Denise's mother's prayer

[peregrina2000]

I have received a copy of Denise's mother's prayer that was read at the Cathedral service. Denise is at peace, and I pray for the same for her family.

Almighty and Gracious God,

I come to you on bended knees and with a broken heart. My spirit is weak, and I am distraught that such an evil person took my dear Denise’s life. I feel the forces of evil closing in on me and am exhausted with pain and bitterness. I am tormented that when my beloved daughter needed me most, I was not there to protect her.

I know you are a good and gracious God. I know the power and comfort of your word, but tonight I beg to feel your presence. As I loosen my arms from around my precious child and release her to your care, I beg you to hold her lovingly in your arms, to take her into your bosom and to welcome her as the angel she is.

Lord, help me to understand the power of your love to overcome the power of death and to know that our precious daughter is in your eternal care. I pray for your merciful understanding and that your Spirit may now grant our beloved Denise the same mercy and grace in Heaven that sustained and encouraged her on Earth.

O God, help me to always remember the great joys that Denise brought to the life of our family and in these sad moments remember her grace, the elegance of her spirit, her goodness and the depth of her love for us. I pray that my dear daughter, Denise, will forgive me for not being there to protect her as I did when she was as a child and youth.

Amen

 

[Sailor]

Thank you.

 

[La Barre]

Beautiful, and heart wrenching.

 

[Kuznitz]

Amen indeed

 

[Sheffield James]

A mother's pain. How heartfelt. How Excruciating. We can only pray the hurt and loss becomes more bearable over time.

 

[annakappa]

"To hold her lovingly in your arms".
It's beautiful and so heart wrenching!

 

[DurhamParish]

It took a moment for me to have the courage to click on this thread and read what I imagined would be prayer expressing much grief and pain.

'. . .take her into your bosom and welcome her . . .'

 

[Former member 42123]

So sad,beautiful and loving.I have tears running down my cheeks as I read.Thank you for posting this.May Denise Rest in peace.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Beautiful words and sad.
I can't begin to imagine what she's feeling.

 

[Gailsie]

So powerful

 

[Arminius]

Peregrina 2000, thank you for sharring this. Very powerful prayer - It is not hard to imagine how "this mother's prayer" spoke to the hearts of all Camino pilgrims.

 

[leeann31]

beautiful and very touching...prayers for all of Denise's family. I begin my Camino on Tuesday (!) and will certainly keep them in my prayers.

 

[Christian Hiriart]

I pray for Denise, family and friends. May she rest in peace.

 

[thetimman]

Beautiful. My prayers with her; indeed, only God can give the peace to this woman that her daughter'so murderer took away.

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Laurie,
Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful words prayed by Denise's mother . We could all learn so much from them. She turns to God in her time of anguish and prays "tonight I beg to feel your presence."
Let us all continue to pray for her and Denise and all her family that they will truly have of a deep sense of God enfolding them with his loving presence.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

The grief of a parent is the hardest of all to bear. I pray to God for this family's comfort.

This prayer is beautiful. It is gracious, heartfelt, and heart wrenching to the nth degree. I will continue to pray for Denise's beloved family.

 

[pilgrim b]

Amen

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Beautiful, thank you for sharing.

 

[movinmaggie]

One of those times there are no words; only tears

 

[Introibo]

Beautiful expression of a mothers love for her child.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

 

[VNwalking]

Thank you, Laurie.
I took a while before I could bring myself to read this...and Oh, my...gracious, honest, and heartbreaking.
Through this may our hearts break open to each other more and more.

 

[CaroleH]

Sending loving thoughts to Denise's mother, brother and all pilgrims.

 

[Susan hopes]

Although Denise may be held in God's arms, we will forever hold her in our hearts. Be at peace, friend, and know you are not forgotten. May Denise's family's grief ease over time, and may happy memories comfort them in the days to come.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

A beautiful prayer. When I watched the mass in the Cathedral, I once again wished there was sound along with the video. There were a lot of participants

 

[DurhamParish]

I begin my Camino on Tuesday (!) and will certainly keep them in my prayers.

Be safe.

 

[Robo]

Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

 

[susanawee]

Thankyou for sharing these words - I took some moments before I could bring myself to click onto your post. Such pain and such anguish expressed by Denise's Mum - as a Mum myself, I felt every single nuance of her pain. May Denise be 'Flying Free' and may her family eventually be able to find peace.

 

[Daretolive]

Thank you for sharing Peregrina2000.. Very touching words. Rest in peace beautiful Denise...

 

[camino_rooky]

As a mum of 4 girls myself I cried reading this heartfelt prayer . Denise's Mums graciousness shines through her grief . May God bless her and her family in this time of sorrow.

 

[natefaith]

A beautiful prayer. When I watched the mass in the Cathedral, I once again wished there was sound along with the video. There were a lot of participants

Falcon,
I didn't realize there was no sound during the video feed. I can share a bit of the proceedings. The mass was beautiful, as you probably saw in the video. The Cathedral provided bouquets of flowers and candles, and even asked all visitors to leave the Cathedral if they weren't attending mass - so the Cathedral was the quietest I've ever seen. Father Joe (if you've attended English Mass this year you will have seen and/or met him) started out the service with a brief introduction and welcome, and there were hymns, beautifully sung by a sister as always.

