Pope: "help the sick, do not get lost in chatter" and educate young people to solidarity with the suffering of others
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Helping the sick, without getting lost in chatter" is the task of the Church that calls for "continuous prayer for loved ones affected by illness", for solidarity and the importance of educating children to solidarity “from an early age" because "an education that protects from human suffering, withers the heart. It means that children are 'anesthetized' to the suffering of others, unable to deal with suffering and experience limitations".
Continuing his catechesis on the family, today the Pope faced "a very common aspect of family life" that of illness, "an experience of our fragility, mostly experienced in the family, even as children, and then especially by seniors. When they have physical problems".
Speaking to the 30 thousand people present in St Peter's Square for the general audience, among whom, as usual he toured in his open topped - onto which he also invited two altar boys - Francis said that "in the context of family ties , the illness of those we love is endured with greater suffering and anguish. It is our love for them love that makes us feel this' more'. Often for a father and a mother, it is more difficult to bear the pain of a son, a daughter, than their own. The family, we can say, has always been the closest 'hospital'. Even today, in many parts of the world, the hospital is a privilege for the few, and often far away. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandmothers, ensure care and help to heal. "
"In the Gospels, many passages tell of Jesus' encounters with the sick and his commitment to healing. He presents himself publicly as a fighter against disease, who has come to heal humanity from all evil. Spiritual evil and the evil of the body. " "If I think of the great modern cities, I wonder where are the doors where we can bring the sick in the hope they will be healed! Jesus never reneged on his care for them. It never passed by, he never turned his face the other way. And when a father or a mother, or even just friendly people brought him a sick person for him to touch and heal, time was never a question; healing came before the law, even law as sacred as the Sabbath". “Jesus sends his disciples to do the same work and gives them the power to heal, or to be close to the sick and care for them until the end." And "helping the sick, not getting lost in idle chatter, always helping, consoling, lifting, being close to the sick" is the task of the Church.
Faced with illness, he continued, " difficulties arise even in families, because of human weakness. But, in general, the period of suffering increases the strength of family ties. And I think that it is important to educate children from an early age to solidarity in times of sickness. " "How often do we a man, a woman with a tired face at work" because he had to care for a child during the night, one of his loved ones and despite the fatigue, "during the day continues with his work." "These things are heroic," these are the '' heroic families", the "hidden heroism" people have "when someone is sick, when the father, mother, son, daughter ... And you do it with tenderness and courage ".
"The Christian community - he concluded - is well aware that the family, in the trial of illness, should not be left alone. And we must say thanks to the Lord for the wonderful experiences of ecclesial fraternity that help families through the difficult time of pain and suffering. This Christian closeness, from family to family, is a real treasure for the parish; a treasure of wisdom, which helps families in difficult times and makes us understand the Kingdom of God better than many words! They are God’s caresses".
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