In today’s second reading, from St. Paul in 2 Corinthians (8:7,9,13-15), we hear of this gracious act of Jesus Christ—the “GA” is that Christ becomes one of us, sharing in our limitations, our sufferings, our trials, our joy—sharing the whole of our lives in both the physical and mental spheres of humanity. St. Paul hopes that you also “may excel in this gracious act.” But we do this in a different way: Christ accepted willingly our sufferings—sharing in our lives; so now we must “give up” these sufferings by sharing in His life: with an honest belief and trust in God. To let go of these sufferings in the sense of a gracious act.

We must not read into this letter from St. Paul that we should not rely on human ingenuity or the creative powers and gifts of the human mind. No—we must pray the “miracles” of healing, of comfort—of modern-day medicine. We must pray for an end to cancer, mental illnesses, cystic fibrosis and other illnesses through prayers for doctors, researchers, and all caregivers; for the right use of research and medicine for the building up of the common good. But St. Paul also reminds us that we only find our ultimate and deepest longings fulfilled in God. In God is our true hope.

When I was newly ordained in 2003 and assigned to St. Mark the Evangelist in West Hartford, a lovely lady named Anne Muse, some 97 years young, was fighting her final illness in this life. Anne was a devout lady who was very much alive and engaged right up to the end (she took care of the altar linens all by herself). A pe-tite lady, Anne had moved from her home to The Reservoir Health Care Center. About one week before she died, I baptized her great, great granddaughter in her nursing home room as Anne held her in her arms. A few days later I was called to Anne’s room to provide the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. As I leaned over to anoint her with the sacred oils, I said the final prayer that calls for a “perfect healing.” Perhaps thinking I meant a “medical healing” she grabbed my wrist with all her might (at 80 lbs.) and said, “I don’t want to be made better, I want to be healed and go home to God.” I will never forget it. Her words speak the truth of God’s Gracious Act of which Saint Paul spoke about more than 2,000 years ago: in God there is ultimate healing—the soul is made one with Him, for-ever. In God is our ultimate hope.

Later on this year when we engage those new ministries I mentioned in last weekend’s bulletin, one will be on healthcare (traditionally a parish nursing program) but with a twist in our parish to emphasize the need to include faith and dependence upon God in our health care continuum. Stay tuned.

-Fr. Michael