Today, as I was glancing at the news from around the U.S. on a popular news website, I was struck, sickened, and saddened by a story about a murder -suicide of a mother and her two young children. According to the article, this was a Catholic family—very active in their local parish—and the accompanying photos showed a beautiful looking family.
What causes a person to do such a thing? I don’t ask that with harsh judgment, but rather with a sense of shock. I love my husband and children so much; I can’t imagine how much pain this poor woman must have been in, whatever the cause. After reading the news report, I started to pray, especially for the children. When I hear news of this type of thing happening to “good” families, I think about fellow members of my own parish community. Maybe the people who appear to “have it together” the most might actually be suffering the most. We must pray for each other, and for the faithful departed. Life is a blessing and a gift from God.