VISIT TO THE SHRINE
(SICK AND ELDERLY)
SEPTEMBER 15, 1984
Dear Friends,
I am happy to be with you this morning at the
Martyrs' Shrine in Huronia.
My pastoral visit to Canada would be incomplete without meeting the sick and elderly who are so close to my
heart. When I think of you, I am reminded of the words of
the Lord spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "You
are precious in my eyes, because you are honoured and I love you" (Is 43:4). Indeed you are precious in
the eyes of the Lord and in the eyes of
the Pope. You hold a place of honour in the Church for, in a particular
way, you share in the mystery of the Cross of Christ, the Cross which in faith
we know to be the Tree of Everlasting Life.
Suffering and sickness, and death itself, are
part of the mystery of life. But
while they remain a mystery, they need not be without meaning. In Christ and through his Passion and Resurrection, all creation
has been redeemed, including all human
experience. In fact, in his Passion Christ used suffering and death to express in the fullest way his obedient love
for the Father. And now, in union with Christ our sufferings can become an
act of love for the Father, a loving act of surrender to the providence of God.
People often tell me
that they are offering their prayers and sacrifices for me and my intentions. I
am deeply grateful for this gesture of solidarity and devotion, and I am humbled by the
goodness and generous love of those who
suffer. May you never doubt that the willing acceptance of your suffering in union with
Christ is of great value for the Church. If the salvation of the world was
accomplished by the suffering and death of Jesus, then we know that important
contributions to the mission of the Church are made by the sick and elderly, by
persons confined to hospital beds, by invalids in wheelchairs, by those who
fully share in the Cross of our saving Lord. As Saint Paul said of his own
sufferings: "In my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's
afflictions" (Col 1:24).
Saint Paul's words are
especially true of the Martyrs whom we honour at this Shrine. For these Martyrs gladly accepted suffering,
and even death, for the sake of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the shedding of their blood, they bore witness to the power of God's
grace shining through our human
weakness. By their prayers and courageous example, we receive inspiration and strength for our lives.
Once when Jesus was addressing a large crowd,
he said to them: "Come to me,
all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am
gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for
your souls" (Mt 11:28-29). These words are intended for all of us, but
they have a particular significance for the sick and elderly, for whoever feels
"overburdened". We note, with consolation, Jesus' promise that our souls will find rest - not our bodies but our souls. Jesus does not promise to remove all physical suffering from our lives during our earthly pilgrimage,
but he does promise to refresh
our spirits, to lift up our hearts, to give rest to our souls. Come to the Lord, then, with your weariness and
pain, your burdens and sorrows, and
"you will find rest for your souls". For Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the shepherd who leads his sheep to green
pastures of consolation, to fresh waters of peace.
While I know that you pray for me, I also
want you to know that I pray for you.
I pray that you will have the spiritual strength to accept your difficult
crosses and not to lose courage. Dear brothers and sisters: may the Lord Jesus make you strong in faith and hope and fill your hearts with peace and joy.
Conférence
des évêques catholiques du Canada