33 Supporting the family Sometimes it is the family who needs spiritual support. They may be exhausted from caring for the sick relative and have the same attitude towards God: a) blaming God for the illness; b) bitterness because of a lack of help from Him; c) or accepting the situation and remaining in a prayerful relationship with God. In the first two instances, it is best to adopt the same approach as in the case of a refusal to accept the illness and grievance against God by the sick – just to listen and remain quiet. When the family accepts the situation, we may assure them that their heroic attitude is an expression of love towards the sick person and that along with the suffering, there comes God’s blessing to the house and the caregivers “since love covers over many a sin” (1 Pt 4:8), also, the sins of those who take care of the sick person. Although the blessing may not be visible at the moment, objectively it comes along with caring for the sick person (cf. Mt 25:36) which Blessed Mother Czacka confirmed with her life when she, “with full clarity saw that we are closest to God when we are close to a person who suffers and is in need7. It is best to contact the family in person at the sick person’s home or in another place (e.g. parish), or by phone. Although an online meeting cannot replace direct contact, it also reinforces the feeling of safety and not being alone. It is important to always call back. Often, we can hear “thank you, Father, that you called back – it is very important to me”. If a meeting takes place outside the home of the sick or by phone, a good piece of advice would be to suggest talking to him or her about a priest’s visit. We may, if only generally, tell members of the family, especially when we see that they lack in the foundation of their faith, that just the presence of a priest and his accompanying the sick person may bring a valuable comfort and that the main fruit of receiving the sacraments is peace in the soul in suffering and an improvement in spiritual, and sometimes even physical, health. It is also important to suggest to the family to make it possible for the sick person to hear Mass in silence and concentration live on the radio or television and to receive Spiritual Communion. We may also propose participating in other religious events through the mass media. Above all, it is 7 Diocesan Bishops Council, Połączyła ich świętość. List z okazji beatyfikacji Kard. Stefana Wyszyńskiego i M. Elżbiety Róży Czackiej, Częstochowa 25.08.2021, cf. https://opoka.org.pl/biblioteka/W/WP/jan_pawel_ii/listy/salvifici.html (access 28.04.2022 r.).
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