Bishop Paul Mason, Lead Bishop for Health and Social Care, issued a reflection on the World Day of the Sick saying that we must remember how crucial palliative and hospice care is, particularly in light of recent debates about the end of life.
‘Hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:5) but strengthens us in times of trial’
On this Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, we mark the 33rd World Day of the Sick and call to mind all those who experience physical and mental suffering in our communities and those who care for them. In this special Year of Jubilee, when we have been invited on a spiritual journey as ‘pilgrims of hope’, it is particularly appropriate to remember and reflect on the virtue and value of hope in facing our suffering and the suffering of others. In his message for the 33rd World Day of the Sick, the Holy Father Pope Francis recognises the difficulty of holding onto hope in times of suffering. “How can we be strong, for example, when our bodies are prey to severe, debilitating illnesses that require costly treatment that we may not be able to afford?” While it can be difficult to find comfort and strength in times of trial, Pope Francis invites us to reflect on three ways in which God remains close to those who are suffering.
First, a time of suffering can be time of close encounter with God. We can see from Scripture that Christ and his disciplines spent much time with those who were sick in different ways. It is often in times of sickness that we can find a particular and unexpected intimacy with God. As Pope Francis describes, suffering can lead us to “the discovery of a solid rock to which we can hold fast amid the tempests of life”, as we draw strength from the constancy of God’s love for us.
Secondly, and in a challenging way, suffering can become a gift by which we receive a deeper understanding and experience of God’s faithful love for us in all circumstances. The idea that suffering can be a gift is not, in any way, intended to undermine the painful and distressing reality of physical and mental sickness. Rather, suffering can create an opportunity for us, in the middle of our pain and distress, to carry our cross alongside Christ and experience the tender care of a loving God. As Pope Francis writes, “we can share with him our anxieties, concerns and disappointments, and listen to his word, which enlightens us and warms our hearts.”
Thirdly, times of sickness can create space for the sharing of love and care that can deepen our relationships with others. Pope Francis has emphasised that “we are ‘angels’ of hope and messengers of God for one another, all of us together: whether patients, physicians, nurses, family members, friends, priests, men and women religious”. By loving others in their time of need, we also grow in hope of the possibility of experiencing love and finding strength even in the midst of dreadful suffering.
On this 33rd World Day of the Sick, as we consider how we might be pilgrims of hope even in times of illness and suffering, we particularly remember the importance of caring for those towards the end of their lives. At a time of much public debate around the value of life in cases of terminal and progressive illness, we should remember that genuine compassion means walking with those who need care, sharing in their suffering and together living out the hopeful possibility of finding love and strength in even the toughest times.
The Right Reverend Paul Mason, Catholic Bishop of the Forces
Lead Bishop for Health and Social Care
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
