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Hearing Loss and Deafness

  • Writer: Profiles in Catholicism
    Profiles in Catholicism
  • 6 hours ago
  • 17 min read

A Message from the Editor

 

While deafness itself doesn't inherently bring people closer to God, some individuals with hearing loss have found that their experience with God has deepened or changed due to their deafness. This can involve increased introspection, reliance on other senses, and a unique understanding of God's love and grace.

 

As Trump’s continues efforts that undermined our democracy and move us closer to fascism, we must speak out and ask our political representatives to take whatever means possible to protect our democracy.

 

Donald Trump is a hate monger as evident in his hated of immigrants. He also believes that he is above the law when he sent an innocent man to Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) in Tecoluca where inmates are treated inhumanely and even tortured.



A Russian cluster bomb attack on Ukraine kills dozens, including children and Trump continues to say that Ukraine started the war. Please say the prayer in this issue for the Ukrainian children who were killed.

 

Pope Francis spoke out against anti-immigrant policies through the final months of his life, saying that mass deportation policy “violates the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families” and that "it begins badly and will end badly.”

 

We will. be publishing an interfaith book about food, the profits of which with be distributed to immigration agencies. With multinational radio and television interviews by our contributing readers, we hope to raise more than $200,000.

 

We deeply appreciate all of our readers who have contributed articles, especially those who have contributed several articles, including

 

 

If you have writing and/or editing skills and are interested in participating in this project to help immigrants, please contact Gordon Nary at gnary@catholicprofiles.org

 

A  Quote to Remember

 

“I hope I inspire people who hear. Hearing people have the ability to remove barriers that prevent deaf people from achieving their dreams. “by Marlee Matlin


Prayers

 

A prayer for the deaf and hard of hearing:

 

“Lord, Open My Ear”

 

Our senses, Lord, are an immense gift to each of us, opening upon

So many sides, like diamond windows, jewelled doors, dazzling Notes and which, at the same time, step aside and invite us to draw Close, near and nearer, to the staggering detail, the overwhelming Space of space, so ever stretching out, outreaching our outstretched Reason beckoning us, drawing us to ponder if God exists in reality.

 

We live surrounded by people and, especially in the family, Lord,

There are many precious moments that pass, like a butterfly, a scent

On the air, a passing witticism which, if lost, can often burn up in a

Telling and the retelling, either through impatience or the losing of

The thread as what we saw has gone and what we said was not then

Heard but has vanished, like a deer, into the woods again and gone.

 

But sometimes, Lord, what was said was half-heard by the hard of

Hearing and returns, more than an echo, transformed, and full of

Amusement, tingling with humour, as when my mother was driving

To work, to teach, and said to my father, who barely heard what

She said, and replied, “A giraffe – Where?!” As if we were likely to

See a wild animal on the rural roads of England, tall and humped!

 

And so, Lord, this entered the family lore and has been told and Retold many times, recounted humorously, but also, by contrast,

The tragic, poignant loss of what broke the silence and slipped, so

Like a leaping fish, swiftly up and flipped and flashed, and away, Leaving an impossible to recover moment that, like so many more, Barely broke the silence and turned to grief over what was lost.

 

Oh Lord, there are so many ways that we can engineer an opening,

Or a reopening, of our senses, as we see that your gifts are an ever

Opening gift within a gift, giving us channels into isolation, lights in The dark, communications which do not just go to the distant stars But connect hidden, submerged, isolating losses which endanger the

Very experience of family life and lived living amidst communities.

Thus, Lord, we come to the hard-hearted whose hearing is impacted

In an inner way, surreally surrounded by buffers and comforts, drink

And what clinks, whether metal, or stone, as if wearing what comes From the ground means that we are close to what gives us health, a Crop, a flower, food and beauty, opportunities for rejoicing and, like

A fountain, overflowing, flows away into hidden vaults and tombs.

 

But what masses of locals charge for little profit, making ends meet, Marketing translates into billion-dollar incomes for a few, building

Empires over the dead and dying diggers in dangerous conditions An anonymous, amorphous, face-less, featureless, ragged and rough

Scrambler for that dried crust that may, or may not, fall from the Dirty truck that takes away what was scraped from the rubbly earth. It now, Lord, we are in the days of the death and resurrection of Your holy life that bled upon the earth, which witnessed your torn

Wretched, engulfing death and so, accepting the suffering thrust on

Your flesh, opening wounds that would heal us, we come as beggars

Begging your help to open our ears and hearts, healing our hidden

Deafness, calling out, compassionately, while there is still time:

 

Listen now, while there is still time to heal our deafness!

