World Day of the Sick

The theme for this year’s World Day  of the Sick is

The compassion of the Samaritan: loving and bearing another's pain

Pope Leo is inviting us to reflect on the Parable of the Good Samaritan, a story that is always relevant and challenging. To put Jesus to the test, a teacher of the law asked, ‘who is my neighbour’? Jesus replied to him with this story:

  “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

Reflection: "Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

 The teacher of the law replied: “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him: “Go and do likewise.”

I, too, can go and do likewise…

reach out to a sick brother or sister

by offering them closeness and presence, compassion and love.

Book Institute 30: 

‘Out of love of Christ, we will also accept in faith and with patience the deprivations which life brings such as failure, old age and illness’.

Let us pray:  On this feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, we ask her to assist all who suffer and are in need of healing and wholeness. We pray also for all medical personnel and carers.