Matt C. Abbott
Something joyful...; A reader's plea for prayers
FacebookTwitter
By Matt C. Abbott
June 9, 2014

From Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute (June 5):
    Some of you may remember the scandal that sent former Illinois governor George Ryan to prison some years ago – you know, before our last governor, Rod Blagojevich, went to prison.

    Under George Ryan, trucking licenses were sold illegally and, as a result, the family of Scott and Janet Willis lost the youngest six of their nine children in a fiery inferno on an Illinois expressway.

    One of the older surviving children, Toby, has 12 children of his own, and they're currently appearing on America's Got Talent. Click here to watch them.

    I wish the judges knew their story. Toby's father Scott was my boss' pastor at the time of the accident. The grace and faith of Scott and Janet inspired many. Here's just one press account.


A reader wrote:
    When I read your article about the nun who was cured of Parkinson's, I felt very happy, if not a little jealous, for her. It was hard to read the article knowing of my own battle with illnesses in the past and, now, Parkinson's. I, too, am begging God in His Divine Mercy for a miracle, but I don't have the advantage of a convent of holy nuns praying for me, or a relic, or even of signs and wonders. But then, I've missed many signs along the way while others loomed ahead, and still, some were fulfilled.

    To understand a bit of my history, I suffered from colorectal cancer and a doctor who thought the bleeding for almost two years was merely a hemorrhoid, and that was why he had a hard time navigating my colon. A new doctor explained that the obstruction was a cancerous tumor.

    Then the chemo/radiation practically destroyed my heart. A defibrillator was inserted. I've lost so much weight so quickly that skin from my arms hangs like a fright. The neuropathy adds to the pain.

    I pray for Saint John Paul II to put in a good word for me, and Sister Faustina as well. I understand her confessor may be up for canonization. If I'm cured, I will write to the Vatican about his cause.

    Since I'm half Polish and my father, who passed away, was Polish, maybe Jesus will smile on a lay person who deserves nothing, even though my birthday occurred the day of Divine Mercy when John Paul II died. I asked God for a birthday present concerning a different subject. With His Majesty's grace, I had received my gift, but on my youngest and most pious daughter's birthday. At first, I didn't even realize it.

    Whatever God's will is, I accept concerning my situation. But I have a hard time continuing to live. It takes all the energy I have to try to stand up straight. Oh, if my parents could see what's become of me! My dad always told me to straighten up, probably due to his osteoporosis.

    I can't begin to discuss inner trials, but they are always with me. I used to teach and be a leader, happy in the Lord after a few years away from Him. My God and Savior has brought me this far along, and He will finish what He has begun in me.

    All I ask is a few prayers from your readers. It's not even necessary to tell the whole story, just beg for prayers for me. I can't make any trips to Lourdes or a healing shrine. Thank you for your prayers.
Please keep this reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, in your prayers. And please pray for everyone who's suffering from a serious illness, including veteran pro-life activist Randall Terry's young son, Michael Terry.

© Matt C. Abbott

 

The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)

Click to enlarge

Matt C. Abbott

Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic commentator with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication, media and theatre from Northeastern Illinois University. He also has an Associate in Applied Science degree in business management from Triton College. Abbott has been interviewed on HLN, MSNBC, Bill Martinez Live, WOSU Radio in Ohio, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's 2019 ‘Unsolved’ podcast about the unsolved murder of Father Alfred Kunz, Alex Shuman's 'Smoke Screen: Fake Priest' podcast, WLS-TV (ABC) in Chicago, WMTV (NBC) and WISC-TV (CBS) in Madison, Wisconsin. He’s been quoted in The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune and other media outlets. He’s mentioned in the 2020 Report on the Holy See's Institutional Knowledge and Decision-Making Related to Former Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick (1930 to 2017), which can be found on the Vatican's website. He can be reached at mattcabbott@gmail.com.



(Note: I welcome and appreciate thoughtful feedback. Insults will be ignored. Only in very select cases will I honor a request to have a telephone conversation about a topic in my column. Email is much preferred. God bless you and please keep me in your prayers!)

Subscribe

Receive future articles by Matt C. Abbott: Click here

More by this author

 

Stephen Stone
The most egregious lies Evan McMullin and the media have told about Sen. Mike Lee

Siena Hoefling
Protect the Children: Update with VIDEO

Stephen Stone
Flashback: Dems' fake claim that Trump and Utah congressional hopeful Burgess Owens want 'renewed nuclear testing' blows up when examined

Jerry Newcombe
Church should be about worship, not entertainment

Laurie Roth
Trump, the truth, and America will prevail in spite of leftist evil plans

Cliff Kincaid
Terrorist attack in Baltimore

Tom DeWeese
DOJ ignores 2nd Amendment

Linda Goudsmit
CHAPTER 11: Critical Race Theory: A species of the ideological thought genus Marxism

Pete Riehm
They have tried everything to destroy Trump, but assassination

Tom DeWeese
When your red state governor dresses in blue

Rev. Mark H. Creech
Revelation Chapter 22: Eternal recompense

Tom DeWeese
YIMBYs, workforce housing, and community land trusts: All means to an end to private property

Jerry Newcombe
The vice president visits an abortion clinic—and the people yawn?

Pete Riehm
Like our Commander-in-Chief, America is clueless, feckless, and powerless

Selwyn Duke
Did anti-white, DEI bias steal a state final spot from a white basketball team?
  More columns

Cartoons


Click for full cartoon
More cartoons

Columnists

Matt C. Abbott
Chris Adamo
Russ J. Alan
Bonnie Alba
Chuck Baldwin
Kevin J. Banet
J. Matt Barber
Fr. Tom Bartolomeo
. . .
[See more]

Sister sites