In reading some of the writings from St. Francis after his death, I found an essay he wrote when he was a patient in the hospital a few weeks ago for pneumonia. It rang true for me as a patient. I remember realizing that when we are sick or injured, we go to people who can help us through the emergency department, or by recommendation from our primary care doctor, or a referral from the doctor caring for us. We don’t know, but we trust them with our lives. It doesn’t matter their religion, sexual orientation, or their skin color. Most of us naturally accept their help and trust them with our lives. We hope and pray we will be alright, and we pray that the medical team assigned takes care of us till we can take care of ourselves. Take a minute to read Pope Francis’s words and see if you relate to them. I look forward to your thoughts.
“The walls of hospitals have heard more honest prayers than churches…They have witnessed far more sincere kisses than those in airports…
It is in hospitals that you see a homophobe being saved by a gay doctor.
A privileged doctor saving the life of a beggar…
In intensive care, you see a Jew taking care of a racist…
A police officer and a prisoner in the same room receiving the same care…
A wealthy patient waiting for a liver transplant, ready to receive the organ from a poor donor…
In these moments when the hospital touches people’s wounds, different worlds intersect according to a divine design. And in this communion of destinies, we realize that alone, we are nothing.
Most of the time, people’s absolute truth only reveals itself in moments of pain or in the real threat of an irreversible loss.
A hospital is where human beings remove their masks and show themselves as they truly are, in their purest essence.
This life will pass quickly, so do not waste it fighting with people.
Do not criticize your body too much, do not complain excessively, do not lose sleep over bills, and make sure to hug your loved ones.
Do not worry too much about keeping the house spotless.
Material goods must be earned by each person—do not dedicate yourself to accumulating an inheritance.
You are waiting for too much: Christmas, Friday, next year, when you have money, when love arrives, when everything is perfect…
Listen, perfection does not exist.
A human being cannot attain it because we are simply not made to be fulfilled here.
Here, we are given an opportunity to learn.
So, make the most of this trial of life—and do it now.
Respect yourself, respect others. Walk your own path and let go of the path others have chosen for you.
Respect: do not comment, do not judge, do not interfere.
Love more, forgive more, embrace more, live more intensely!
And leave the rest in the hands of the Creator.”
—Pope Francis
Thank you for reading this. I hope it gives you a source of calm, reassurance, and hope.
Have a good week.
P.S. I will be taking a few weeks off to rest and recharge. I will be back with new posts on May 27th.
