{"id":26837,"date":"2021-10-19T13:21:27","date_gmt":"2021-10-19T11:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/?p=26837"},"modified":"2021-10-19T15:05:38","modified_gmt":"2021-10-19T13:05:38","slug":"messa-di-apertura-di-somos-a-ltagracia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/index.php\/messa-di-apertura-di-somos-a-ltagracia.html","title":{"rendered":"Messa nel santuario di Altagarcia per l’apertura del convegno Somos"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mark (1:29-39)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I chose to preach about this Gospel passage because it provides a model for what we are doing together during this Somos Healthcare Providers Conference. \u00a0It is no coincidence that you have chosen to begin the Conference with the celebration of a Mass at the National Shrine of Santo Domingo. \u00a0In this passage, Mark takes us to the beginning of Jesus’ public mission. \u00a0He describes what is just an ordinary day in Jesus\u2019 life.\u00a0 Biblical scholars call it \u201cthat day in Capharnum.\u201d \u00a0I might say as well that it is like one of your days as doctors in contact with your patients.\u00a0 You probably know that the Gospel writers often describe how Jesus spent time with the sick, just as you do.<\/p>\n

It is striking to read how much the Gospels speak of Jesus compassion for the sick, how often He cures so many of them.\u00a0 Healing the sick is a manifestation of God\u2019s entry into history.\u00a0 With Jesus, the Savior had come into the world, body and soul, and he commissioned his disciples to carry on the work He had come to do: \u201cpreach that the Kingdom of God is near, heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, heal the lepers, cast out demons.\u201d \u00a0The mission of the disciples follows the mission of Jesus, proclaim the Gospel and heal the sick.<\/p>\n

Since ancient times, the Church has not hesitated to call Jesus \u201cthe physician of Christians.\u201d\u00a0 Saint Irenaeus of Lyon—newly proclaimed a great teacher of the Faith—expressed this thought beautifully, \u201cThe Lord has come as a doctor for those who are sick.\u201d \u00a0Origen, another early teacher, said, \u201cKnow how to see [in the Gospels] that Jesus heals every weakness, every illness, not only when he was on Earth, but still today.\u00a0 Know how to see that He did not come only to be with those of that time, but He is also here with us today.\u00a0 \u201cBehold, He says, I am with all days, even unto the consummation of the world.\u201d\u00a0 We read words like this in many places, from the Liturgy of St. Mark, where it says, \u201cLord, Doctor of souls and bodies, come to us and heal us,\u201d to an ancient Christian inscription, \u201cI beg you, Lord, come to my aid, there are no doctors but You.\u201d\u00a0 But don\u2019t be discouraged by the words of this prayer.\u00a0 In the Old Testament book of Sirach we read, “Honor the physician for he is essential to you, and God it was who established his profession. From God the doctor has his wisdom, and the doctor is distinguished for his knowledge, it gives him access to those in authority.\u00a0 God makes the earth yield healing herbs, which the prudent man should not neglect.\u00a0 With them, the doctor eases pain, and the pharmacist prepares his medicines. \u00a0Thus, God\u2019s creative work continues without ceasing on the surface of the earth.\u201d\u00a0 (Sir 38:1-8).<\/p>\n

I will not dwell longer on this point, but you need to know how much the mission of the doctor is appreciated in the Bible and by the Church. \u00a0Even more so in these times, given that Pope Francis himself has called the Church a \u201cfield hospital.\u201d\u00a0 Doctors—and Christian doctors in particular—are called to make every effort to help men and women live better and to be witnesses of the importance of caring for one another. \u00a0Illness is not only a healthcare problem, it is a call for help, for love, for life. \u00a0This is the context for the healings in the Gospels.\u00a0 Today they represent a challenge to the disciples—including doctors—to be more courageous in accompanying the sick. \u00a0The sick must always be accompanied, never abandoned, even when healing is no longer possible.<\/p>\n

In this optic, we must also rediscover prayer for the sick as part of our treatment.\u00a0 Unfortunately, this aspect of care seems to be ignored in the life of the Church today. \u00a0Its long earlier history, on the other hand, the Church speaks of saints who were wonder workers. \u00a0Miracles are always tied to visible holiness, to powerful love.\u00a0 Saint Cyprian of Carthage says that even individual holiness can work miracles.\u00a0 \u201cWhen we are chaste and pure, modest in our actions, restrained in our words, we will even be able to heal the sick.\u201d\u00a0 We also remember Saints Cosmas and Damian, who died as martyrs in 285. \u00a0In Rome, in the basilica dedicated to them, they are depicted as dressed in white robes, like doctors, next to Christ, who is also dressed in white robes. \u00a0Tradition says that these two doctors went to the bedsides of the sick but prayed before inquiring about their health.\u00a0 Only then did they begin their examinations and decide on a treatment. \u00a0Their miracles were a mixture of love and concrete attention. \u00a0Healing is always a combination of faith and attentiveness. \u00a0Even if sometimes the body is not healed, there is always a benefit for the spirit.\u00a0 In the history of healthcare, there have been many types of cures, and the Church must never lessen its boldness in pursuing its faith-filled engagement with the healing professions.<\/p>\n

The world is witnessing a great demand for healing. \u00a0Many today go in search of magical, occult, miraculous, or astrological practices! \u00a0I believe that in this frantic search for protection, security and healing there is a question that is often not addressed.\u00a0 The Church is called on to take this question seriously.\u00a0 Our Churches—and also your hearts, dear doctors—must be like the house of Capharnum where Jesus was staying and where sick came to receive his healing touch.\u00a0 Love and prayer make possible what to men seems impossible.\u00a0 They are what gives meaning to this Shrine and to the many other Shrines around the world. \u00a0They are really like \u201cHouses in Capharnum\u201d where thousands flock to be healed and saved.<\/p>\n

May our holy celebration help us all to be bolder, more generous, disciples of Jesus. \u00a0There are many sick people who are waiting to meet Jesus the \u201cdoctor\u201d of soul and body, through your mission as doctors who are close to the people with that same compassion that Jesus showed when he consoled and healed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mark (1:29-39) I chose to preach about this Gospel passage because it provides a model for what we are doing together during this Somos Healthcare Providers Conference. \u00a0It is no coincidence that you have chosen to begin the Conference with the celebration of a Mass at the National Shrine of Santo Domingo. \u00a0In this passage, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26839,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-omelie"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/IMG_6999-scaled-e1634642935798.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26837"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26837\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26840,"href":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26837\/revisions\/26840"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vincenzopaglia.it\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}