Each year, on February 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the universal Church observes the World Day of the Sick. Blessed Pope John Paul II instituted this commemoration in 1993, at which time he wrote that the World Day of the Sick is to be “a special time of prayer and sharing, of offering one’s suffering for the good of the Church and of reminding everyone to see in his sick brother or sister the face of Christ who, by suffering, dying, and rising, achieved the salvation of mankind.” The Holy Father also noted that the purpose of the observance is “to reach consciences to make them aware of the valuable contribution which human and Christian service to those suffering makes to better understanding among people and, consequently, to building real peace. Indeed, peace presupposes, as its preliminary condition, that special attention be reserved for the suffering and the sick by public authorities, national and international organizations, and every person of good will.”

In that same letter, Pope John Paul II made special appeal to civil authorities, to people of science, and to all those who work in direct contact with the sick, urging them to carry out their responsibilities in a way that deeply serves to care for all who need them. He said, “To make health care more humane and adequate it is, however, essential to draw on a transcendent vision of man which stresses the value and sacredness of life in the sick person as the image and child of God. Illness and pain affect every human being: love for the suffering is the sign and measure of the degree of civilization and progress of a people.”

When we reflect on these words, we can’t help but recognize just how uncivilized our society has become, and we realize that we have much work to do to build a culture of life and a civilization of love.

That “transcendent vision of man” of which Pope John Paul II so often eloquently speaks is quickly being obscured in today’s society. Attempts to legalize physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia seem to be escalating. People have lost sight of the value of the person for their own sake, no matter how compromised that life might appear. Each human person is precious in the eyes of God, and we have an obligation to walk with them in their suffering, not kill the patient whose suffering we cannot bear. The contrast between the path of selfishness and the path of self-giving is glaring indeed.

A little over a year ago, the voters of Massachusetts narrowly defeated a ballot referendum on physician-assisted suicide. Since that time, another bill to legalize PAS has been introduced in the legislature – this one even worse than the first. Other states have quickly followed suit. Increasingly, we recognize the need to continue to vigorously educate on what the Church teaches about end-of-life care.

One of the most profound sources of Church teaching, and one that can help us to reclaim a proper understanding of the human person in light of the suffering which is part of the human condition, is Pope John Paul II’s 1984 Apostolic Letter, Salvifici doloris (On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering). Issued nine years before the first World Day of the Sick, and thirty years ago this year, (not coincidentally on this same feast of Our Lady of Lourdes), this letter’s enduring message is particularly helpful in addressing the issues surrounding sickness and suffering in the present day. Central to this work, as the letter’s title suggests, is the need to gain a better understanding of the salvific meaning of suffering. While our human minds cannot exhaust the mystery, Pope John Paul has indeed opened the door through which we can enter this mystery’s beauty and be propelled into a closer relationship with Christ.

Early on in this letter, the Holy Father comments on suffering’s universal character, observing that suffering “takes place in different ways, it assumes different dimensions; nevertheless, in whatever form, suffering seems to be, and is, almost inseparable from man’s earthly existence” (n. 3). He also talks about suffering’s purpose and effect: “Suffering must serve for conversion, that is, for the rebuilding of goodness in the subject, who can recognize the divine mercy in this call to repentance. The purpose of penance is to overcome evil, which under different forms lies dormant in man. Its purpose is also to strengthen goodness both in man himself and in his relationships with others and especially with God.” (n. 12); and, he emphasizes the work of love: that in view of the paschal mystery, illness can be seen as an opportunity “to release love, in order to give birth to works of love towards neighbor, in order to transform the whole of human civilization into a civilization of love” (n. 30).

Where the world sees despair, the cross and resurrection of Christ offer abiding hope. In Spe salvi, Pope Benedict offered these words: “A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of helping to share their suffering and to bear it inwardly through compassion is a cruel and inhuman society. … Indeed, to accept the ‘other’ who suffers, means that I take up his suffering in such a way that it becomes mine also. … The Latin word con-solatio, ‘consolation’, expresses this beautifully. It suggests being with the other in his solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude.” (n. 38)

The Church’s ministry of healthcare has a long tradition of walking with those who suffer. Medical professionals, clergy, and other pastoral care workers have a great responsibility in this great vocation of ministering to the sick.

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Pope Francis has given the theme “Faith and Charity: We Ought to Lay Down Our Lives for One Another” to this year’s World Day of the Sick. In his message for the occasion, he expresses a special solidarity with the sick and suffering recognizing in them a “special presence of the suffering Christ”. He goes on to talk about hope and courage. He explains that we have hope because “in the plan of God’s love even the night of pain yields to the light of Easter, and courage enables us to confront every hardship in union with Him.” Pope Francis also notes, “The proof of authentic faith in Christ is self-giving, and the spreading of love for our neighbors.”

If we are to transform the world, self-giving love must be the key to unlocking self-serving hearts. May our witness to Christ by caring for those most vulnerable bear great fruit for the kingdom and lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of His mercy.

Allison LeDoux is the director of the Respect Life Office and the Office of Marriage and Family for the Diocese of Worcester, MA. Mrs. LeDoux serves as coordinator for the New England region of Diocesan Pro-Life Directors and is a member of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference’s Pro-Life/Pro-Family and Health Care Subcommittees. She received her certification in Catholic Health Care Ethics from the National Catholic Bioethics Center in 2007.Mrs. LeDoux and her husband, John, a permanent deacon, are the parents of eight children.

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