Week Beginning July 21, 2024
Sacramental Healing
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Illness and suffering have always been among the gravest problems confronted in human life. In illness, man experiences his powerlessness, his limitations, and his finitude. Every illness can make us glimpse death” (CCC 1500). “Illness can lead to anguish, self-absorption, sometimes even despair and revolt against God. It can also make a person more mature, helping him discern in his life what is not essential so that he can turn toward that which is. Very often illness provokes a search for God and a return to him” (CCC 1501). When viewed in this light, pastoral care of the sick is critical for the salvation of souls.
Thus, when someone is ill, we entrust the care of their body to the medical community and the care of their soul to an ordained Catholic priest. In the New Testament, Saint James the Apostle asks: “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14-16).
Saint Anthony of Padua reflects that “The life of the body is the soul; the life of the soul is God.” When injury, illness, and old age reveal the fragility and limits of our human lives, we find peace, hope, and comfort in our faith. Through the sacraments, Jesus remains with us in the face of mortality, preparing us for our heavenly destination. Saint John Chrysostom explains that “The priests of Judaism had power to cleanse the body from leprosy–or rather, not to cleanse it at all, but to declare a person as having been cleansed…Our priests have received the power not of treating with the leprosy of the body, but with spiritual uncleanness; not of declaring cleansed, but of actually cleansing…Priests accomplish this not only by teaching and admonishing, but also by the help of prayer. Not only at the time of our regeneration [in baptism], but even afterward, they have the authority to forgive sins.”
Pope Francis describes the sacraments as “the manifestation of the Father’s tenderness and love towards each of us.” The Catechism teaches us that “Sacraments are ‘powers that comes forth’ from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving. They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in his Body, the Church. They are ‘the masterworks of God’ in the new and everlasting covenant” (CCC 1116). The Most Reverend Bishop Robert Barron states: “All the sacraments have a deifying purpose: Baptism introduces the Divine Life into us. Confession restores it when it’s lost through sin. Confirmation strengthens it. Matrimony and Holy Orders give it vocational direction. Anointing of the Sick prepares us for the transition to our heavenly homeland. And the Eucharist is meant to Christify us.”
The Catechism tells us how sacramental healing is a part of God’s plan for the salvation of mankind. “The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation. ‘Sacramental grace’ is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament. The Spirit heals and transforms those who receive him by conforming them to the Son of God. The fruit of the sacramental life is that the Spirit of adoption makes the faithful partakers in the divine nature by uniting them in a living union with the only Son, the Savior” (CCC 1129). It continues: “Christ invites his disciples to follow him by taking up their cross in their turn. By following him they acquire a new outlook on illness and the sick. Jesus associates them with his own life of poverty and service. He makes them share in his ministry of compassion and healing” (CCC 1506).
Note that sacraments are administered to the living. Although the sacraments of initiation and matrimony can be performed on an emergency basis, the ordinary healing sacraments are penance and anointing of the sick. The Eucharist also contributes to healing by nourishing and strengthening our souls (CCC 1394). Do not wait until it is too late to receive sacramental grace, “for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13).
Penance–also referred to as reconciliation and confession–allows us to encounter Christ’s mercy, restore grace lost from sin, and repair a loving communion with God and the Church. Saint Ambrose considers this to be one of the two conversions, “water and tears: the water of Baptism and the tears of repentance.” The Catechism lists the spiritual effects of penance as: “reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace; reconciliation with the Church; remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins; remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin; peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation; an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle” (CCC 1496).
Sacrosanctum Concilium clarifies that anointing of the sick is not reserved exclusively for the dying. It “is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as any one of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived” (SSC 73). This sacrament imparts four effects on the recipient. The first benefit is the gift of grace from the Holy Spirit for strength, peace, and courage to overcome difficulties of suffering, to renew trust in the Lord, to resist temptation toward discouragement and anguish, and to forgive sins. This particular healing is intended for the soul and also the body if it is God’s will (CCC 1520). The second gift unites the suffering to the Passion of Christ, fostering participation in the saving work of Jesus (CCC 1521). The third effect is an ecclesial grace stemming from the second gift. The Church in the communion of saints intercedes for the sick, and the sick in turn contribute to the sanctification of the Church and the good of all (CCC 1522). Finally, the sacrament prepares those who are departing from this life for their final journey (CCC 1523).
“If the sacrament of anointing of the sick is given to all who suffer from serious illness and infirmity, even more rightly is it given to those at the point of departing this life; so it is also called sacramentum exeuntium (the sacrament of those departing). The Anointing of the Sick completes our conformity to the death and Resurrection of Christ, just as Baptism began it. It completes the holy anointings that mark the whole Christian life: that of Baptism which sealed the new life in us, and that of Confirmation which strengthened us for the combat of this life. This last anointing fortifies the end of our earthly life like a solid rampart for the final struggles before entering the Father’s house” (CCC 1523).
