Christ in suffering

Learning to recognize the face of Christ in pain, loss, and the forsaken.

Stewards of HopeBaptismFreedomGraceUnity in PrayerGospel ReflectionTrinityThe Greatest LoveSacramentEucharistCatholic TriviaCrisis and FaithThat They May Be OneHoly WaterFaith In ActionMatrimonyCatholic Social TeachingResurrectionHuman DignityEucharistic LivingLove One Anotherend-of-life vigilPrayer for Lifehospital ministryMary's IntercessionMassNovena for Peacechaplaincypastoral careMartin Luther King Jr.Pray for Our NationChrist in sufferingMystery
Prayer for LifePrayer for Life
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Hope in Holy Saturday

Hope in Holy Saturday

Part II of this chaplaincy series enters a sacred moment of anointing and farewell, where ritual meets raw human grief. A trusted spiritual guide steps briefly into the room, tracing water and oil on Valentin’s brow, offering mercy that lingers after he leaves. For the chaplain intern, it becomes a lesson in humility, presence, and what it means to honor another’s ministry while learning the quiet strength of his own. This chapter explores the tension between faith and medical reality, and the grace of recognizing Christ’s face in unexpected places.

Carlos Rodriguez
Carlos Rodriguez
end-of-life vigilend-of-life vigil
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At the Foot of the Cross

At the Foot of the Cross

In the quiet tension of a hospital room, a chaplain keeps vigil with a mother and a young woman who refuse to let go of hope. Machines hum, faith collides with medicine, and silence becomes its own kind of prayer. Part I of this reflection invites readers into the sacred threshold between life and death, where presence matters more than answers and Christ is glimpsed in fragile humanity. This is a story about love, faith, and the mystery of accompaniment when words fail, and about how even in sorrow, God’s mercy makes itself known.

Carlos Rodriguez
Carlos Rodriguez