by Stephanie Joiner
“Remember, the Spirit prays for us in our weakness.” The message from Fr. Klein arrived while I was waiting to hear from my sister’s surgeon during the second hour of what would be a five-hour procedure to remove her brain tumor. His text came in response to my message that said I couldn’t focus on prayer. What I hadn’t told him was that I was worried I was failing my sister. My sister had already beat breast cancer, or so we thought, and now we were back in the hospital, finding ourselves uncertain and afraid. It is in these moments that I knew I should pray, but I felt so helpless and incompetent.
Father Klein’s simple text resonated with me. I wasn’t praying in a vacuum. I was praying in a chorus of voices. After reading his message, I began to consider all of the prayers, the hugs, the texts, and the calls I had received for my sister, and I realized that her community of faith was so much bigger than just those of us in the waiting room at Mercy Hospital. I thought of her friends who came to cheer her the night before surgery, the collection of women from Project 31 who prayed over her in her hospital room, and the one who had returned a 6 am in the morning to pray as the nurse wheeled her onto an elevator to prep her for surgery. I thought of our family in Michigan, Texas, California, Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois, and all of the prayers they sent to me and my mom. I thought of each hug and promise of prayer I had personally received from my friends in Ellinwood and at work, and, instantly, I knew Becky was in good hands.
In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. Romans 8:26
Father was right, of course, the Spirit prays in our weakness, and so does our community. I couldn’t possibly list the offers to care for my children, my home, and my dog while I was traveling back and forth to see my sister. And the most amazing part of each offer of support was that I knew it was paired with prayers for my sister. I wasn’t going to fail my sister simply because I wasn’t alone – neither was she. The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls this Communion in the faith: “Faith is a treasure of life which is enriched by being shared” CCC 949. Knowing so many voices were offering prayerful support gave me the courage to join my voice to the chorus.
My sister is home. The tumor was removed, and she is recovering from surgery at an expected pace. Due to the nature of the tumor, she will still have to complete radiation treatments, but this is tempered by the knowledge that every possible good measure that could come from her procedure was realized. I am ever grateful for the gift of our community that continually supports and continually prays.
This edition of The Spirit Newsletter is filled with stories about celebrating and supporting our parish and school communities. In this new year, I encourage you to attend a new event, introduce yourself to a new church member, offer prayers of support, and continue to give generously of your time and talents.