As our earthly pilgrimage is about to end, penance is combined with anointing of the sick and reception of the Eucharist as “viaticum” (CCC 1525). These “Last Rites” are the same sacraments we receive throughout our lives, intensified to guide us to our eternal rest. Viaticum literally translates from Latin to mean “provision for a journey.” When taken as the final “sacrament of passing over from death to life, from this world to the Father,” the Eucharist serves as “the seed of eternal life and the power of resurrection, according to the words of the Lord” (CCC 1524). This ultimate healing of the spirit and preparation of the soul is a great source of consolation for those who no can no longer hope for bodily health.
The Church provides additional sacramentals for people in grave danger of death. The Commendation of the Dying is a set of prayers to help ease the transition into the afterlife. The Apostolic Pardon provides a plenary indulgence through an apostolic blessing by a priest. If a priest is not available, any Catholic is eligible to receive this terminal pardon if they practice the habit of reciting prayers during their lifetime. Using a cross or crucifix is commendable to obtain this indulgence.
Of course, the best way to die well is to live well, to spend your life in obedience to God with faithful and frequent reception of the sacraments. Theologian and philosopher Peter Kreeft observes that “Sacraments are like hoses. They are the channels of the living water of God’s grace. Our faith is like opening the faucet. We can open it a lot, a little, or not at all.” For those who keep their faucets closed, receiving the sacraments prior to death can mean the difference between eternal salvation and eternal damnation.
This week, consider the transformative power of sacramental care. If you know a Catholic in need of spiritual healing, encourage them to seek pastoral guidance. Many hospitals and nursing homes have chaplaincy departments that can help you arrange a visit by a priest. For the homebound, contact the local parish for support. Saint Caesarius of Arles remarks: “As often as some infirmity overtakes a man, let him who is ill receive the body and blood of Christ; let him humbly and in faith ask the presbyters for blessed oil, to anoint his body, so that what was written may be fulfilled in him.”
Week Beginning July 14, 2024
Human Dignity
In the face of illness, it is hard to feel “dignified.” More likely, we feel compromised, constrained, vulnerable, exposed, confused, and afraid. During our healthcare encounters, we are placed in a “waiting room” and referred to as “patients.” It’s no wonder we feel a bit subservient when we seek treatment. Fortunately, respecting our dignity is an important aspect of medical ethics and patient care. Healthcare providers now emphasize choice, autonomy, accessibility, fairness, inclusion, privacy, comfort, and security within our interactions. Those who care for the sick are sensitive to our human frailties and concerns. As compassionate guardians and servants of human life, they are also keenly aware of the overarching dignity of the human person.
From a philosophical perspective, humans are the only earthly creatures that possess free will, the capacity to reason, and the ability to evaluate the morality of decisions. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations states: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
This is a major step forward in declaring our human dignity and intrinsic rights. It forms the basis for our accountability regarding our decisions and implores us to act morally. However, defining our worth and our liberties solely on the basis of our birth, rationality, and conscience creates a void concerning the value of human life in cases where those criteria are lacking. Examples include the unborn, the unconscious, the cognitively impaired, and the mentally ill. It also creates a subjective valuation of life for those whose quality of life, contributions to society, or ability to consent are diminished. In those types of cases, human life can be jeopardized if the financial cost, the level of care, or the perceived level of suffering become the main factors for assessing viability. The boundaries of moral behavior are blurred when the guidelines for morality are not a natural extension of God’s reason and will.
From a theological perspective, our human dignity derives from God who creates mankind in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that “Endowed with a spiritual soul, with intellect and with free will, the human person is from his very conception ordered to God and destined for eternal beatitude. He pursues his perfection in ‘seeking and loving what is true and good’ (GS 15 § 2)” (CCC 1711). Everything good comes from God. His free and gratuitous gifts–including our lives, abilities, and rights–can only be taken away by Him. The Catechism continues: “Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being (Donum Vitae)” (CCC 2258).
Our ontological human dignity is indelible. The 2024 Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Dignitas Infinita explains: “Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter. This principle, which is fully recognizable even by reason alone, underlies the primacy of the human person and the protection of human rights.” Pope Francis affirms that “the dignity of others is to be respected in all circumstances, not because that dignity is something we have invented or imagined, but because human beings possess an intrinsic worth superior to that of material objects and contingent situations. This requires that they be treated differently.” The Catechism states: “Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons” (CCC 357).
