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- Herausgeber: anna ruggieri
- Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
- a Scripture passage
- a reflection
- a short prayer.
This collection of hope-filled reflections and prayers provides spiritual accompaniment on the journey to greater serenity and light. Sister Kathryn James Hermes, FSP, is the best-selling author of many books, including Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach and Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life's Disappointments. You can connect with her at touchingthesunrise.com
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Just a Minute Meditations
Finding God in Times of Depression
by Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP
Library of Congress Control Number: 2024934297
ISBN 10: 0-8198-3471-8
ISBN 13: 978-0-8198-3471-3
ISBN 13 ePUB: 978-0-8198-3472-0
The Scripture quotations contained herein, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture texts where indicated are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Cover design by Tisa Muico
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
“P” and PAULINE are registered trademarks of the Daughters of St. Paul.
Copyright © 2024, Daughters of St. Paul
Published by Pauline Books & Media, 50 Saint Pauls Avenue, Boston, MA 02130-3491
www.pauline.org
Pauline Books & Media is the publishing house of the Daughters of St. Paul, an international congregation of women religious serving the Church with the communications media.
Contents
Introduction
1. You Want to Know Our Pain
2. You Are About to Do a New Thing
3. Come to My Rescue
4. Lord, Hear My Cry for Help
5. Help Me to See You Walking with Me
6. Lord, Lift My Heart
7. Jesus, Help Me Breathe
8. Jesus, Remind Me Who I Am
9. O Lord, My Soul Cries Out to You
10. Jesus, I Want to See!
11. By Which You Have Saved Me
12. The Lord Is My Shepherd
13. You, O Lord, Call Me by Name
14. Jesus, Help Me to Hope
15. Listen to Jesus
16. Jesus Knows Where I Am Hiding
17. Let Your Face Shine on Us, O Lord!
18. You Love Even the Messy Parts of My Life
19. Jesus, I Want to Be Well
20. Help Me Trust Your Promise
21. Lord, You Know That I Love You
22. A New Treasure Is Being Revealed
23. How Beautiful It Is to Praise You
24. You Are the God of My Salvation
25. O Give Thanks to the Lord
26. We Are Children of the Resurrection
27. Remember This Sign of God’s Love
28. You Change My Sorrow into Praise
29. You Alone Have Guided Me
30. A Deep Pilgrimage of Faith
Prayers
Breath Prayers
Prayer of Trust
The Memorare
Hail, Holy Queen
To My Guardian Angel
Psalm 116
Psalm 86
An Ancient Celtic Blessing
Wisdom from Saint Teresa of Avila
I Believe
Rituals
Introduction
Life has its seasons. The winter with its cold blasts, long darkness, and frozen snows melts into the first birdsongs of spring, when buds once more appear on the trees and children run and play. The black night of disappointment and the gloom of depression is one of those seasons that most, if not all, of us can expect to come and go in our lifetimes.
At times life takes us where we do not want to go: where we watch our horizons disappear, where we lose our world or loved ones who meant so much to us, where we convince ourselves we are no longer worthy of love, where our health fails us, where we simply feel down in the dumps and hopeless for some reason that escapes us, where we feel disappointed even by God. For me, a stroke when I was twenty-one melted into years of emotional struggles with the darkness and doubt that depression brings. When we are despondent, it may seem that the seasons have stopped, that the gentle breezes of spring will never again bless our life. It is when our life seems frozen in discouragement that we most need to know we are not alone. We long for the warmth and assurance of Jesus’ tender care.
When we suffer with depression, finding words to share with the Lord what is troubling our heart can seem almost impossible. Is there a way to hear his voice? To trust his heart?
These short meditations you hold in your hand will offer you courage at this unsettling time. When you have no words, these pages will provide them. When the voices you hear in your heart are harsh, listening to God speak his promises will stretch you to trust once more in Jesus, in yourself, and in the future. Taking time to ponder, to wait upon the Lord, and to speak with him about your struggles will increase your capacity to receive his unconditional love and to recognize his nearness to you through it all. Your frequent recourse to the One who loves you forever will renew your spirit.
This short booklet of meditation and prayer, when combined with other types of care and treatment, could be considered a lifeline. At one moment it may be for you the first step out of the swirling darkness into the light of trust in God’s loving care. At another it may be the resource you keep with you for when you need a pick-me-up. These words of hope will challenge the grinding discouragement and desolation on those days when you just can’t seem to shake free of the sadness. You will find this little book a useful companion for deeper prayer when beginning or ending the day, or while spending time with Jesus in the Eucharist in adoration.
Here is an easy method for reading these meditations. It will unlock in your heart the courage to believe in God’s desire to save and bless you even through the darkest hours of your life:
The meditations start at the beginning of the journey through depression and walk with you toward wholeness and peace. If this is the first meditation and prayer guide you are using on depression, I encourage you to read the meditations in order. However, there are times when God will lead you to pray with certain meditations. Go wherever God leads you.
Before you read, stop and remember a moment when someone delighted in having you around. Tell God how grateful you are for that gift of love.
Begin to read the meditation. Talk to God about what is burdening you right now. Then reread the words of Scripture in the meditation, hearing them as if God were speaking to you by name. Even place your name right in the passage and imagine God speaking these words to you directly. Notice what that is like and tell God how grateful you are.
Move gently to the short prayer that concludes the meditation and, if it helps you draw closer to God, use one of the prayers in the section at the end of the book. These prayers, some written by persons who themselves have walked through dark valleys and some found in Scripture, can give you the words you are searching for as you lift your heart to God’s own heart and seek to soak in his inconceivable love for you.
Sometimes, depression is more than passing blues that come and go depending on the events of our lives. Persistent feelings of depression may be accompanied by problems with sleep, appetite, concentration, energy, or negative thoughts, or by the loss of interest in or ability to enjoy activities. If you experience these symptoms, I encourage you to seek the advice of a mental health practitioner to assess how the combining of different modalities can bring you greater relief and strengthen you in your journey to wholeness.
Depression cannot be “prayed away.” Depression, whether mild or debilitating, creates a host of symptoms that can affect nearly all aspects of life and functioning. Yet prayer, when combined with other suitable and appropriate resources for wholeness and mental health, has always been the strength of God’s people in their every sorrow.
