Mary, Help of the Sick
by Sarah Reinhard in Faith on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 6:00 AM
As I struggle with sickness and suffering, I find that Mary is right beside me to guide me.
Compassion in Action
At first, considering Mary as Health of the Sick didn’t make sense. Then I thought of an amazing woman I know, a woman suffers chronic physical pain at a level that would have me in constant tears.
She has compassion in action. I’ve seen her care for others in the midst of her own pain, and she has shown me what it means to embrace the cross of sickness and suffering.
What suffering did Mary have in her lifetime? She lived in a time and place that required a physical lifestyle we would find hard at best. She stood at the foot of the cross while her Son suffered a most brutal death. She probably had her fair share of colds and flu bugs.
From the daily sufferings to the foot of the cross, Mary learned the lesson of compassion and she offers it to each of us, even when we’re tempted to whine and complain. Who better to lead us and love us than the Health of the Sick?
Comforting Others
I remember cool hands on my forehead when I was sick as a child. The memory of those hands has always symbolized the comfort that can come during sickness, in spite of the pain.
Picture Mary beside you, kneeling at your bed or couch, with a cool cloth and a gentle smile on her face. She knows what it is to suffer and be sick. It might seem easier to skip the sickness, to fast forward to the next healthy moment of life.
Imagine that you are the one comforting Mary. You’re still sick, but you’re offering her comfort. Might you offer your suffering as a sacrifice for someone who needs special divine intervention? Could your time in pain here be used for glory during eternity? Is there comfort for you as you focus on comforting someone else?
The Health That Matters
Why is Mary called Health of the Sick if she can’t really make us better?
Or can she?
If I find, in the midst of failing health, that a trip to Confession no longer seems like the worst chore in the world, do I owe credit to Mary? If I learn, through the sudden illness of a loved one, that I’m praying more and with greater passion, is it Mary I have to thank? If I see, through the lens of physical ailments in family, that the time I have with them is better spent in love than in arguing, can I find Mary behind the scenes of my change of heart?
In the end, the health that’s going to make a difference is my spiritual health. For that, Mary is just the doctor I need.
Grace in All Shapes and Sizes
“Help me to realize that it is a great grace to be sick.”
When I first read these words in a prayer I found online, I stopped short of laughing out loud. It was such a beautiful piece I was reading; there had to be something more in this phrase.
Later, a friend called. I was reminded of her constant back pain, of a recent surgery, of the sleep deprivation her toddler seems intent on continuing. She didn’t mention any of these. In fact, she was focused on finding out how I was doing.
At some point during our conversation, I realized that she was showing me what it meant to be blessed by sickness. She was blessing me, though I should have been helping her. Like Mary, she was accepting her own suffering and offering it for something better. In doing that, she shared some of the grace with me.
Mary can’t help it; it’s what she does. She’s a mother, a friend, a sister-in-arms. As Health for the Sick, she’s also the arrow pointing to the graces that can—and do—come to us through our physical hardships, including sickness.
A Feast for All of Us
Every year, on the Saturday before the last Sunday in August—August 29 this year—Mary is honored as Health of the Sick. Perhaps you could offer a novena, beginning today, for those you know who struggle with their health, whether spiritual or physical. Or maybe, like me, you’ll give a special hug and a little time to those people in your life who make you appreciate why this role of Mary’s is so important for each of us.
—Sarah Reinhard writes and blogs about Mary, motherhood, and more at Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering.
Resources:
- A Mary Prayer Guide based on Scripture passages
- The Glories of Mary
by Saint Alphonsus Liguori
- The Mary Page at the University of Dayton
- Mary, Health of the Sick in sculpture by Suzanne Young
- History of the Title Health of the Sick
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