Dignitas Infinita recalls that Jesus himself reveals our dignity through his Incarnation, preaching, and ministry. It summarizes: “By uniting himself with every human being through his Incarnation, Jesus Christ confirmed that each person possesses an immeasurable dignity simply by belonging to the human community; moreover, he affirmed that this dignity can never be lost. By proclaiming that the Kingdom of God belongs to the poor, the humble, the despised, and those who suffer in body and spirit; by healing all sorts of illnesses and infirmities, even the most dramatic ones, such as leprosy; by affirming that whatever is done to these individuals is also done to him because he is present in them: in all these ways, Jesus brought the great novelty of recognizing the dignity of every person, especially those who were considered ‘unworthy.’”
Pope Saint John Paul II describes how Christ does this through love: “Jesus did not only treat and heal the sick, but he was also a tireless promoter of health through his saving presence, teaching and action. His love for man was expressed in relationships full of humanity, which led him to understand, to show compassion and bring comfort, harmoniously combining tenderness and strength. He was moved by the beauty of nature, he was sensitive to human suffering, he fought evil and injustice. He faced the negative aspects of this experience courageously and, fully aware of the implications, communicated the certainty of a new world. In him, the human condition showed its face redeemed and the deepest human aspirations found fulfillment.” Importantly, Jesus gave his life for the salvation of mankind, not for the salvation of any other creatures.
Acta Apostolicae Sedis states: “By taking the interrelationship of these two dimensions, the human and the divine, as the starting point, one understands better why it is that man has unassailable value: he possesses an eternal vocation and is called to share in the trinitarian love of the living God” (N 8: AAS 100 (2008), 863). The Catechism notes that “The human body shares in the dignity of ‘the image of God’: it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit” (CCC 364).
Viewing human dignity through the theological lens returns the ultimate authority over our existence to God. It has serious moral implications regarding the reverence we exhibit toward others. Created in the image of God, every human life is sacred, possesses inherent dignity, and has infinite worth. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
From this perspective, healthcare decisions are moral decisions with eternal consequences. It becomes our duty to protect, preserve, and promote all life from conception to natural death. As such, we must honor and care for our bodies and live for the eternal nature of our souls. “Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for His honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of” (CCC 2280).
Humans have free will, which empowers us to make the choices we perceive as good. We are not, however, endowed with a license to act recklessly, live destructively, and create our own version of reality. We are called to live in communion with God and with others. Loving God and loving thy neighbor are the keys to respecting the dignity of the human person. When we are placed in the position of caring for others, our Divine Physician shows us how to respond with charity. He teaches us to approach each person in need as another self, also created in God’s image. He comforts the suffering with the Good News of the Kingdom. And he invites all of us to come and follow him.
This week, think about advances in medicine, controversial procedures that are labeled as “rights,” and care you would like for yourself and your loved ones. Evaluate these options from a theological perspective. Do they promote, preserve, and protect life as God intended? Are they aligned with our ontological human dignity? The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops remarks: “We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.” When it comes to making healthcare decisions, ask yourself “in our modern world, what would Jesus do?”
Week Beginning July 7, 2024
Why?
When providing pastoral care to the sick, the first and most common question people ask is “why?” Why would a good God create suffering? Why would God allow suffering if He loves us? Why has God abandoned us? Why me? Why do we suffer?
As limited human creatures of an infinite God, the honest and humble answer is that we may never fully fathom why God does what He does. That said, we do have some insight through scripture, history, and tradition. We know that only God is purely good (Matthew 19:17, Mark 10:18), and “God is love” (1 John 4:8). We also know that “God created mankind in his image” (Genesis 1:27), and that we are created to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30). God’s plan for us is to live in communion with Him, forever in love, without suffering and without death. That is displayed through the early life of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Out of His perfect love for us, God creates us with the free will to participate in choosing the good and freely seeking union with Him. When we habitually make this choice, we learn to love as an act of self-giving. Our love for God is then built on trust; it gains personal meaning, because we also have the option to reject God. He gives us the ability to rationally and actively determine and select the things that we believe promote our happiness and prevent our misery at the moment of choice. However, He does not control our decisions, our perceptions, and our habits. That means every choice we make has the potential to bring us closer to God when we choose good or to drive us further away from Him when we succumb to evil.
Both humans and angels are created by the immutably good God with a nature that is also good. Lateran Council IV states that “The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing.” Scripture references that the fallen angels irrevocably reject God, thus turning away from good. What we know as evil is a privation or absence of good. Because God’s will is for the good, evil is a deficiency of God’s will. Disobedience to God introduces sin into the world. History illustrates that we are susceptible to the deceitful temptations of the fallen angels. The Catechism of the Catholic Church offers: “It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but ‘we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him’ (Romans 8:28)” (CCC 395).
