Monday, August 3, 2009

The glory of a short life well lived

I was enjoying (at last) the movie "The Ultimate Gift" last night, and the injustice of a child dying before her mother was a central theme in the film. I can only imagine the pain which parents feel at the passing of a child. But much good can come from such a tragedy, as happened in the short happy life of the little saint from Seattle. Never underestimate what God can accomplish with a soul which is open to His grace.

Gloria is a little girl whose life has made a big impact across the country. Here is a quote about her father who asked her if she had "Quality of Life" something Princeton ethicist Peter Singer has made into a formul here. What rubbish! Life cannot be made into an equation, unless it is made into a commodity first. Its a gift of God. Gloria puts Princeton professors to shame in her response to her father's question.
"He heard a voice say, “quality of life.” He was confused, but went to Gloria the next day and asked if she’s had quality of life. He didn’t expect her to understand, but she immediately responded, “yes daddy!” She excitedly added that so many people have started praying because of her illness.
Doug explained that Gloria had a beautiful gift, she was able to draw people to Christ through her cancer. “She taught us all how to carry a cross. Her gift to us was her living example of her commitment to a relationship with God through constant prayer. She always said, “yes.”

Lord, please help me to remember that each day is a gift to be given back to You. Help me to say "yes" each day and speak to You often in grateful prayer.
Gloria, pray for us.
Amen

Read the entire story at CNA.
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3 comments:

Anne said...

This is wonderful! Each day is a gift to be given back to God-I need to remember to always say yes!

Thanks Leticia for an uplifting post!

Elizabeth Kathryn Gerold-Miller said...

My father has low "quality of life" because he is house-bound with MS. His life is valuable to me and my siblings because we love him. You can't formulize that.

Jay said...

I love the story of Gloria. She teaches us many important lessons.

The Ultimate Gift is a wonderful movie, too.

May many more learn from these touching stories.