FOR THE SICK AND THE SUFFERING
I would like to begin
today's reflection with a prayer: "O God, Your Son accepted our sufferings
to teach us the virtue of patience in human illness. Hear the prayers we offer
for our sick sisters and brothers. May all who suffer pain, illness or disease
realize that they are chosen to be saints, and know that they are joined to
Christ in His suffering for the salvation of the world, Who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."
Today, we celebrate the feast of Our
Lady of Lourdes. We also celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Sick. This
can serve as a reminder of Jesus' reputation - that of a great healer. The sick
people of Jesus' day were often assumed to be on God's wrong side and as such,
were often excluded from society. Healing was rare. While medicine is now a
science that is able to help many people recover from illness, it is still true
that a caring, human touch, can also have a healing effect. Many from all over
the world still go to Lourdes - the greatest of Marian shrines - seeking a
miracle of healing.
In Mark's Gospel, we read that whatever
village, town, or countryside that Jesus and His disciples went to, people came
and laid the sick in marketplaces, begging Jesus that they might touch only the
tassel of His cloak. Those who did touch it were healed. Jesus always showed
His compassion and mercy in difficult moments. He prayed for them and touched
them, making them whole.
What is the real miracle in all of this?