Four American pilgrims had been asked to read Scripture passages in English, and Aleida Howard (from the Phoenix APOC chapter) read them in Spanish after each reading. All of the Scriptures focused on Jesus's resurrection. After each pilgrim read, the canon had me light a candle in memory of Denise.

The canon of the Cathedral, Daniel Lorenzo, then gave a poignant homily acknowledging the awful circumstances surrounding Denise's death and also focusing on one main Scripture verse, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he is risen!" - and saying that as Jesus had risen from the dead, Denise was there now with him, that death was not the final answer.

After communion I read the prayer from Denise's mom, and then the canon presented gifts for the family - a medallion from the last Holy Year, a memorial candle, and a framed pilgrim's memorial certificate for Denise. They had prepared everything so beautifully, and overall it was a moving service that hopefully gave comfort and hope to all of us who care for Denise and her loving family.

Take care,
Faith

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thank you Faith. So glad they asked those attending the service to leave to maintain decorum for the circumstances.

 

[VNwalking]

Thank you Faith, and for all that you've done since April....

 

[PEI_Heather]

Thank you, Laurie/peregrina2000, for posting the words and heartwrenching prayer of Denise's mother. How can one not feel her loss after reading such poignant words. Her complete and utter despair is palatable.
And thank you, Faith, for posting a recount of the service for those of us not able to attend. It sounds like it was quite beautiful and a lovely tribute to Denise.

 

[Tessera]

Thank you for sharing this. I thought about the loss to Denise's family, and to the family of all peregrinas and peregrinos, as I walked yesterday from Astorga to El Ganso. I sang softly, "Amazing Grace," and "may the long time sunshine, all love, surround you. May the pure light within you guide your way home."

 

[Rajy62]

Beautiful, thank you for sharing.

 

[Bala]

Thank you, Laurie and Faith, for sharing the beautiful prayer of Denise's mother and the special moments of the mass. Simply no words for this tragedy. Yet despite all that has happened goodness and grace shine through. Rest in peace, Denise. And may peace be with your family and friends.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Grace, faith, truth, love, hope.

 

[Gypsea Moon]

Beautiful <3 no words...

 

[gittiharre]

Thank you for sharing this prayer. As a mother of a 22 year old daughter who has come out of troubled teen years I can so much imagine the pain and anger and distress that comes with such a cruel and unnecessary loss. It is hard to remember that the perpetrator was once someone's little boy too. What has gone wrong in his life to commit such a terrible crime...

 

[indyrem]

I have received a copy of Denise's mother's prayer that was read at the Cathedral service. Denise is at peace, and I pray for the same for her family.

Almighty and Gracious God,

I come to you on bended knees and with a broken heart. My spirit is weak, and I am distraught that such an evil person took my dear Denise’s life. I feel the forces of evil closing in on me and am exhausted with pain and bitterness. I am tormented that when my beloved daughter needed me most, I was not there to protect her.

I know you are a good and gracious God. I know the power and comfort of your word, but tonight I beg to feel your presence. As I loosen my arms from around my precious child and release her to your care, I beg you to hold her lovingly in your arms, to take her into your bosom and to welcome her as the angel she is.

Lord, help me to understand the power of your love to overcome the power of death and to know that our precious daughter is in your eternal care. I pray for your merciful understanding and that your Spirit may now grant our beloved Denise the same mercy and grace in Heaven that sustained and encouraged her on Earth.

O God, help me to always remember the great joys that Denise brought to the life of our family and in these sad moments remember her grace, the elegance of her spirit, her goodness and the depth of her love for us. I pray that my dear daughter, Denise, will forgive me for not being there to protect her as I did when she was as a child and youth.

Amen

As a mother who also lost a daughter, albeit to cancer, I can feel the heartache & pain Denise's mother feels right now. I pray that God give her and her family strength, comfort and peace.

 

[katief]

I have received a copy of Denise's mother's prayer that was read at the Cathedral service. Denise is at peace, and I pray for the same for her family.

Almighty and Gracious God,

I come to you on bended knees and with a broken heart. My spirit is weak, and I am distraught that such an evil person took my dear Denise’s life. I feel the forces of evil closing in on me and am exhausted with pain and bitterness. I am tormented that when my beloved daughter needed me most, I was not there to protect her.

I know you are a good and gracious God. I know the power and comfort of your word, but tonight I beg to feel your presence. As I loosen my arms from around my precious child and release her to your care, I beg you to hold her lovingly in your arms, to take her into your bosom and to welcome her as the angel she is.

Lord, help me to understand the power of your love to overcome the power of death and to know that our precious daughter is in your eternal care. I pray for your merciful understanding and that your Spirit may now grant our beloved Denise the same mercy and grace in Heaven that sustained and encouraged her on Earth.

O God, help me to always remember the great joys that Denise brought to the life of our family and in these sad moments remember her grace, the elegance of her spirit, her goodness and the depth of her love for us. I pray that my dear daughter, Denise, will forgive me for not being there to protect her as I did when she was as a child and youth.

Amen

So sad.........God Bless all her family and may Denise be at peace.......