Alzheimers-do we forget Christ,a curse,or a monastic gain

[spyridon]

I know this is far fetched,but I heard a catholic say
"an Idle mind is the entrance to the devils workshop,leading to temptation and spiritual destruction.and the Devils workshop ends with Alzheimers" this seemed almost crude to say that the devil has forced this mind of forgetfulness upon some of our most pious fore-fathers.
do they forget Christ and/or is this a sort of what Monastics try to achieve here on earth. to die of this world? if thats the case then there should be an Alzheimers advocate to carry these people thru morning and evening prayer,vespers,Liturgys until there death...........

[Nikodemus]

I is typical for catholics to focus on the intellects relationship with God. In baptism God cleans the spirit from sin, and the heart is opened to the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Chrismation. What happens when we take eucharist, we can never understand with our intellect and will, we can only sense it in our spirits, in our hearts. A monastic who has been transformed by God through the unceasing prayer has Jesus name inscribed in his heart, and it is in the heart that "The Kingdom of Heaven dwells. Not in our capacity to understand this and this prayer.

[Liudmilla]

I once knew a man, God give him rest and etrenal memory, he suffered from Alzheimers for almost eight years. The one and only place where he was the calmest was in church. Even after he had lost his capacity for speech he still tried to sing with the choir. We believed that he was able to see that which through our sinfulness we cannot. Such was his behavior. The smiles, the singing, the look on his face.

I believe that such people are granted the blessing of paying for their sins here in this world. May we all be so deserving!

Milla

[Tony]

I believe Alzhemeir's in many ways is a gift from God. This form of dementia basically obliterates the ability to form new memories, which in some ways is a sign of mercy for eldery patients who suffer from chronic debilitating medical diseases which leave them fairly incapacitated, often wasting away in nursing homes. Memories from long ago, however, are usually retained for much longer in the disease process (especially monumental,life-defining moments). This allows the person to review their lives, their mistakes and sins, and offers a last chance at penitance.

As for those person (loved ones, etc) who struggle with caring for the person with Alzhemeir's and also watch them slowly fade away, there is a chance to learn humility, patience, meekness and selflessness, as well as realizing how temporal this world is.

It is true what the Holy Father said "Glory be to God for all things"

[Maria]

I once knew a man, God give him rest and etrenal memory, he suffered from Alzheimers for almost eight years. The one and only place where he was the calmest was in church. Even after he had lost his capacity for speech he still tried to sing with the choir. We believed that he was able to see that which through our sinfulness we cannot. Such was his behavior. The smiles, the singing, the look on his face.

I believe that such people are granted the blessing of paying for their sins here in this world. May we all be so deserving!

Milla

Beautiful post.

My dad lost most of his memory due to some kind of senility, but it wasn't Alzheimers.

Anyway, he, a former astrophysicist, died singing the old communion hymn that he sung as a child. That was one thing that he still had the capacity to do. Singing of his love of the Lord was not taken away from him and he witnessed to hundreds of his love of Christ before he died.

Some may have thought that this was a waste of a great mind, but it was the beginning of heaven for him on this earth as he longed for Christ and eternal life.

He had his priorities right.

[Maria]

...

[Martin]

I believe Alzhemeir's in many ways is a gift from God.

:shock:

Are you joking? Have you seen anyone pass away slowly from this. If this was true it would make God out to be a cruel being who enjoys torturing people.