Street of First Doctrine
59. How Should A Catholic Bear Sickness And Suffering?
Street of First Doctrine: first Catholic doctrine for souls learning how to believe, pray, and live.
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." - Luke 9:23
A Catholic should bear sickness and suffering by uniting them to the Cross of Christ, accepting lawful remedies with gratitude, avoiding bitterness and despair, offering pain for sins and souls, and preparing seriously for death when sickness is grave.
The catechism answer is simple: A Catholic should bear sickness and suffering with faith, , prayer, , trust in God, toward others, and readiness to receive the when death may be near.
The beginner needs this because suffering comes to every life. If the soul has not been taught how to suffer, it may think pain means God has abandoned it, or that the Catholic life has failed.
The question is not, "How can I avoid every cross?" It is, "How can I carry this cross with Christ?"
Some suffering comes through sickness. Some through grief, poverty, loneliness, family trouble, persecution, humiliation, , or the burden of daily duty. Not all suffering is chosen. Much of it is received.
Christ does not tell His disciples that they will have no cross. He teaches them how to carry it.
Suffering without Christ can seem meaningless.
But Christ suffered. He entered hunger, weariness, rejection, betrayal, scourging, mockery, crucifixion, and death. He did not make suffering imaginary. He made it capable of being united to His sacrifice.
The Cross does not make pain pleasant. It makes pain fruitful when accepted in faith and offered to God.
The Catholic should therefore look first to Christ crucified. He is not distant from the suffering soul.
A Catholic may seek lawful remedies.
Medicine, rest, help from others, treatment, and ordinary care for the body are not opposed to trust in God. The body is God's creation and should not be despised.
But remedies must remain beneath God's law. A Catholic may not choose sinful means to escape suffering. He may not despair, seek death, neglect duty through self-pity, or treat the body as though it were the highest good.
Health is good, but salvation is greater.
Suffering should be offered to God.
The soul may say: "Lord, I offer this pain in union with Thy Cross, in reparation for my sins, for the conversion of sinners, for the faithful little flock, for the dying, and for the souls in purgatory."
This does not require dramatic feeling. A quiet offering made in weakness can be very precious.
The sick person may feel useless. He is not useless if he suffers with Christ.
Suffering tempts the soul to bitterness.
The person in pain may become impatient, harsh, , resentful, or suspicious of God. He may begin to think only of what has been taken from him.
The Catholic should be honest about pain without letting pain become king. He may ask for relief. He may weep. He may say, "Lord, help me." But he must not accuse God of cruelty or make suffering an excuse for sin.
is not pretending the cross is light. It is carrying the cross without rebellion.
The suffering person must still practice .
Pain may reduce strength, but it does not remove the commandment to love. A sick person may not be able to do much outwardly, yet he can still try to speak gently, thank those who help, pray for others, forgive, and avoid needless complaint.
Those who care for the sick must also practice . They should not treat the suffering person as a burden without dignity. Care for the sick is a .
Suffering tests on both sides.
When sickness is grave, the Catholic must think seriously about the and death.
He should not delay confession if he is able to confess. He should ask for Extreme Unction when danger of death is present. He should make acts of faith, hope, , and . He should forgive others and ask pardon where needed.
Families should not hide death from the sick person as though eternity were too frightening to mention. prepares the soul for God.
A Catholic death should be prepared, not avoided by silence.
Our Lady stood beneath the Cross.
She teaches the suffering soul fidelity without rebellion. She did not flee . She did not despair when everything appeared dark. She remained with Christ in sorrow, faith, , and .
The suffering Catholic should invoke her: "Mother of Sorrows, help me stand beneath the Cross."
Mary helps the soul suffer with Christ rather than suffer alone.
The little flock must learn how to suffer without losing hope.
Exile, confusion, loss, illness, and hardship can make souls weary. Some will be to anger. Some will be to despair. Some will be to numb themselves with distraction.
The Catholic answer is not numbness. It is faith, prayer, , reparation, seriousness, and confidence that Christ reigns even when the soul is weak.
The Cross remains the path of victory.
The soul must learn that suffering is not proof that God has abandoned it.
The soul must learn to seek lawful remedies without making health its god.
The soul must learn to offer pain in union with Christ.
The soul must learn , , and prayer in weakness.
The soul must learn to prepare for death with confession, , and Extreme Unction when needed.
A Catholic should bear sickness and suffering with faith, , prayer, , trust in God, toward others, and readiness to receive the when death may be near.
A beginner should ask: Do I offer suffering to God? Do I become bitter under pain? Do I ask Our Lady to help me stand beneath the Cross? Do I prepare for death seriously? Do I remember that Christ suffered first?
Suffering is not outside the Catholic life. When united to Christ, even weakness can become , reparation, and love.