"If you descend into somebody else's private hell and stand there with them, it ceases to be hell."
It is a quotation of Father Mychal Judge, 'Victim 0001' of the 11th September attacks, held by many to be a saint, albeit not yet officially canonised.
I think this particular quote emphasises just how important it is to show compassion with those who suffer by being with them in spirit and in sympathy. To suffer and to know that you aren't alone is critically important. Loneliness breeds despair, and despair can sometimes cut oneself off from the good that it all around us and from hope. I know from my own experience that simply 'being there' is often good enough to lift one out of the terror of a crisis. To have a friend in your time of need put a hand on your shoulder and say simply "I am here" and to simply sit with you can be worth more than all the gold in the world.
Father Mychal, you sat with so many who were in the depths of hopelessness. Please pray for all those who are alone in their suffering and who desperately need the light of the Love that consoles and heals.
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