Nursing with the Hands of Jesus

Human suffering is a mystery, that is not devoid of meaning. In the light of Christ’s redemptive suffering and death, human suffering acquires redemptive significance. For in the abyss of pain, the suffering believer can meet Jesus, unite his/her suffering to His, and the pain can become a ‘place’ where hope and love live. A young woman who suffered a painful prolonged illness said: “God dwells also in pain; hence, pain is no longer pain, it is no longer the cause of despair, it is no longer without meaning.” 13 Physical suffering augmented by anxiety, fear, lone- liness, hopelessness, or a sense of abandonment by God is unbearable. That is why, it is so important that, in the absence of Pastoral Care, the Nurse for Divine Mercy conveys hope and tender love to the suffering patient, assuring him/her how close he/she is to God, how deeply human suffering touches Him, and moves Him to draw near with tenderness, help, and comfort. Our vocation as nurses calls us to alleviate human misery and suffering with both natural and supernat- ural means. For some forms of suffering, especially moral sufferings, due to injustice, rejection, vio- lence, hate and abandonment, cannot be alleviated without some form of Pastoral Care. Saint Faustina, who suffered much, wrote in her Diary : “Suffering is the greatest treasure on earth; it purifies the soul” (342). “If the angels were capable of envy, they would envy us for two things: one is the receiving of Holy Communion, and the other is suffering” (1804). “Oh, if only the suffering soul knew how it is loved by God, it would die of joy and excess of happi- ness! Some day, we will know the value of suffering, but then we will no longer be able to suffer. The present moment is ours” (963). 58