One of the struggles of becoming seriously sick is that it is hard to keep your spirits up. In fact, a common side effect of any physical or emotional illness is we often slide into some form of mental illness, often without realizing it. One of the most common is mild depression. A prolonged delay in treating this malady can lead to a deeper slide into a more serious mental illness alongside the physical illness. We are fragile beings that need to be attentive to our well-being most especially at times of illness.
Additionally, a little documented side effect of any physical, emotional, and mental illness is the slide into spiritual illness. Most doctors fail to address this potential and indeed most of us pay little attention to it in our own lives because it is rarely acknowledged or understood. When we are seriously ill, it is very hard to pray and as a consequence it is difficult to maintain our spiritual strength. If we endure any prolonged or chronic illness, then the spiritual side effects can be devastating.
We traditionally call spiritual illness “sin” but the challenge with that name is it is mostly misunderstood. We tend to understand “sin” as willfully disobeying God’s commands and people often believe that it deserves punishment or sanction (as in withholding some good from someone, such as the Eucharist or other sacrament in response to their sin.) But if we understand “sin” as a “spiritual wound or illness” then we open ourselves to being spiritual doctors or nurses caring for someone who is “hurt or injured.” We might wonder how they got injured or wounded but we first treat the wound or illness. This is Pope Francis’ constant call to us with each other—he challenges us to care for each other as “sinners” as in “spiritually wounded or sick” in need of love and support.
When we care for each other there is a special connection made between our souls. If you can remember back to a time when you were seriously sick, think of how vulnerable you were and think of those who cared for us. We remember their kindness, their gentleness, and their loving care. Those are moments that humble us and inspire us.
I remember vividly when I had my first back surgery of fusion of 3 of my vertebrae in 1997. I was in constant pain for weeks on end and the medication was of little help. I could not get out of bed without help. I could not dress myself without help. It was particularly humiliating because I could not reach my toes and so I could not put on my socks or underwear. I would rather stay in bed than ask for help! I was not pleasant in this state and I was very sinful in the way I treated others because I was sick. But my brother was so kind and so gentle he would dismiss my protests and dress me ever so casually and made no fuss about it. When my roommate was called to do the same thing one day, as my brother was traveling, he had witnessed my brother doing it and was able to do so without much effort. It was a humbling experience, but I will never forget the care and love I was given in those weak moments. I was healed through their love and oh yes, my back healed!
Community plays a powerful role in our healing when we are sick and in need of care. That community ought not to be just our immediate family but our wider community. We need to care for each other, and I see that so many times here at Saint Simon. Recently, I witnessed a beautiful example of this reality. A long-time parishioner died last Tuesday at home peacefully and one of his neighbors called me to be with his wife at this moment. We gathered around her and prayed with her husband and with her. Several neighbors came and were with her and stayed with her and her family. Wow! How beautiful! That is the Body of Christ in action loving her and healing her in her woundedness.
This weekend at all Masses we will celebrate the sacrament of anointing of the sick and it is our opportunity as a community to care for our brothers and sisters who are sick. While we pray for the healing of their physical, emotional, or mental illnesses we also pray for their spiritual healing too knowing that it is a double cross they carry. We can help in this healing by reaching out to our family and neighbors who are suffering with any illness and offer to accompany them to Church for this sacrament. Together we will pray for their healing and be gentle and kind to them. We want to express our love for them in this time of vulnerability and offer care without condition.
If you are not sick in any way, it is all the more important you come to Mass to be with us as we pray for others. It is how we show others we care and love them. Speaking of showing others how we care, Saint Simon Parish Saint Simon Parish sent a $5,000 donation to the US Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Turkey and Syria Earthquake Relief Fund. CRS will support emergency relief efforts led by local partners in both Syria and Turkey with Caritas Internationalis, Caritas Syria in Aleppo and Lattakia – where extensive damage has been reported. If you would like to make a donation, click here. This weekend, may we share the load just a little and love on others.
God bless,
Fr. Brendan