Fr. Maloney writes ”On Closing Doors”

America Magazine (Vol. 187 No. 5, August 26, 2002) features an article “On Closing Doors” by Robert P. Maloney, C.M.
Patrick Kavanagh, the Irish poet, once wrote:

We are not alone in our loneliness,
Others have been here and known
Griefs we thought our special own
Problems that we could not solve
Loves that we could not have
Pleasures that we missed by inches.

We all suffer pain, even at times tragedies. They mark us for life, for good or for bad. Those who learn to deal with their darker moments grow, eventually finding light even in the darkness. Little by little they put tragedy into a broader perspective. While dealing with hurts, they refuse to wallow in them. They move forward, changed by painful experiences and renewed by them. Unwilling to let the past dominate their lives, they forge a new future.

A wise counselor once said to me that the ability to close some doors, never to open them again, is one of the principal signs of maturity. Let me suggest five significant moments when door-closing is essential for human, spiritual growth.

Anger
Grief
Failure
Relationships
Irresolvable Issues

The article can be found at http://www.americamagazine.org/

If you have trouble locating it please contact freundj@stjohns.edu for assistance.