for the caregiver/family member having to make the decision in the midst of the dying. I do not make any excuses for my decision...I am only accountable to God. May He be merciful to her and to me.
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