Herald of Hope
Wednesday, Feb. 11, will mark the celebration of the 34th World Day of the Sick. The theme that the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has chosen for the commemoration on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is “The Compassion of the Samaritan: Loving by Bearing the Pain of the Other.”
According to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, which sponsors this annual event, the theme is “centered on the Gospel figure of the Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37), who manifests love by taking care of the suffering man who has fallen into the hands of thieves.”
It “is intended to emphasize this aspect of love for one’s neighbor: love needs concrete gestures of closeness, through which we take on the suffering of others, especially those who are ill, often in a context of fragility due to poverty, isolation and loneliness.”
This year, a special element will be added to the commemoration, as the Holy Father has appointed His Eminence Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., the prefect of the Integral Human Development Dicastery, to lead the solemn celebration at the Shrine of Nuestra Senora de la Paz in Chiclayo, Peru. Chiclayo is the see of the diocese in which the former Msgr. Robert Prevost served as bishop from 2015 to 2023.
The president of Peru, Dina Boluarte, has emphasized how Pope Leo embraced a sense of closeness and solidarity in his relationship with the people: “He chose to be one of us, to live among us, and to carry in his heart the faith, culture and dreams of this nation,” recalling that he chose to become a Peruvian citizen “as an expression of his profound love.”
Some of the ways in which Bishop Prevost illustrated his willingness in “Bearing the Pain of the Other” was manifested in concrete gestures during tragic times. Lambayeque is the region in the northern portion of Peru where the city of Chiclayo is located. This region was one of the most impacted areas in South America after the outbreak of COVID-19, resulting in the death of more than 217,000 victims in the country. Bishop Prevost never left the side of his faithful. He often was seen in the midst of the pandemic, accompanied by his priests, walking on the streets of Chiclayo with the monstrance in his hands, praying in front of the houses of his people. He later braved the contagion, entering discussions with authorities that ultimately led to the purchase of two oxygen production plants that provided cylinders for the poor, which helped those struggling with respiratory diseases caused by the infection of the virus.
In the years of 2022 and 2023, this segment of Peru suffered intense rainstorms that especially affected the rural villages along the La Leche River, flooding and isolating the residences of the poor. Bishop Prevost often was seen driving a van filled with supplies to help the impoverished, and when the roads were impassable, he was not afraid to wade into the mud to bring assistance to those in need of rescue. One of the priests of the Diocese of Chiclayo offered this observation: “That’s why the people here don’t forget him. In the worst times of their lives, he was with them.”
It is the hope of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development that this year’s focus on the theme of the World Day of the Sick will inspire many in the Christian community to reflect upon the example of the Good Samaritan who bent down to help the injured man along the road and encourage them to become evangelical witnesses of closeness and service to the sick and most vulnerable.
Who might be the candidates who could serve as examples of the “evangelical witnesses of closeness?” There are many chaplains who serve in hospitals who are willing to draw close to patients, ever responsive in helping to lift their pain with the strength of their compassion. There are priests who draw close to wounded souls to pour out, through the sacraments of the Church, “the oil of consolation and the wine of hope.” There are doctors, nurses and health care workers who draw close to those facing medical conditions who not only offer clinical care but also comfort and hope. There are family members, relatives, neighbors and friends who draw close to loved ones who are ill to bring solace and reassurance. There are socially conscious advocates and civil servants who draw close to conditions of disparity in access to health care who lobby for a greater investment in medical facilities for those who are left to settle for inequal treatment or are abandoned in total neglect. And there are thoughtful, empathetic, deeply spiritual people who draw close to those who are sick to lift them up in prayers and intercessions.
