Episode Transcript
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Hello there,
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I am Deacon Gary Stone,
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and I’ve been invited to share with you
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Pope Leo’s prayer intention for November,
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and it’s for the prevention of suicide.
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And I’m sure all of us watching this have
been affected by suicidality in our lives,
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either as someone who has felt suicidal,
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or as someone who has been concerned for a loved one,
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or as someone grieving the death of someone
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who has completed a suicide.
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I spent my whole adult life in the Army and the Police,
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where we have significant suicidality,
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and for the last twelve years
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I have been intensely engaged in suicide prevention
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and promotion of wellbeing,
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through the ministry
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of our Veteran’s Care Association.
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Pope Leo has said,
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let us pray that those who are tempted to commit suicide
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might find the life support,
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care and love that they need,
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in their communities
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and be open to the beauty of life.
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Friends, we are being asked by the Pope not just to pray,
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but to act intentionally.
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Each one of you listening
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can assist in this
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as first responders.
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Having studied this phenomenon of suicidality,
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while in one sense it's very complex.
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It invariably involves a loss of hope or purpose in life.
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It might also involve shame or guilt,
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or a sense of betrayal or abandonment by others.
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Many of these people might be isolating
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or disengaged.
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Well we can assist in all of these areas.
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My lived experience is that we need to be boldly proactive,
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and seek out those that are struggling in life.
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Trusting the Spirit’s presence in us,
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we can share our care and concern for them,
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and at an appropriate time, ask them gently,
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“Have you been having suicidal thoughts?”
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“Do you have a plan?”
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“Do have the means to go through with this”.
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If the answer is yes,
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we need to be lovingly present to them
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and offer to companion them on their journey.
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While their thinking might be clouded by the negative,
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we can offer them immediately a positive response,
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by saying something like,
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I love you, I want to help you find hope,
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find a life giving purpose, forgiveness,
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or whatever you need
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to see you experience a greater fullness of life.
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In due course, you could become someone
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who can learn to save the lives of others.
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Would you like to help others like yourself?
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Can I say a prayer with you?
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I attest that this simple formula
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has led to saving the lives of more than
one thousand veterans in recent years.
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Obviously,
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follow up and engagement with specialists should follow,
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both for yourself and for the person with suicidality.
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By this caring intervention
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may strike a spark of hope
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and bring light into someone’s darkness.
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Friends, let us all be missionaries of
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hope and care and concern.
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Be not afraid to ask, or show concern,
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but trust in the spirit of Jesus in you,
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to continue to light the path, to another person’s recovery.
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In this spirit,
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please join me now in prayer.
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In the name of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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Loving God, we bring before You
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those that struggle with suicidal ideation,
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and those of their family and friends that also struggle.
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Please give us the insight and courage,
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to be the ones that sense their need and offer them
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life giving support,
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care and love that they need.
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We pray that they find in us,
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a caring community,
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and be open to the beauty of life.
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We pray too for all carers,
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clinicians and pastoral ministers
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that work in this space.
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Sustain us in love, joy and hope,
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that we may truly be Your missionary disciples.
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Bless us O Lord,
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in the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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Amen.
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May peace be with you all
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and peace go out from you.
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Thanks be to God.
