Friday, 5th Week: Give--And Receive--Consolation
"In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple
he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears." Psalm 18:6
Consolation is a beautiful word. It means "to be" (con-) "with the lonely
one" (solus). To offer consolation is one of the most important ways to care. Life is
so full of pain, sadness, and loneliness that we often wonder what we can do to alleviate
the immense suffering we see. We can and must offer consolation. We can and must console
the mother who lost her child, the person with AIDS, the family whose house burned down,
the soldier who was wounded, the teenager who contemplates suicide, the old man who
wonders why he should stay alive.
To console does not mean to take away the pain but rather to be there and say,
"You are not alone, I am with you. Together we can carry the burden. Don't be afraid.
I am here." That is consolation. We all need to give it as well as to receive it.
"Who needs my consolation today?"
Henri Nouwen