SUFFERING TO DEATH
Living, disease, frailties, and the death are “paths” we have to confront with. Death is not a subject we like to dwell upon. Many people will not face up to this reality until forced to, either through our own illness or someone close to us is sick or suffering from a chronic illness. We are surprised with the bad news that a strong, fit and active healthy person, into someone suffering and in pain. We wonder why “a God of Love” allows this to happen; why there is so much suffering in the world. Death is something we are worrying about. Can we find out the point of suffering, and what we can do as a member of Cursillo Movement.
About the death.
Advanced care directives, refusal treatment, euthanasia, and end of life care are our concerns about issues of dying. Few people argue that we should allow euthanasia for those who are dying and in pain. This view is underlined often by a fear of being kept alive with “hooked up a machine” or “over treated”. Others can fear that they will be “under treated” and abandoned to death when they are old and sick due to giving burdens to others.
In many hospitals and aged care facilities patients are being asked to sign advanced care directives or a living will which are often issued without full information because illness is unpredictable. It is better that our beliefs are to be discussed with the representative who’s going to respect the patient’s values as adjust to new situation on the advice of health care professionals.. The Catholic position on end of life care is often to be misunderstood. The Church does not hold a vitalist position which requires us to fight death at all costs to the bitter end. We are obliged to be good stewards, caring for our health and life, and accepting death when it comes. We can refuse medical treatments in instance where the treatment has become overly burdensome to prolong life or disproportionate. Euthanasia is “a grave violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of human person” (1). A reasonable hope of benefits needs to be offered. If the patient is no longer able to make the decision, then it is decided by a person who is entitled to act in the patient’s best interest.
Point of suffering.
In the letter to Philippians, St Paul said “I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me “(Pl 4:13). Suffering is the point we are dealing with, actually the time to recognize God power. Pope John Paul II reminded us that God is always on the side of those who are suffering and that the Cross gives new meaning to suffering. Jesus says “freely accepted” although he could have chosen not to do so, but he stayed on the Cross until the end, in order to reveal his complete Love “Christ is the One who loved us to the end” (2).
Due to the natural tendency we abhor death and want to fight the destruction which it brings. Our late Pope explains that it is because we bear within ourselves an eternal seed which can not be reduced to mere matter. Through his Cross and resurrection, Jesus has defeated death. He has deliberated us and given us the hope of resurrection. Belief in the resurrection humanises the dying process by giving us hope. Life is in transition, dying becomes the way through as we are called home to be with God. That is a “transformation” rather than a destruction, as a conservation of energy in the universe. “There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you” (John14:2). Being confronted with suffering and dying, Christians are called to follow the way of love and true mercies, and not to abandon the person but to respond with compassion, sympathy, support, and love. Christians are called to hope when all human hopes fail. Christ has been raised from death as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised. (1Cor15:20).
Lessening the severity of pain.
Modern palliative care allows people to live as well as they can. It provides support to help the family cope during their loved one’s illness and death. It aims to help them live as fully as possible during the dying process. With the “Good Samaritan Spirit”, Catholics have a long tradition of caring for the sick and the dying. Catholic hospitals and aged care facilities in Australia provide around 55% of palliative care in Australia.(3). In the provision of health and aged care, patients, residents, practitioners, family and carers become a small community united in working for a person’s good. ViCaFaMAN (Vietnamese Catholic Family Mutual Assistance Network) of 326 Church Street, Richmond 3121 for example is an Australian Vietnamese Association Inc which cares its members through living and death time. It has been appeared for few months in Melbourne and said “good news” to all. An Association member named Phong Nguyen just passed away after joining has been recognised and received about four thousand dollars although his contribution valued less than couple hundreds dollars. Ten dollar contribution of each living member to a passed away one as the Association Ruler is considered as a charity deed to say Good News to others (Luc 4:18). What has been done by ViCaFaMAN complying the letter to Galatians of St Paul. Not only members with the same belief but outsiders can actually benefit as advised by Pope Benedict XVI (God is Love) to lessen the pain of the world.
Suffering in the Fourth Days.
“None of you can be my disciple unless you give up every thing you have” (Luc 14:33). The activity of all Cursillo Movement members has showed their “giving up” in the Fourth Days. Giving up is not always easy for all. Trusting to Jesus Christ is to carry our cross and obey his teaching. The blindness and sinfulness of anger easily push members out of a small community. Intellectual people need to avoid the blind defensive emotions of bad temper” (4). We are not perfect people but believe that “Our gifts of knowledge and of inspired messages are only partial, but when what is perfect comes, then what is partial disappear” (1Cor 13:9-10).
Throughout the long life of our late Pope, it was to say that aging and suffering are a natural part of life which is a gift to be lived right to the end. Never tell yourself that your life is a failure. If it supposes to be then God makes us weak so that we shall seek him the more.
MVH
(3) Cardinal George Pell, Pentecost Sunday Letter 12/6/2011.
(4) “Nerves, temperament & soul” by Joseph Massmann. P.E.M, p 60.