Life is not for the faint of heart. A few years ago California tragically passed into law assisted suicide thereby opening the door to grave evil and the diminishing of the dignity of life. We as a Catholic Church believe strongly that each life has dignity and value and adds special grace and blessings to the Body of Christ. As a Catholic priest I have had the opportunity to counsel families on the value of life at all stages and recognize the struggles of living with illness and dealing with end of life choices as we walk with loved ones to the moment of natural death.
Last week I wrote about redemptive suffering because I wasn’t prepared to fully write about an experience I had recently encountered where the culture of death, through assisted suicide, was so immanent and present in being promoted as the best solution. The situation in a nutshell is a person with a long standing illness had been taken to a local hospital for care and expressed to a medical professional that they were tired and wanted to die. The person jumped into action calling hospital staff to witness to the statement and then beginning to push and promote the various ways that death could be administered to the patient. There was great horror and fear from the family who knew this was not the intention of their loved one…but the medical machine continued to push. As I write this, life is winning in this small case as the patient and family continue to share the blessing of God’s love with each other, even in this difficult and hard case of illness and suffering.
I spent much time the last few weeks praying over my response and how we can better understand why life is sacred and holy and how living this life fully, even in suffering, brings about goodness and blessings. And so we come to the stations of the cross.
Take up our cross: We are all at one time or another called to take up the cross of suffering through illness. Sometimes this suffering is grave and at other times momentary and passing but nevertheless we are called to follow Jesus as he commanded, “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23)
Family sees us in love and we see them in love (like Mary): As we begin to carry the cross of illness and suffering we find the blessings of family and the deepness of love. The care and compassion of the family give us strength and courage to offer all we are and have in love. :“All you who pass by the way, look and see whether there is any suffering like my suffering, which has been dealt me” (Lam 1:12). “It is the Sorrowful Mother who speaks, the Handmaid who is obedient to the last, the Mother of the Redeemer of the world.” (from St. John Paul II Way of the Cross)
Meeting the stranger who offer help: When we choose to carry the cross of suffering with love we encounter the stranger who becomes the blessing in our lives. Many times at funerals the family gratitude and love of the “stranger” who came to care for their loved one is truly a graced moment. “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” (Mk 15:21) (3a) how it transforms lives—the encounter with suffering changed the life of Simon and as he shared his experience with his sons transformed their life and the life of the community…we never know the lives we touch no matter what stage of life we are living.
Those who will care for us in extraordinary ways: Veronica is never named in the Gospels and yet her story and the miracle she participates in lives on in our faith. When we choose to be like Jesus in our suffering we allow others to participate in the service of love thereby conquering fear and death and bringing us into the fullness of life in the service of our those who are carrying the cross of suffering, as Jesus “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil 2:7-8)
Knowing those who pray for us: Prayer is powerful and when we allow ourselves to ask for and receive the prayers of the community it strengthens us to persevere and grow in a deeper connection with Jesus Christ. “Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me weep for yourselves and for your children.” (Lk 23:28)
Living God’s will even when we feel humiliation: Being cared for by another is always a struggle…even small children begin to rebel early as they say “I can do it myself” to their parents. Humbling ourselves as we are stripped of our abilities opens our hearts and the hearts of others to share in the suffering and allows us to share, experience and be united in love. “And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.” (Mk 15:24) The world wants to strip us naked of dignity but we are called to a deeper and full unity of love.
An example of faith for others: Jesus’ words from the cross remind us of life and how even when all our hope seems to have vanished we shine forth as an image of God when we seek to be united with him. We, in love, are invited to ponder Jesus’ seven last words as a reflection of redemptive suffering. “I thirst.” (Jn 19:28)
When the other is able to recognize our dignity: “When the centurion standing there in front of Jesus saw how He had breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”” (Mk 15:39) In baptism we are called to be sons and daughters of the one true living God. Choosing to walk with Jesus Christ we are recognized, even in suffering and death to be holy and filled with bountiful worth in His holy image.
Death comes for us all: After his death on the Cross; Mary his mother, John the beloved disciple, Joseph of Arimathea and many other cared for the body of Our Lord…we do the same…because God is Love.
I apologize for the length of the reflection this week. Below are two links from our US Bishops that help to explain the Catholic position concerning assisted suicide.
God bless
Fr .Mark
