The Unprofitable Servant: Fear of Flying

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Fear of Flying

I love aviation, watching planes take off and land, and generally being around aircraft. Air shows were a staple of our summer weekend, even after the kiddies came along. I have photos of me exiting a C-130 with Caitlin in her stroller. Only one thing - I'm terrified of flying.

We had our pre-Rome meeting tonight and I'm sure it's going to be a spiritually enriching, truly enchanting adventure. Best of all, a priest is flying over with us. I asked Father to make sure he has a stole in his carry-on luggage. He didn't pick up on the hint I was dropping.

"Joyce, Father Michael will have vestments I can use once we get over there. No sense packing what I don't need, especially with baggage fees."

I shook my head.

Later, someone asked Father if we would he say a prayer for us before we leave to have a safe trip. And then I asked him to bring his stole, in case, God forbid, we don't.

"Ohhhhh!" he said, when he finally got it.

That'd be something . A priest hearing confessions on an airplane.

6 comments:

Kathy Felsted UsherSeptember 7, 2011 at 7:50 PM
You'll be fine! I read that your chances of even being in an airline incident, not even a crash, are something like 1 in over 11 million. Compare that to actually perishing in a car accident which is somewhere around 1 in 5,000. Glad you are getting to go to Rome!
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CarolineSeptember 7, 2011 at 8:19 PM
I hate to say I understand, but I have only 2 emotions on a plane: Are we there yet and get me down from here. : ) I will pray for the Lord to show you how to enjoy the time you'll have in flight. +
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MannySeptember 7, 2011 at 9:37 PM
Having confession on a plane!!! LOL!! That cracked me up. Don't worry Joyce. It's really safer than a car. It really is. If you're one of those people that have a physical fear of flying (not just scared but literally shaking and panicing) then there are some relaxants that you could get with a prescription.

Rome is fabulous by the way. I was there ten years ago, roughly the same weeks you're going. We went three weeks after Sept 11th. We were actually kind of scared to fly because of the 9/11 but we couldn't return our tickets. So we chanced it. ;)
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DanielSeptember 7, 2011 at 9:40 PM
I have a similar fear, which is of heights. I loathe to be in high places. Oddly enough I don't fear planes, and in fact had applied to flight school before becoming a seminarian. During my many journeys up high buildings while in Europe I had to deal with my fear. I found that faith can alleviate the fear. I kept reminding myself that even if something does happen to me, it simply means that it is my time. It's the basic Christian idea of not fearing death, because it leads us to God. This of course can be tough, but God always provides the grace needed.
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KellySeptember 8, 2011 at 9:30 AM
Flying in a larger plane, which you will since it's trans-Atlantic, is like sitting in a big room for a while. The felt motions of flying are minimal. Take off (I find) is quick and easy to weather if you've ever been on a fast amusement park ride. If you lay your head back on the seat rest, it is actually most relaxing. Landing, is slightly bumpy, and the feeling is similar to braking hard in a car, only more drawn out. My biggest difficulty with flying is that I have sensitive ears/sinuses. So I take a sudafed or some other drying agent, to ease the ear pain. I have yet to find anyone that goes through it to the degree I do, though. I think you will find it all quite pleasant! Take. Pictures. lol
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TLWSeptember 8, 2011 at 7:16 PM
I found out the flight there is 9 hours and the flight back is 10. 8 is the longest I've ever flown. I'm not a panicky flyer, I just secretly suffer in silence. Every noise I can't explain is a potential disaster in my warped mind. The flight to Panama two years ago was horrible. Tons of turbulence and an overly-warm cabin made me wonder if I was going to need a paper bag. I survived, and no one else was the worse for it because I kept it all to myself. Thanks for the advice! Joyce
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Mary, Queen of Peace

