World Day of the Sick
Every year, the Catholic family gathers together to pray for the sick as a reminder of our own vulnerability and need for compassion.
The World Day of the Sick was introduced by Pope John Paul II in 1992 to raise awareness and promote solidarity towards those experiencing health issues. At the same time, it is an occasion to be mindful of our own vulnerability. As Pope Francis has stated:
“We are rarely prepared for illness. […] when evil bursts onto the scene and wounds us, we are left stunned. Moreover, others might abandon us at such times. Or, in our own moments of weakness, we may feel that we should abandon others in order to avoid becoming a burden. This is how loneliness sets in, and we can become poisoned by a bitter sense of injustice, as if God himself had abandoned us…”[1]
In those moments of physical and spiritual weakness we can only hope for compassion which “calls for prayer and closeness towards those who suffer.”[2]
Actions such as praying, visiting and taking care of the sick are precisely very important manifestations of the Mission of the Sisters of Providence. From Dodais, the impaired child who was placed under the care of Emilie Gamelin, to the building of the first hospital founded by the Sisters of Providence, the Hôpital St Eusebe in Joliette, Quebec in 1855, our early history was traversed by our consecration to people who suffered from different physical ailments. To this day, some of our sisters are nurses, social workers, or volunteers, serving with devotion and empathy as well as lending support to other health workers. Those sisters who are not directly involved in the health ministry participate in the mission by lifting up their prayers for the healing of the sick.
Recognizing our own vulnerability means accepting that we need to be compassionate towards each other. As Pope Francis stated: “the plight of the sick is a call that cuts through indifference and slows the pace of those who go on their way as if they had no sisters and brothers”.[3]
On this day, let us pray to our Provident God not only for all those who suffer, but also for religious persons and lay people who actively take care of the sick.