Spiritual Letter to Whom their Loved One was murdered:
Today, your pain, your hurt, your anger is present. You have a right to speak out and to feel. What you say and how you feel matters to you and to many. Mary, the Mother of Jesus stood at the foot of the cross (John 19:25-27). She knew her Son was being murdered right before her eyes. You have something to share with her and many others who have experienced the traumatic death of a loved one. Mary’s heart was pierced (Luke 2:35). An experience traumatic, yet intimate. Traumatic in suffering and intimate in longing the connection and shared life now present, but distant.
Jesus was angry, like you are angry now when He drove the money changers out of the temple (John 2:13-16). He shares your pain, especially when he gave up His last breath (John 19:30). You feel the real hurt and the wounding when Jesus was scourged at the pillar (Mark 15:15, Luke 22:63-65). Thinking about the offender who committed the murder makes you feel mocked when Jesus was crowned with thorns (Mark 15:16-20). At night, you relate to Jesus agony in the garden (Luke 22:39-44). All of this pain and your experience is real and valued.
In the life of Jesus, Joseph and Mary, they had joyful times and times of human hardship. When you recall your experiences with your loved one, remember you have much in common with the Holy Family. Those experiences you shared are real and valuable.
When you talk to God in prayer, He knows your heart and the Holy Spirit presents your petitions to Him. The Holy Spirit can sort through the mountain of pain and emotion you are feeling and expressing. God is listening.
In all of this, you have a memory, a legacy and a cause to share in the honor your loved one. The Beatitudes are a special protection for injustices. Murder is certainly a persecution and the Beatitudes lift up your loved one into the immediate presence of God’s glory in the beatific vision in heaven. Their soul is purified by the fire of divine love. They are more free, more alive and more beautiful than ever. They know and understand beyond what words can say. The Canticle of Zachariah in the Gospel of Luke (1:78-79) states:
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Your loved one is heroic. You are heroic.
God’s Love and Mercy is vast. Today, rise up in confidence and walk in the footsteps of peace!