Many of the Gary Diocese Deacons visit the inmates at a number of the prisons located within the Diocese.

One of the obvious realities of prison life is that you have little control of anything that occurs. You are told when to eat, when to sleep, when to exercise, when to shower, whether you can go to a religious service, whether you can qualify for a wide range of education opportunities to help you once you are released from the prison and hope to start a new lease on life.

The loss of the freedom to make decisions is a grind on the inmates. I often tell them that the one thing that the prison administration cannot take away from them is their relationship with Jesus and the understanding that He is always present, awaiting an invitation to enter into their struggle.

I thought about all of this in context of the horrific fires occurring in California. So many people are sitting, completely helpless, and wondering what will happen next, or how to recover from the situation. This can feel like an imprisonment in fear, pain, feeling lost, and isolated.

Notwithstanding these legitimate emotions, the one thing a disaster can never do is eliminate the love that Jesus has for each of them and the desire to be brought into their suffering and to help with their healing.

I also thought about how similar such emotions can be for those facing illnesses that linger or have questionable outcomes. There is definitely a loss of control in not knowing where the illness or injury may lead.

May God give us the grace to always turn to Him in whatever downside we are challenged with in life. May we always ask for His help, strength and ability to move when such movement in itself can seem beyond one’s capability. As said in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.     



By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek