To Live and To Love

By now you’ve probably heard of Brittany Maynard. She is a young woman who will be preemptively ending her life on November 1 through physician-assisted suicide. She said she wishes to spare her family and herself the pain and suffering that would lie ahead for them because of her brain cancer. Certainly this is a nice sentiment, wishing to spare your loved ones pain, but it is not a very loving one.

The media is celebrating Brittany, calling her decision courageous and the like. It is funny that the media celebrates her for taking her life to spare her family, and yet calls others who take their own lives without the help of a doctor tragic. Still, the media celebrates a young, newlywed woman who wants to take her own life, who wants to die. The media celebrates death a lot, whether it be abortion, euthanasia, or physician-assisted suicide, calling it choice, freedom, or courageous. Heaven forbid we even dare think we might become a burden to others because of declining health or medical needs.

Fear is the real motivator: fear of what lies ahead, fear of suffering, fear of not being in control. The media and secular society want us to live in fear because fear makes us controllable. Fear enslaves us under the guise of freedom, courage, and self-righteous selflessness. Fear turns us inward and makes us believe our worth is diminished.

Blessed Chiara Luce Badano did not live in fear although she suffered and died from one of the most painful types of bone cancer while she was still a teenager. Instead of giving in to the bodily suffering she was enduring or the suffering of her parents watching her struggle, she used it to sanctify herself and those around her. She used the suffering as a vehicle for hope. Imagine if Brittany Maynard did that instead of using her suffering as a vehicle for despair! How sad it is that Brittany is allowing the darkness to extinguish her. Blessed Chiara was given the name Luce by a friend because she was such a light for others. She was like a little flashlight shining through the darkness of this life straight on to Jesus and eternal life.

The media isn’t going to celebrate any of those human flashlights. You won’t hear about the quiet souls suffering but soaking life in, celebrating the miraculous time they are given to live, and simultaneously living as though they will die tomorrow and as though they will never die. These people are the true lights in this world, who look darkness in the face and declare, “Do your worst! I will not be extinguished.” These people live fully in love, giving all of themselves, even when faced with the darkness of death, never succumbing to the temptation of despair, because they know life and love are worth it. Life, no matter the circumstances, is worth living, not ending.

You won’t hear about quiet souls like Ginnie Levin. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer and, despite a double mastectomy and lymph node dissection, the cancer has spread to various parts of her body. With little time left in this world, her wish is to spend it with her family. Her mother and grandmother have already died at the hands of different cancers and her father is currently undergoing cancer treatment as well. Ginnie would like to go to Walt Disney World with her remaining family – father, siblings, nieces and nephews (who are like her own children as she has ben unable to have children herself) – one more time, making joyful memories all together one final time. Please aid her with your prayers but please also consider donating to her cause. In a world that celebrates extinguishing life, let us celebrate living a life. Make a tangible differnece in someone’s life today. Through working for Thirty-One Gifts, I am able to donate 100% of my profits of sales from this link directly to Ginnie. There are also bags available to purchase for and donate to Ginnie’s family. Please contact me for further details.

Saint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart said, “Without complaint, everything shall I suffer, for in the love of God, nothing have I to fear.” Blessed Chiara Luce was buried in a wedding dress because she was going to meet her spouse, Jesus, in eternal life. “I have nothing left,” spoke Bl. Chiara Luce, “but I still have my heart, and with that I can always love.”

Theresa Williams

Theresa Williams

"I have become all things to all, to save at least some" (1 Cor. 9:22) basically describes her life as writer, homemaker, friend and sister, wife, and mother of 2 spunky children, all for the sake of Gospel joy. She received her BA in Theology, Catechetics/Youth Ministry, and English Writing from Franciscan University of Steubenvile. Currently, she is a homemaker and freelance writer. Her life mottos are Ad Majoram Dei Gloriam and "Without complaint, everything shall I suffer for in the love of God, nothing have I to fear" (St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart). She is Pennsylvanian by birth, Californian by heart, and in Texas for the time being. Yinz can find her on Twitter @TheresaZoe.

Leave a Replay

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sign up for our Newsletter

Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit