Recovery: Hope After Trauma Week 2 (6/12/2021)

Friends, today we continue with our message series, Recover - Hope After Trauma. Last week we took some time to look into the various meanings of trauma, noting especially that the time we spent dealing with COVID surely constituted some trauma for many of us. But we move forward. In fact, today’s second reading from Paul to the Corinthians tells us:

Brothers and sisters:

We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous ...

It’s this courage that spurs us on to recovery. But what is recovery? The other night I had the TV on and the opening scene from the show FBI had one of the characters say these words:

Recovery is all about surrender ... and the end result is power!

These words are so true, recovery is about surrender ... and the end result is power. As believers we are called to surrender, but surrender does not mean to give up. It means that after we have done our very best, worked ourselves using all our gifts and resources, that we ultimately surrender to the love, mercy and presence of God ... and it’s in our relationship with God that we find power!

Its interesting that when you google the word “recovery” you find so many resources that direct one to recovery from addiction ...

Addiction to alcohol

Addiction to sex and pornography

Addiction to drugs

Addiction to cigarettes

Addictions are so prevalent that according to the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, approximately 22.7 million Americans, or 8.6 % have an addiction to drugs or alcohol. And surely the stress of COVID made matters worse.

But there is hope ... and in addition to the medical and psychological resources, our faith also can assist us in our recovery ... from COVID, or any traumas and addictions we need to recover from.

But the first step must be surrender ... bringing an honest, open mind and a willingness to find that divine power that God has reserved for us.

One writer, on the darkest day of his soul’s journey said this:

I could die in addiction

I could live in recovery

Let’s decide that we will live, live in recovery ... live in hope ... live under the safety of that majestic cedar that the prophet Ezekiel speaks of today.

While there are many spiritual principles that can help us in our recovery and find a firmer rootedness in hope, here are 5:

1. Acceptance - many times in our day, and many times in our lives, things may not go as planned. Practice acceptance. That cliche sums it all up, it is what it is. Don't make it bigger than what it is!

2. Honesty - practicing honesty is pretty straight forward. Practicing honesty challenges us to tell the truth, not cover up, exaggerate or sugar coat the truth, and not to leave anything out. And telling the truth starts with telling the truth to ourselves. What are the traumas we face? How has COVID affected me? What am I gonna do about it?

3. Patience - patience is not only an advent virtue. We have become a people always moving in the fast lane and technology has only made it worse. Breathe ... exhale ... surrender. The traumas of our lives will not simply be erased ... finding comfort will take time, so be patient.

4. Integrity - integrity is honesty with a strong set of morals. We are called to practice integrity by not compromising our virtues, even when the temptation is strong, so strong its palpable.

5. Self-discipline - self discipline challenges us to be a good person even when no one else is looking. It’s the interior development of our character and the fine tuning of our souls.

The Gospel today tells us the story of the farmer scattering the seed over the land. And that seed grows, little by little, night and day, despite the farmer not knowing how. But ultimately, that little seed sprouts and grows and bears fruit, good fruit for the harvest.

So too must it be with us ... as we work to recover, to find hope after trauma, we put into place life-giving spiritual principles, not as magic incantations, but as practices that guide our lives, our everyday, ordinary lives ... Then, and only then, will we not only recover and find hope after trauma, we will truly experience the kingdom of God.

Blessings!

Recovery: Hope After Trauma: Week 1 Homily (6/6/2021)

What gives you hope? Perhaps more personally, who gives you hope? Take a moment … think about it.

For many of us, we’ve just come through perhaps the hardest 15 months or so of our lives and it seems as if finally, we are able to exhale, to take a breath, as the worst surely seems to be behind us … but what have we learned? … what or who got us through? … and where do we find hope?

We will look at these questions in our message series … RECOVER – HOPE AFTER TRAUMA over the next four weeks because indeed it would be a shame if we didn’t learn anything from this pandemic and more tragically, if we can’t move forward from this as people of stronger hope.

The word “trauma” may be used in different contexts.

· In the physical context, it means a physical injury inflicted on a person by some external agent, like getting bopped by a baseball in the outfield, or punched on the street.

· In a psychological context, it means an emotional response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event, like the sudden loss of a loved one, an accident, rape, or natural disaster.

· In the spiritual context, it can be associated with loss of faith, diminished participation in religious or spiritual activities, changes in belief, feelings of being abandoned or punished by God, and loss of meaning and purpose for living.

Whether physical, psychological or spiritual, traumas demand a response, and we know that a person subjected to trauma may respond in several ways.

Traumatized people may be in a state of shock, extreme grief, or denial. Trauma may also give rise to several longer-term reactions in the form of emotional lability, flashbacks, impulsiveness, and strained relationships. Trauma can also lead to physical symptoms, such as headaches, lethargy, and nausea. Some people may be affected a lot more than others. In fact, some people may be entrapped in the emotional impact of the trauma and find it difficult to move on with their lives.

Trauma is usually divided into three main types: acute, chronic, and complex.

Acute Trauma:

It mainly results from a single distressing event, such as an accident, assault, or natural disaster. The event is extreme enough to threaten the person’s emotional or physical security. The event creates a lasting impression on the person’s mind. Acute trauma generally presents in the form of excessive anxiety or panic, irritation, confusion, inability to have a restful sleep, unreasonable lack of trust inability to focus on work or studies, and even aggressive behavior.

Chronic trauma:

It happens when a person is exposed to multiple, long-term, and/or prolonged distressing, traumatic events over an extended period. Chronic trauma may result from a long-term serious illness, sexual abuse, domestic violence, bullying, and exposure to extreme situations, such as a war and even a pandemic.

The symptoms of chronic trauma often appear after a long time, even years after the event. The symptoms are deeply distressing and may manifest as labile or unpredictable emotional outbursts, anxiety, extreme anger, flashbacks, fatigue, body aches, headaches, and nausea. Individuals may have trust issues, and hence, do not have stable relationships or even jobs.

Complex trauma:

It is a result of exposure to varied and multiple traumatic events or experiences. The events are generally within the context of an interpersonal (between people) relationship. It may give the person a feeling of being trapped. Complex trauma often has a severe impact on the person’s mind. It may be seen in individuals who have been victims of childhood abuse, neglect, domestic violence, family disputes, and other repetitive situations, such as civil unrest. It affects the person’s overall health, relationships, and performance at work or school.

Whatever be the type of trauma, if a person finds it difficult to recover from the distressing experiences, one must seek timely help in all its many forms. In addition to the medical, psychological and other scientific resources available, recovery from trauma can also come from using spiritual tools and spiritual gifts.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ or Corpus Christi the greatest of the spiritual gifts. Although the actual feast was decreed by Pope Urban IV in 1264, the believe in the real presence of Jesus, under the form of bread and wine was first celebrated at the last supper, at the hands of Jesus himself.

This feast reminds us both to have reverence for and to take advantage of the most sacred gift God has given us, his son Jesus. Jesus has given us himself so that we can have life and not only here on earth but with him in heaven for all eternity.

It’s this promise of life, full life here and eternal life hereafter that gives us the energy, the nourishment to recover from the traumas of our life. A deacon I knew said that for him, the Eucharist was his “energy pill” and what helped him throughout his day, no matter how long or difficult.

We need Jesus;

We need to receive him;

and then We need to go out and share him with others, in our words and in our actions and in these days, in our hope.

Whether we receive Jesus in Holy Communion or sit in his presence in our adoration chapel or here in our church, we are changed. It may be a major change or something almost imperceptible, but we are changed.

As we recover … as we seek to find hope after trauma … the trauma of the pandemic or the traumas of our lives … let’s take some time today to receive Jesus, body, soul and divinity into our lives … for he is our true hope!

