As I write
about the World Day of the sick, I have been thinking of a friend who has been
recently diagnosed with cancer. The initial treatment cost about Rs two lakhs.
Then to determine the next course of treatment, she has to submit herself to
many tests, one of which has been costed at 2000 USD, translating itself into
about two and a half lakh rupees. The treatment of course, once determined will
be equally or more expensive. “I have been struck with a rich man’s disease”,
she summed up. As
another February 11 is approaching, it’s necessary to discuss about the
significance of the World day of sick to for those living in India. Like every
developing country, we too have own share of problems in the area of health and
sickness. As Christians and responsible
citizens, we share the responsibility for contributing to the solution.
Pope St. John Paul II first announced the
“World Day of the Sick” on May 13, 1992 and fixed the Feast of Our Lady of
Lourdes, February 11, as the day for its annual observation. It is thought
that the Pope was prompted by his own encounter with Parkinson’s disease, the
year before. Today, “World Day of the Sick” has become an occasion for both the
sick and those who are their care givers who love and care for them. This is
the occasion for us to pray for healing and peace of mind and body and to unite
their sufferings with that of the Lord Jesus. The Lord himself not only sought out
the sick and suffering and not only touched them with miraculous healing, but also
sharing in our humanity, suffered for them and for us all. “In the Cross
of Christ,” wrote Pope St. John Paul II, “not only is the Redemption
accomplished through suffering but also human suffering has been redeemed
(Apostolic Letter Salvifici Doloris, para. 19, February 11 1984). Faith organizations mark this day especially to provide the
sick with medicines, food, and spiritual guidance.
Sickness and sufferings come uninvited. They can
happen to anyone at anytime. The Church believes that every sickness is an
opportunity bestowed upon us by God to know Him better. Only by embracing the
sufferings due to sickness one gets closer to God. By observing World day of
Sick, the Church wants believers to realize the divine and redeeming nature of
sickness and sufferings. There would be very few of us who
have not personally seen or known or loved someone who is sick and
suffering. And most of us have, will at some time in our lives suffer
from illness- be it physical or mental. The health situations and crises
we will meet in our own lives or in the lives of our friends may be the result
of diseases or other sicknesses – hereditary, contracted or maybe accidental–
that are brief or persistent, some perhaps terminal in there nature.
The healing
which Jesus offers to us in our lives is best manifest at the Cross. At Calvary, the Lord Jesus reveals to us that
healing does not indicate that all sickness, suffering and death are banished from
our lives. But then the Crucifixion is followed by the Resurrection. Like the
disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus today too asks of us: “what are these
matters that you are discussing?” In sharing of our misgivings, struggles, anguish
and confusion, we gradually came to recognize Him (like the disciples at
Emmaus) at the breaking of bread. It is worth noting that at the end of the
narrative, the disciples are not anymore sad and grief-stricken when Jesus vanishes
once again, as they would continue to enter into communion with Him at every
breaking of bread henceforth. As then, so now, Jesus remains to call us to
gather around the altar of suffering, spot Him at the fellowship of the
Communion, and to entrust our sorrow and suffering to Him.
India is a large country with a huge population.
Majority of this population lives in villages in spite of an increasing
phenomena of urbanization. Most of them do not have proper healthcare
facilities. Bringing about a positive change in this issue cannot be something
that the government cannot be done alone.
In recognition of this, the Church has been assisting the government in providing healthcare through its many institutions. And as we observe the 25th World
day of Sick this year, we can reflect upon how we can support the Church in its
mission to lessen the sufferings of sick. Challenges in healthcare are many in
the country. So let this World day of sick be an opportunity for us to develop
a sense of empathy towards the sick and support them in all possible ways. Let
us pray to the Lord to strengthen the sick and those who serve them.