Let the Lord’s open wounds open a life opening to others!

Or are we going to die in suffocating, sealed, silent hearts?

 

Oh Mary, Mother of the Lord, let us long to listen to your prayer

That even if our wine has run out, that even if we are hard-hearted,

That even if our time is running up to running out, that even if we

Are not just lost, imprisoned in an impossible pride of place, above

All needs, beyond the everyday life of so many people, that even if We are the dead-deaf – your prayer can plant your Son’s word in us!

 

Come, then, let us gather together to listen to the word which opens

Upon who we are and who you are, Lord, lover of life, that we can Hear and live and live now and ever after, not losing but belonging To all who, like Joseph, have lived in the light of being open to love The Lord of life, and love, day in and day out, or hope, in the end, to Love at  the last gasp, to give way in the last half-life left to repent!

by Francis Etheredge, Catholic married layman, father, and author:

Prayer for the victims on the Myanmar earthquake

 

Good and gracious God, 

Hear our plea as a result of the Earthquake. Cardinal Bo States: “We have received a lot of support from church organizations. Caritas Internationalis has been our trusted partner throughout, training our people to deal with natural and man-made disasters,” he explained. “The training and preparation were very helpful. Now they are ready with pledges of humanitarian support for our people.” We ask you, Lord, to assist your people and provide them with the food, shelter and clothing they need for this time. Cardinal Bo states: They urgently need water, water, and medical care, and the injured need urgent care. They need food and shelter. They need to get back to a normal life and believe in themselves and others again.” Cardinal Bo shared a message of hope: “The international Catholic community has pledged its full support. Pope Francis has been a great source of support, and we are deeply moved by the concern shown by the Vatican not only now but throughout these years.” We ask you Lord to stir the hearts of all the global Church to attend to the cause of these people and help them regain the dignity they need as a people of God. We ask you this in the name of the Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

by Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D. Profiles in Catholicism


Prayer for migrants and refugees


There are many refugees, migrants, overseas workers exploited, abused, treated as slaves around the world Lord. You and your parents were refugees in Egypt, inspire your followers to speak out for the migrants and refugees and demand their human rights, may we do all we can to help them. Inspire us to help strangers in need. Amen

by Father Shay Cullen Profiles in Catholicism


Prayer for the Children of Ukraine

 

Oh Lord, we pray for all the people of Ukraine, innocent victims of Russia’s merciless and murderous attack on their country and all who live within it. So many have died, so many have been injured, so many have had to flee from their homes to be able to survive. We pray for all Ukrainians in this time of great need and suffering. Oh Lord, we pray especially for the children of Ukraine whose lives have been so seriously disrupted, who are living in poverty, living with injuries, living with the knowledge that many of their relatives and friends have died, and whom they will never see again. Oh Lord, we pray for the children who have died and we pray for those who have, so far, survived. May those who have died rest in your Peace, Oh Lord. May those who survive be found by their families. May they receive the care that they need, To heal from their suffering, pain and trauma. And live to rebuild their lives and their country. Amen by Dr. Eugene Fisher Profiles in Catholicism


Hearing Loss and Deafness Interviews

 

 

General Interviews

 

 

Hearing Loss and Deafness General Articles and Commentaries



Hearing Loss and Deafness Medical Journal Articles

 


General Articles and Commentaries


Book Reviews Commentaries, and Endoresen

 


Film Reviews and Commentaries

 

  • CODA Reviewed by Candice Frederick National Catholic Register

  • Jesus: A Deaf Missions  Announcement/Commentary by Kathryn Post Religion News Service

  • The Boy from Milan

    Commentary by Francesca Pollio Catholic News Agency/The Catholic World Report

  • Moses the Black

    by Francesca Pollio Fenton Catholic News Agency/The Catholic World Report


Television Reviews and Commentaries


 

Theater Reviews and Commentaries

 

          

Resources

 


Videos

 

Deaf Gain - A Documentary Film

 

The Story of Deaf Club Culture Changing Over Last 30 Years

 

Deaf man shares scenes from Kirkland, Washington

 

Deaf Domestic Violence Victims Resources in ASL


Domestic violence in the deaf community

 
 

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