Denver Catholic

44 Though many speak of divorce in "happy talk," with two Christmases, two Thanksgivings and two birthdays, Deacon Weiss said the reality is quite different. "What we've learned since then is that this is really a trauma," he told the Denver Catholic. "A trauma is some- thing where you can't match up what you're experiencing with what your mind is telling you that you should be." Whether the wound of the loss of their parents' love, the wound of silence or any number of other wounds, the adults Deacon Weiss serves often find themselves deeply affected — especially around the holiday season — in ways that many do not understand fully. "Oftentimes, they're told to get with the program," he said, pointing to the mistaken belief that divorce is only between the parents and that it does not involve the chil- dren. This belief often silences the children's reactions, though "it really does affect them," Deacon Weiss shared. The difficulty is only compounded around the holidays, as adult children of divorce and separation find them- selves trying to navigate complex family dynamics and attend multiple, separate Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" can, for them, be a time of great challenge. In the face of such difficulty, Deacon Weiss serves as a beacon of the hope, healing and joy made possible in Christ. Through his ministry with Life-Giving Wounds, he points to the deep wounds of Christ, the source of life for the world, as a source of new life. "Life-Giving Wounds comes from the greatest wounds, which are the wounds of Christ," Deacon Weiss said. "His were the most life-giving because they gave us salvation and victory over death. "We invite Christ into their own wounds. He's the great healer. He's the one that does all the healing," he contin- ued. "Of anybody that could have gotten rid of his wounds in the Upper Room, it would have been Jesus. And he chose to keep his wounds so that he can help us to align our wounds, our hurts, with him and to invite him into those wounds and let him help heal those wounds." As Jesus, the Light of the World, enters into the messy human experience at Christmas and every day, greater healing is made possible through him. Through an ongoing DECEMBER 2024-JANUARY 2025 | DENVER CATHOLIC We invite Christ into their own wounds. He's the great healer. He's the one that does all the healing."

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