Does Your Faith Still Sustain You Post-Cancer?

It’s been three years since I wrote this post, and I still rely on my faith daily. Does your faith still sustain you post-cancer? While some of my routines have changed, my faith hasn’t faltered. I feel so lucky to have such a strong foundation. Do you believe in God? Do you turn to him when tragedy strikes? If not, what do you do?

My faith is crucial to my outwittinglife journey. It came front and center when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer. It was my “go-to” to survive. I believe everything happens for a reason, and God has a hand in it. By praying, I feel I am working with Him, which comforts me.

I am sure you have heard that everyone’s cancer journey is uniquely theirs. I agree with this, and I would like to add that everyone’s faith journey through cancer is different.

Keeping Your Faith

Some people fall away from their faith when cancer strikes. How could God possibly allow me to get cancer? While others gravitate towards it. They ask God for comfort and guidance to accept his will. I fell into the latter category; my faith became stronger during my cancer journey.

Praying comes naturally to me. I have been doing it every night for as long as I can remember. Some nights I stick to rote prayers. Other nights I have long, one-sided conversations with God. But, I always say my prayers before I go to sleep. I am so happy I already had this habit long before the Big C entered my world. For me, there is power in prayers of all kinds. Here is a website that offers prayers you might like. https://www.amm.org/praywithus/bcaner.aspx. Plus, a copy of the Notre Dame prayer book https://science.nd.edu/assets/270157/prayerbook.pdf.

Have you ever heard of group prayer? Before getting sick, I was not familiar with it. Many people would text me and say, “You are in my prayers, or I’ll pray for you,” and I took comfort in that. But, that was not a group prayer. Tracy, one of my book club friends, organized a group prayer for me. It was the most incredible thing!

First, she found a special prayer specific to healing breast cancer, then she distributed it to friends and family who agreed to be part of the group prayer. Lastly, she set up a day and time and asked everyone to recite the prayer at that exact time from wherever they were. This way, God would be barraged with requests to heal me all at once. Surely he couldn’t ignore all those prayers. How cool is that? It still gives me chills!

Side note: I had an opportunity to coordinate a group prayer for a dear friend who needed a heart transplant. I adapted the cancer prayer to incorporate her needs. She is now five years post-transplant and doing fabulous. She retired to Florida with her family and is hopefully reading this post from a lounge chair at the pool!

I was fortunate enough to participate in an anointing of the sick mass at Our Lady of Victory Church (OLV) in Floral Park. It was a Saturday morning, and my family and friends were in attendance. I had a chemotherapy infusion two days prior and was not feeling well. There were five or six of us receiving the Sacrament. The priest asked us to approach the altar in the middle of the mass. I was praying that I would not collapse.

Having the priest anoint my forehead in front of the congregation was surreal. I remember thinking, how can it be possible that I am so sick that I need to receive this Sacrament? It was one of the most emotional moments of my life.

According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website, “When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it is God’s will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age.” I distinctly felt a wave of peace come over me after Father Tom anointed me. It was quite a memorable day.

When my treatments ended, I needed to figure out a way to get my strength back and increase my stamina. Morning mass at OLV became my new ritual. It gave me the purpose of getting out of bed every day, and it was just what I needed.

Daily Mass Post-Cancer

Remember, earlier, I told you I love to pray? This was right up my alley! Daily mass is very interesting too. There is a distinct vibe to daily mass. People sit in the same pew each day. No one shakes hands at the “Sign of Peace.” You make eye contact, nod, and say, “peace be with you.” I still remember the shock on a woman’s face when I extended my hand to her. Rookie mistake!

Daily mass is much shorter than Sunday mass. Verses replace songs, and there is one reading before the Gospel instead of two. I had to learn the daily mass format. It was straightforward and to the point, and I enjoyed that.

When I returned to work in NYC, I attended the 7:15 am mass at St. Francis of Assisi (near Penn Station) before work each day. It was a terrific way to begin my day. Usually, many transients were in attendance, but after a couple of weeks, I figured out the “regulars.” I prayed for the homeless as I passed so many on my way to the church from Penn Station.

I am no longer working in the city. My current work conditions do not allow me to attend daily mass, and I miss it. Sometimes I watch mass on YouTube at night. Amazingly, you can pick a parish and view their daily mass—one of the positive things that came out of Covid 19.

My faith sustained me through my fight with cancer. I am convinced that prayers work, and God gave me the strength I needed to get well. Sure, many people have gotten through illness without relying on faith. But it worked for me. It’s like I said earlier, everyone’s journey is different.

I thank God daily for my blessings and credit my faith for getting me through the most challenging times of my cancer journey. I am living proof that you can keep your faith through cancer.

Has your faith changed in the past few years? Why do you think that is? Please comment below if I have said anything that resonated with you.

P.S. This post originally appeared in September of 2019. A friend asked me if my faith views changed after battling breast cancer, so I decided to re-visit this piece.