Pope’s Message for World Day of the Sick: Hope strengthens us in times of trial
Vatican news
In his message for the 33rd World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis affirms that God remains close to those who suffer, through encounter, giving and sharing. At the same time, the solemn celebration of World Day, which normally takes place every three years, is postponed until 2026.
By Christopher Wells
In his Message for 33rd On World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis grapples with the deep questions facing those who suffer and those who care for them. “How can we be strong when our bodies are plagued by serious and debilitating illnesses that require expensive treatments that we may not be able to afford? How can we show strength when, in addition to our own suffering, we see that of our loved ones who support us and feel powerless to help us?
Although true hope “does not disappoint” and, in fact, “strengthens us in times of trial,” this confidence can often prove confusing in real situations of suffering. “In these situations,” said the Pope, “we feel that we need a force greater than ours. We realize that we need God’s help, his grace, his Providence and the strength that is the gift of his Spirit.
The Holy Father then invites the faithful to reflect on three particular ways in which God remains close to those who suffer: “meeting, giving and sharing”.
Encounter
The Pope recalls that when Jesus sent his 72 disciples on a mission, he told them to say to the sick: “The Kingdom of God has come near to you”, that is to say “to help the sick to see their infirmity… as an opportunity to meet the Lord. »
This encounter, he explains, can be transformative, helping us discover “a solid rock to which we can cling amid the storms of life, an experience that… makes us all the stronger because it teaches us that We are not alone.”
Gift
This leads us to experience the closeness of God in our suffering as a gift, the Pope continues. “More than anything else, suffering makes us realize that hope comes from the Lord. It is therefore above all a gift to be received and cultivated, remaining “faithful to the fidelity of God”.
The Pope goes on to explain that “it is only in the resurrection of Christ that our own life and destiny find their place in the infinite horizon of eternity.” The “great hope” that nothing can separate us from Christ “is the source of all those little glimmers of light that help us make our way through the trials and obstacles of life,” Pope Francis explains, quoting his predecessor Benedict XVI.
Sharing
Finally, God is close to us through sharingwhich we often see in places of suffering. “How often, at the bedside of the sick, do we learn to hope! he writes. “How often, through our proximity to those who suffer, do we learn to have faith! How often, when we care for those in need, do we discover love! »
The Pope emphasizes the need to “learn to appreciate the beauty and meaning of these grace-filled encounters” between patients, doctors, caregivers, family and friends. “All these rays of light must be precious; even in the dark night of adversity, they give us strength, while teaching us the deep meaning of life, in love and closeness.
An important role in the Jubilee
Pope Francis concludes his message with a special word for those who are sick and suffering, reminding them that they have a “particularly important” role to play in the Jubilee. “Your journey together is a sign of hope for everyone, ‘a hymn to dignity, a song of hope’.”
And he thanks them for their testimony, in the name of the whole Church and in his own name, assuring them that they are always in his prayers, and extending his blessing to them.
World Day of the Sick 2025
World Day of the Sick is celebrated annually on February 11, the liturgical commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes, with a particularly solemn celebration taking place every three years at a Marian shrine.
However, given the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis chose to delay by one year the solemn celebration which would normally take place in 2025. The solemn commemoration of the World Day of the Sick will now take place in 2026, at the Marian Shrine of the Virgin of Chapi of Arequipa in Peru.
The Pope’s decision was announced in a press release published Monday morning by the Dicasteries for the Promotion of Integral Human Development and Evangelization. The press release underlines that for the Jubilee Year, the World Day of the Sick will be celebrated in the ordinary way at the diocesan level, as usual on February 11; while noting the upcoming Jubilee of the Sick and Health Workers, scheduled for April 5-6; and the Jubilee of Persons with Disabilities on April 28-29.
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