Rev. Fr. Augustine Deji Dada
One of the glories of our catholic tradition is the
many institutions founded over the centuries to care for the sick. Heroic women
and men have dedicated their entire lives to caring for the sick and elderly,
and it may be that God is calling you to such a vocation. Our lord Jesus Christ
ministered to the sick by healing peter’s mother-in-law (Mk 1:30-31) and many
who were ill (Mk 1:34). While we are often unsure whether God wills to heal
miraculously or by conventional means, we are sure that he wants us to care for
the sick as a primary way to love Him and the brethren(Mt 25:36, 40).
The apostle James also tells the sick to call for the
elders of the church to pray over them (Js 5:14) and Christians are also
exhorted to pray for one another so that they may be healed (Js 5:16). So it is
clear that Christians are exhorted to take care of the sick and to pray for
healing. However, we find that we are constantly busy, we juggle with demands,
pressures and deadlines which cry out for our attention endlessly every day. We
try to squeeze into our daily schedules, time for God, family, work, studies
and a myriad of other things. We simply find that we have no time and this
tension leads us to the neglect of certain essential responsibilities in the Christian
life. One of these is taking care of each other which include praying for the
sick within our church. Praying for the sick is a spiritual exercise that has
to do with mercy. Illness isolates people, and visits and prayers remind them
that they are not alone.
What can we do to keep this aspect of our God-ordained
ministry alive given our lack of time? Some of us think that we can employ
others to do the job for us. However, we need to realize that this is a Christian
responsibility which is part of our calling as disciples. We need to be honest
with ourselves and God: are we really that busy or can we give the needy some
time by spending less time on our hobbies, fun or leisure?
Perhaps we do not really like to do such things like
taking care of the sick, even if it may be our own relatives, not to say
someone else in the church. Perhaps we find it difficult to pray for a sick
because we don’t like to deal with worrisome issues. We must remember that Jesus
did not hesitate to get involved with needy people. He put others’ needs ahead
of himself. (Mk 6:60-34)
May I suggest some ways to develop a compassionate
heart: ask God to make you sensitive to needy people. Befriend and pray for
them. Encourage them regularly. Attend monthly prayer meetings when we pray for
needy folk. Join the church visitation team. Carry each other’s burdens and so
fulfill the law of Christ (Ga 6:2)
We are told in the book of sirach: “do not shrink from
visiting a sick person, because for such deeds you will be loved” (sir 7:35). The
Good Samaritan gave the unfortunate man soothing medicine, and discerning care
for others is Christ’s prescription, too. So it is our duty to always care for
the sick and most importantly pray for them.
No comments:
Post a Comment