 
|
Learning true compassion from Our Blessed MotherPosted: 02.13.09 On Feb. 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, we observed once again the “World Day of Prayer for the Sick.” Illness – our own or that of a loved one, in whatever form and at whatever age – is a real challenge to all, for through illness we are reminded of our own mortality. The Church in her ministry to the sick and their families seeks to help make the time of illness a unique kairos; that is, an opportune time to help the ill person to find adequate responses to the ultimate questions about human life – questions on the meaning of pain, suffering and death itself, considered not only as an enigma difficult to face, but as a mystery in which Christ incorporates our lives into himself, opening them to a new and definitive birth for the life that will never end. And so, to those who are injured or sick, the Church through her ministry of pastoral care says: Courage, God has not forgotten you. Christ suffers with you. And by offering up your sufferings, you can collaborate with him in the redemption of the world. In this way, Jesus gives meaning to all human suffering. Today, however, in a culture in which the transcendent vocation of man is increasingly obscured, assisted suicide and euthanasia – what are sometimes chillingly called “mercy killing” – are proposed by some as a “compassionate” response to those facing the inevitable decline that accompanies old age or a terminal illness with impending death. “Putting someone out of their misery” becomes a powerful temptation to the problem of human suffering. This is a temptation to which citizens in many European countries and in two states in our nation have already succumbed. However, as Pope Benedict XVI recently said, “(E)uthanasia is a false solution to the drama of suffering, a solution unworthy of man.” Our lives do not belong to ourselves – but to God; and so, the Pope reminds us, “no one can do what he likes with his life or ask another to put an end to it.” Christ gives meaning to human suffering; but he also sought to relieve suffering: In his public ministry, he reached out and touched the sick – even those, like the lepers, whose illnesses evoked fear and revulsion. In his compassion, he healed the lame, the blind, deaf, the hemorrhaging – restoring them to the families and their rightful place in the community. Throughout the ages, Christians in imitation of Christ have dedicated themselves to the care of the sick and dying, seeking to relieve their sufferings. In this way, we bear witness to that love that helps us to face pain and agony in a human way. Palliative care for the relief of pain for those recovering from serious illness or for the comfort of the dying can help combat the “felt need” for euthanasia which is ultimately based on a false compassion. Hospice care – with appropriate palliative medication to manage pain – allows the dying to live each day as fully as possible and thus to accept the end of life with, hopefully, serenity and peace, surrounded and supported by loved ones. The Blessed Mother shared in the painful moments of her Son’s passion and crucifixion. May we learn from her the true compassion, sustained by the hope of the Resurrection, that will allow us to tend to our loved ones when they are dying in a way that is worthy of their dignity as human beings. And may the prayers of St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse, win for each of us the grace of a happy death.
|
Advertisement
|