Ever glorious and blessed Mary, Queen of Virgins, Mother of Mercy, hope and comfort of dejected and desolate souls, through that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender heart whilst thine only Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord, suffered death and ignominy on the cross; through that filial tenderness and pure love He had for thee, grieving in thy grief, whilst from His cross He recommended thee to the care and protection of His beloved disciple, St. John, take pity, I beseech thee, on my poverty and necessities; have compassion on my anxieties and cares; assist and comfort me in all my infirmities and miseries, of every kind whatsoever. Thou art the Mother of Mercies, the sweet comforter and only refuge of the needy and the orphan, of the desolate and afflicted. Cast, therefore, an eye of pity on a miserable, forlorn child of Eve, and hear my prayer; for since, in just punishment of my sins, I find myself encompassed by a multitude of evils, and oppressed with much anguish of spirit, wither can I fly for more secure shelter, O amiable Mother of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, than under the wings of thy maternal protection? Attend, therefore, I beseech thee, with an ear of pity and compassion, to my humble and earnest request. I ask it, through the bowels of mercy of thy dear Son; Through that love and condescension wherewith He embraced our nature, when, in compliance with the divine Will, thou gavest thy consent, and whom, after the expiration of nine months thou didst bring forth from the chaste enclosure of thy womb, to visit the world, and bless it with His presence. I ask it, through that anguish of mind wherewith thy beloved Son, our dear Saviour, was overwhelmed on the Mount of Olives, when He besought His eternal Father to remove from Him, if possible, the bitter chalice of His future passion. I ask it, through the threefold repetition of His prayers in the garden, whence afterwards, with dolorous steps and mournful tears, thou didst accompany Him to the doleful theatre of His death and sufferings. I ask it, through the welts and bruises of His virginal flesh, occasioned by the cords and whips wherewith He was bound and scourged, when stripped of His seamless garment, for which His executioners afterwards cast lots. I ask it, through the scoffs and ignominies by which He was insulted; the false accusations and unjust sentence by which He was condemned to death, and which He bore with heavenly patience. I ask it, through His bitter tears and bloody sweat; His silence and resignation; His sadness and grief of heart. I ask it, through the blood which trickled from His royal and Sacred Head, when struck with the sceptre of a reed and pierced with His crown of thorns. I ask it, through the excruciating torments He suffered, when His hands and feet were fastened with gross nails to the tree of the cross. I ask it, through His vehement thirst, and bitter potion of vinegar and gall. I ask it, through His dereliction on the cross when He exclaimed, "My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?" I ask it, through His mercy extended to the good thief, and through His recommending His precious soul and spirit into the hands of His eternal Father before He expired, saying, "It is consummated." I ask it, through the blood mixed with water, which issued from His Sacred Side when pierced with a lance, and whence a flood of grace and mercy has flowed to us. I ask it, through His immaculate life, bitter passion and ignominious death on the cross, at which nature itself was thrown into convulsions, by the bursting of rocks, rending of the veil of the Temple, the earthquake, and the darkness of the sun and moon. I ask it, through His descent into hell, where He confronted the Saints of the old law with His presence, and led the captivity captive. I ask it, through His glorious victory over death, when He arose again to life on the third day, and through the joy which His appearance for forty days after gave thee, His blessed Mother, His Apostles, and the rest of His Disciples; when in thine and their presence He miraculously ascended into heaven. I ask it, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, infused into the hearts of His Disciples, when He descended upon them in the form of fiery tongues, and by which they were inspired with zeal in the conversion of the world, when they went to preach the gospel. I ask it, through the awful appearance of thy Son, at the last dreadful day, when He shall come to judge the living and the dead, and the world, by fire. I ask it, through the compassion He bore thee in His life, and the unspeakable joy thou didst feel at thine assumption into heaven, where thou art eternally absorbed in the sweet contemplation of His divine perfections. O glorious and ever blessed Virgin! comfort the heart of thy supplicant, by obtaining for me, (Mention your prayer intention here...) And as I am persuaded my Divine Saviour doth honour thee as His beloved Mother, to whom He refuses nothing, because thou asketh nothing contrary to His honour, so let me speedily experience the efficacy of thy powerful intercession, according to the tenderness of thy maternal affection, and His filial loving heart, who mercifully granteth the requests and complieth with the desires of those that love and fear Him. Wherefore, O most blessed Virgin, beside the object of my present petition, and whatever else I may stand in need of, obtain for me also of thy dear Son, our Lord and our God, a lively faith, firm hope, perfect charity, true contrition of heart, unfeigned tears of compunction, sincere confession, condign satisfaction, abstinence from sin, love of God and my neighbour, contempt of the world, patience to suffer affronts and ignominies, nay, even, if necessary, an opprobrious death itself, for love of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Obtain likewise for me, O sacred Mother of God, perseverance in good works, performance of good resolutions, mortification of self-will, a pious conversation through life, and, at my last moments, strong and sincere repentance, accompanied by such a lively and attentive presence of mind, as may enable me to receive the last Sacrament of the Church worthily, and die in thy friendship and favour. Lastly, obtain through thy Son, I beseech thee, for the souls of my parents, brethren, relatives and benefactors, both living and dead, life everlasting, from the only Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Lord God Almighty, to Whom be all power now and forever. Amen.

Prayer of St. Bonaventure

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with entire love and longing for Thee, may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.
Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and super substantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste.
May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the fullness of the house of God;
may it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the end; and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen.

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The Unprofitable Servant

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Fear of Flying

6 comments:

Mary, Queen of Peace

St Michael the Archangel

St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

St. Teresa Benedicta of The Cross