Vatican
City, 7 December 2013 (VIS) – A message from Pope Francis, dated 6
December, for the 22nd World Day of the Sick 2014 was published on
Friday. The Day will take place on 11 February 2014, liturgical
memory of the Blessed Virgin Maria of Lourdes, and will take the
theme “Faith and Charity: we too must give our lives for the
brethren”.
The
Pope mentions that the Church sees in the sick “the special
presence of the suffering Christ”, and added that God has reduced
and transformed sickness and suffering. “Reduced”, he writes,
“because it no longer has the last word, which is instead new life
in all its fullness; transformed because in union with Christ, the
negative can become positive”. Jesus is the way, and with His
Spirit we can follow Him. Just as the Father gave His Son for love,
and the Son gave Himself for that same love, we too can love others
as God has loved us, giving our lives for our brethren”.
Francis
went on to mention that by Baptism and Confirmation, we are called to
conform to Christ, the Good Samaritan to all those who suffer. “When
we come close, with tenderness, to those in need of care, we bring
the hope and the smile of God amid the contradictions of the world”.
He explained that to grow in tenderness and respectful, gentle
charity, the best Christian model is Mary. “She knows how to
undertake this path and for this reason she is the Mother of all the
sick and suffering. We are able to turn to her with trust and filial
devotion, sure that she will assist and support us, and will never
abandon us. She is the mother of the Risen Christ” he concluded;
“she stays next to our crosses and accompanies us on the true path
towards resurrection and full life”.
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