There are times in life when we find – no matter how important we think it is – that we just can’t pray. Maybe we feel betrayed by God. Maybe we feel spiritually paralyzed. Maybe we feel too sick and tired.

Those are common experiences when we face – or watch those close to us face – a life-challenging illness, say, or the death of a loved one. Our bodies, minds and spirits may respond in ways that we might not even be able to identify.

“The physical, mental, emotional and spiritual elements of ourselves are interlocked,” former hospital chaplain and current volunteer Sr. Sheila McGrath, OSB, says. “You can’t separate them. If one element is threatened, they all react. If you get sick, you often can’t pray. If you experience a spiritual upset, you might react physically. You might experience profound grief that the world as you knew it has changed. You have lost control.”

Often, Sr. Sheila says, we end up feeling that life has lost meaning, and that may be the most troublesome emotion in hard times. “We all need to find meaning in our journeys,” Sr. Sheila says. “We need to be able to find meaning during times of crisis as well as times of joy. Because our spiritual journeys are so unique, we find meaning in different ways. Some turn directly to God, some to Scripture, some to friends, some to nature.”

Wherever you find your meaning, Sr. Sheila says the key is to let that source carry you during times of crisis. But how?

“If you used to pray and find you cannot at this time, try some other methods,” she says. “Saying the rosary can be an automatic prayer that you might be able to do. Receiving Communion is prayerful. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is an option. (See story, opposite page.) You could read a Psalm out loud, or have someone else read it to you, and just let the words wash over you. Sometimes people feel guilty for not praying. They need to know: it’s okay. God is still there. If you fall asleep praying, God will finish the prayer for you.”

Being with friends can be nourishing during difficult times, as well. “Just seeing someone there for you can be a healing force,” Sr. Sheila says. “Through them, you are in God’s presence.”

God’s presence is also reflected in nature, she says. “Sit on a bench by water and listen to the birds,” she says. “See God in the flowers and trees. If you relax in a serene setting outside of your otherwise chaotic and uncontrollable world, you will feel some peace. You will feel more centered and grounded.”

If going outdoors isn’t possible, Sr. Sheila suggests visualizing a place that you love. “Close your eyes and see the wind in the trees,” she says. “Hear the birds and smell the damp earth. Linger there.” However we pray during these times – whether formally or via other methods – the goal is to come back to life … and find meaning once again.

“We get to choose how we will respond to the challenges we encounter,” Sr. Sheila says. “God is always with us. God is meaning. It’s okay to be angry or sad, even with God. But continue to work through it, knowing it will take time and patience. You don’t want to shrivel up and die. Make life your goal. Live while you are alive."

Sister takes students to protest rally

 Balloons, songs, crafts for sale and abundant goodwill could not ameliorate the dead-serious reason for the gathering of 22,000 people at Fort Benning, Georgia, on a warm weekend last November. They were there to protest the existence of the School of the Americas (now formally called the “Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation”). Augustana Catholic campus minister Sister Marilyn Ring, OSB, participated during the weekend event of Nov. 17-19, along with campus minister Pastor Julio Cruz-Natal and seven Augustana students.

“Our students requested that we take this trip,” Sister Marilyn, of the Sisters of St. Benedict at St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island, says. “They wanted to speak out for people who could not speak for themselves either because they had no power or their lives would be threatened. They wanted to honor the memory of those who had been killed. The School for the Americas is notorious for training Latin American soldiers to commit murder and other human rights abuses against their citizens. The annual rally specifically commemorates the murders of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter, in El Salvador on Nov. 19, 1989. Some of the killers had been trained by the School of the Americas.”

Indeed, the school’s advocacy of torture, extortion and execution has been proved. In 1996 the Pentagon was forced to release evidence in the form of training manuals used at the school. Notorious dictators Manuel Noriega and Omar Torrijos of Panama both graduated from SOA, as did many of Chilean dictator Augustus Pinochet’s staff and army.                                                                               

“We heard many stories of death squads torturing and killing whole families, including babies and children, throughout Latin America,” Sister Marilyn says. “Our eyes, ears and hearts were filled to breaking for these poor people. We sang songs with one of the Indigo Girls, Charlie King, and Pete Seeger’s grandson, Tao Rodrigez-Seeger. And we marched in the Funereal Procession, the last major event of the weekend.”

Sister Marilyn says the procession included participation from many disparate groups.

“Veterans marched, Buddhists drummed, blessings were given by a Mayan Indian and a Rabbi,” Sister Marilyn says. “As singers chanted the names, ages and countries of those who have been killed, protesters held up their corresponding white crosses and chanted ‘Presente!’ People placed their crosses, flowers and banners upon a fence protecting the Fort Benning property. A few crossed over the fence onto and were handcuffed and taken away.”

As that final event drew to conclusion, the Augustana group returned – changed - to their van.

“We were emotionally overwrought, yet so grateful to have been able to stand in solidarity with our neighbors,” Sister Marilyn says. “Because they oppose a military that uses intimidation and torture, they face a potential loss of justice and freedom that we all take for granted. They face potential torture and death. The memory of what we heard and witnessed will remain with us for a long time.”

How will they respond?

“We would like to return and take more students next year,” Sister Marilyn says. “But we pray that our participation will be in celebration rather than in protest. We pray that our newly-elected Congress will vote to stop funding the school with U.S. citizens’ tax dollars and that it will close.”