I am at a loss...

there's nothing anyone can say at times like this except

Lord have mercy

third11 said:

Another person in our community has taken her life. She was a teacher, well loved, married, child; self inflicted gun shot to head.

My friends say that typically women don't end their lives in this way.

I am at at loss for how to pray, what to say, what to think. this has been happening frequently around me the past few years.

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Thats very sad...

Do you live in a small community..?

I do not know if this will offer you some comfort. I just find that is expresses the pain that we feel and leaves it at that. It is the last psalm for today (Friday) in the Liturgy of the Hours.

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O LORD, the God of my salvation,
I have cried out by day and in the night before You.
Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry!
For my soul has had enough troubles,
And my life has drawn near to Sheol.
I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit;
I have become like a man without strength,
Forsaken among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And they are cut off from Your hand.
You have put me in the lowest pit,
In dark places, in the depths.
Your wrath has rested upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah.
You have removed my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an object of loathing to them;
I am shut up and cannot go out.
My eye has wasted away because of affliction;
I have called upon You every day, O LORD;
I have spread out my hands to You.
Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Will the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah.
Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
But I, O LORD, have cried out to You for help,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
O LORD, why do You reject my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?
I was afflicted and about to die from my youth on;
I suffer Your terrors; I am overcome.
Your burning anger has passed over me;
Your terrors have destroyed me.
They have surrounded me like water all day long;
They have encompassed me altogether.
You have removed lover and friend far from me;
My acquaintances are in darkness.

I am so sorry. I have no words. Praying

I am a law enforcement officer, and in the last few months, one of our fellow officers took his own life by placing his off duty weapon to the side of his head and pulling the trigger. This was the first news that I received when I entered work that morning. Needless to say, I was in total shock. Later that day, I stopped by the adoration chapel to pray for him asking the Lord to have mercy upon his soul, and to spare him from hell. I prayed a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for his soul and it was during the praying of this chaplet, that these words came to me,

"There are more saved than you realize"

After hearing these words, (which I believe were from the Lord), my spirit is at peace. I believe that in the Lord's infinite mercy, he spared my friend from hell, and that his soul is now in purgatory.
I am continuing to pray for his soul for a quick exit from purgatory.

So, my suggestion to you, is to pray for the soul of that teacher, especially the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. It also wouldn't hurt to have a mass offered for her soul.

I am truly sorry for your loss. Right now I will say a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for her soul also.

Prayers for this teacher, her family, her students and friends.

May God heal you and comfort you and silence the "maybe I could have prevented this" in each of you.

Survivor's guilt is a terrible burden to bear, and in almost every case it is unwarranted.

I believe that God is merciful to those who suffer from depressive mental illness.

My prayers for all involved..

third11 said:

Another person in our community has taken her life. She was a teacher, well loved, married, child; self inflicted gun shot to head.

My friends say that typically women don't end their lives in this way.

I am at at loss for how to pray, what to say, what to think. this has been happening frequently around me the past few years.

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Sounds like people lining up to go to Hell. Sorry if that sounds mean but it seems to be the truth.

Fantine said:

Prayers for this teacher, her family, her students and friends.

May God heal you and comfort you and silence the "maybe I could have prevented this" in each of you.

Survivor's guilt is a terrible burden to bear, and in almost every case it is unwarranted.

I believe that God is merciful to those who suffer from depressive mental illness.

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I agree and so does the RCC. In cases of mental illness and such, where the person is not sane or lack understanding, the soul may be saved.

Guardian Angel said:

I am a law enforcement officer, and in the last few months, one of our fellow officers took his own life by placing his off duty weapon to the side of his head and pulling the trigger. This was the first news that I received when I entered work that morning. Needless to say, I was in total shock. Later that day, I stopped by the adoration chapel to pray for him asking the Lord to have mercy upon his soul, and to spare him from hell. I prayed a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for his soul and it was during the praying of this chaplet, that these words came to me,

"There are more saved than you realize"

After hearing these words, (which I believe were from the Lord), my spirit is at peace. I believe that in the Lord's infinite mercy, he spared my friend from hell, and that his soul is now in purgatory.
I am continuing to pray for his soul for a quick exit from purgatory.

So, my suggestion to you, is to pray for the soul of that teacher, especially the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. It also wouldn't hurt to have a mass offered for her soul.

I am truly sorry for your loss. Right now I will say a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for her soul also.

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YES YES. As Gaurdian Angel said, pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for this person. Jesus said it will benefit even the most hardened sinners. I am sorry for your loss.

third11 said:

Another person in our community has taken her life. She was a teacher, well loved, married, child; self inflicted gun shot to head.

My friends say that typically women don't end their lives in this way.

I am at at loss for how to pray, what to say, what to think. this has been happening frequently around me the past few years.

Click to expand...

Its pretty rare a woman would shot themselves in the head. Usually poison or OD of some sort.

Pray for her anyway and if she is unable to utilize the prayers they will be used for someone else.

third11 said:

Another person in our community has taken her life. She was a teacher, well loved, married, child; self inflicted gun shot to head.

My friends say that typically women don't end their lives in this way.

I am at at loss for how to pray, what to say, what to think. this has been happening frequently around me the past few years.

Click to expand...

As a couple of other people have mentioned, I always pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for anyone who has commited suicide.

It also helps to remember that God is outside of time.... your prayer today is part of the same moment as her death in the eyes of God .... it's never "too late" for the eternal God to work.

The other thing I find helpful is to remember the Gospel story of the paralytic (Mark chapter 2). He could not come to the Lord on his own power -- his friends carried him and when they couldn't get close to Christ they cut the hole into the roof to lower him down. "And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven."

Those who commit suicide are very much like the paralytic -- unable to come to Christ to receive his peace and healing on their own. But our faith can bring them to Christ through prayer and ask his mercy and healing. That image associated with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy prayer is the most powerful thing I've found to pray regarding suicide.

My prayers are with you.