Becoming The Compassionate Ones

Dear Friends:

Recently I was browsing the web and came across this article entitled, The different types of college students and their reactions to COVID-19 by Avani Venkatesh published about a year ago. I was fascinated because the categories presented seem to describe so many of us in these last months, not only college students.

Venkatesh starts by noting that coronavirus needs no introduction, adding that the repercussions of the virus on the economy, the lower class, and the health care system in America are unmatched. The author then lists and describes different college-student perspectives on COVID-19 as:

The Overwhelmed Ones

The Desensitized Ones

The Paranoid Ones

The Informed Ones

The ‘Let's Buy Cheap Plane Tickets’ Ones

The Sociological Ones

The Overwhelmed Ones are scared, anxious, and are not coping with change well. Aside from the global pandemic, they are more concerned by how their daily lives have changed. They will have to move completely to online classes, and will not be getting a tuition, food, or housing refund. Their mind is racing trying to figure out how they will survive transitioning from the most novel, stimulating environment they have ever been in (college) to the least (home with parents).

The Desensitized Ones: The desensitized ones do not understand the gravity of the situation and are not practicing social distancing. Current college students are a generation victim to information overload and are severely desensitized to all types of news. They have been on social media since adolescence and are accustomed to constantly receiving shocking information. When everything is exaggerated, everything is a big deal, which means nothing is. Their desensitized nature makes this group a danger to themselves and everyone around them. They do not understand the importance of “flattening the curve” and are making the lives of the elderly, immunocompromised, and healthcare workers more difficult.

The Paranoid Ones: This group is overreacting to the gravity of the situation. They have bought three water bottle cases, 35 rolls of toilet paper, 10 boxes of pasta, and 15 packets of Clorox wipes. Rather than helping the situation through practical methods, they are perpetuating it, making goods inaccessible for lower income families and creating a sense of panic in the community. Urgency is important and causes people to act with caution and foresight. Panic creates selfishness and relates to gun sales in America increasing as the pandemic worsens. In a time where empathy and compassion are needed most, panic and selfishness are the worst quality to display.

The Informed Ones: The informed ones are doing their part in researching and spreading reliable information. Though it is difficult to research and find information on such a new, under researched virus, they are trying their best. The informed one, most importantly, is pointing out misinformation and unreliable sources, which are very apparent all-over social media.

The “Let’s Buy Cheap Plane Tickets” Ones: This group holds the most problematic mentality regarding COVID-19. It is most common in younger people who are unaffected, and who feel that because they are not old or immunocompromised and don’t interact with anyone old or immunocompromised, it is not their job to care about the spread. They are severely undereducated about the situation and are the reason the spread is so difficult to slow.

The Sociological Ones: The sociological ones are interested most by the implications COVID-19 has on American society and culture. American culture is one based in productivity and capitalism, where everyone is used to bringing their work home, working overtime, and constantly thinking about and stressing about work. Now, hundreds of Americans who were used to not having a minute to spare in their days are plagued with boredom and cabin fever. The sociological ones are amazed at how a culture so rooted in productivity and efficiency can so quickly slow down. The sociological ones cannot wait to see the implications the virus will have on American culture as a whole and believe that this virus is proof to Americans that productivity is not everything, and it is possible to slow down, engage in hobbies, and live a more relaxed life. The sociological ones are also interested in how different generations, ethnicities, and regions are reacting to the virus, and the implications of their responses on their cultures.

The article ends with noting that as everyone is becoming more educated and aware of the role each individual plays, the mentalities are converging. Venkatesh writes that she now sees more of “The Informed Ones” fully understanding the interdependence of the situation, and less of The “Let’s Buy Cheap Plane Tickets” Ones.

The final line reads: “Most importantly, kind and empathetic companies, professors, grocery store employees, and health care workers are inspiring the creation of a new and more powerful group – The Compassionate Ones.”

As we come out of the darkness of the coronavirus, let’s also commit to being The Compassionate Ones. We need one another and can help one another get to the place of peace again … one day, one person, one act of kindness at a time.

RSM