Adam and Eve make a free choice to reject the will of God when they are tricked by the fallen angel to eat the forbidden fruit. As a consequence, all of humanity (except for Jesus and Mary) experiences Original Sin. Although baptism cleanses our sins and orients us toward God, it does not fully remedy the damage caused by Original Sin. For that reason, we struggle, we suffer, we die. Our passions are disordered, and we do not always make the best selections for ourselves, for others, for creation, and for God. We overlook His eternal good when we give in to temporal desires that provide fleeting rewards. Basically, we malfunction; we are fallible; we are not perfect.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains how our freedom is put to the test: “God created man in His image and established him in His friendship. A spiritual creature, man can live this friendship only in free submission to God. The prohibition against eating ‘of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ spells this out: ‘for in the day that you eat of it, you shall die.’ The ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ symbolically evokes the insurmountable limits that man, being a creature, must freely recognize and respect with trust (Genesis 2:17). Man is dependent on his Creator, and subject to the laws of creation and to the moral norms that govern the use of freedom” (CCC 396). The Catechism confirms that “All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness” (CCC 397).
Despite our brokenness and our sins, the God who is infinite good and infinite love still loves us perfectly. “For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16). He permits His only Son to experience the worst tortures conceived by man–even death on a cross–as atonement for our sins. Why does the purely good and loving God allow this to happen to His Son? He permits His fully human Son who can suffer in our place to bear the infinite weight of our sins as only a fully divine and eternal being can do. He allows his sacrifice to bring about a greater good: Christ’s glorious Resurrection and the hope for salvation of mankind.
Why does He not just call a “do over”? After all, He is God. Although He can and does forgive our sins, we must realize that our actions have consequences. God is also perfectly just. We must turn back to God, repent from our sins, seek His mercy, and offer remediation for our transgressions. Only then can we restore our relationship with Him; only then can we restore His gift of grace necessary for our human flourishing.
Certainly, we contribute to the evil in this world through our sins. But our behavior does not always correlate with our suffering. The Book of Job teaches us that trials do indeed befall upon the just. Although God gives us everything good, he does permit loss to test us, to help us grow, to save us from a greater evil, to produce a greater good, and to prompt us to turn to Him. Bad things do happen to good people. Yet despite our difficulties, God remains with us. In His infinite wisdom, God’s plans for His creatures are better than anything we can comprehend or imagine. Only when we trust in God can we fully experience the richness of union that He intends for us.
Importantly, Job teaches us that when bad things happen, it is not helpful to blame ourselves and to blame God. Rather, we should silence the doubting voices and filter out the noise. Do not trust hate speech and play the blame game. Instead, place your trust in God who is truth, love, and everything good.
Why would a good God create suffering? He did not create it; it was not part of His original plan for mankind. Why would God allow suffering if He loves us? Just like any loving parent, He allows trials for our benefit and the benefit of the world. Why has God abandoned us? It is not God who abandons us, but we who turn our backs on Him. Why me? We may not understand, but we can trust that God has something wonderful planned for your eternal soul and our everlasting life. God loves you. He knows what is best for you. And He wants you to be happy with Him forever.
So why do we suffer? Pope Saint John Paul II reflects that “in order to perceive the true answer to the ‘why’ of suffering, we must look to the revelation of divine love, the ultimate source of the meaning of everything that exists. Love is also the richest source of the meaning of suffering, which always remains a mystery: we are conscious of the insufficiency and inadequacy of our explanations. Christ causes us to enter into the mystery and to discover the ‘why’ of suffering, as far as we are capable of grasping the sublimity of divine love…This answer has been given by God to man in the Cross of Jesus Christ.”
He continues: “The Gospel of suffering is being written unceasingly, and it speaks unceasingly with the words of this strange paradox: the springs of divine power gush forth precisely in the midst of human weakness. Those who share in the sufferings of Christ preserve in their own sufferings a very special particle of the infinite treasure of the world’s redemption, and can share this treasure with others.” Suffering is less about our momentary difficulties and more about the divine mercy, human redemption, and salvation of souls that flow out of God’s love. Uniting our crosses with Christ means that we do share in his pain, but we also have the privilege of sharing in his purpose. This is only possible because he shares in our suffering first.
Pope Benedict XVI states: “it is precisely through the wounds of Christ that we are able to see, with eyes of hope, all the evils that afflict humanity. In rising again, the Lord did not remove suffering and evil from the world, but he defeated them at their root. He opposed the arrogance of evil with the omnipotence of his love. He has shown us, therefore, that the way of peace and joy is love.”
This week, share in God’s purpose by making a habit to offer up all of your inconveniences, stresses, labors, and afflictions as reparations for the sins of humanity and hope for the salvation of souls. Seek out those who undergo serious trouble, and bring the love of our Divine Physician to them through the comforting words of scripture and prayer. Pope Francis advises that “People immersed in the mystery of suffering and pain, when they accept these in faith, can themselves become living witnesses of a faith capable of embracing suffering, even without being able to understand its full meaning.” When those who suffer ask why, show them the love.
