Divine Mercy: The Heart of the Gospel

140 Divine Mercy: The Heart Of The Gospel Jesus. Jesus Host is with it. I wish to speak o f one more thing that I have experienced. When God gives neither death nor health, and when this lasts for many years, people become accustomed to this and consider the person as not being ill. Then there begins a whole series o f silent sufferings. Only God knows how many sacrifices the soul makes. . .. At such times, God Himself comes to our res­ cue, for otherwise the soul would not be able to bear these crosses. As you know from your reading of the Diary, Sister Faustina traces out her spiritual journey and mystical experiences. When we read the Diary we are most apt to go to those passages in which we find the words of Our Lord, or her prayers to Christ. But her reflections on her own illness, on her own experience o f suffering, are vitally important because they are a call to our hearts; they are a call to you and me to be merciful, to do the deeds of mercy, to learn from the spiritual journey of this woman whose theological mission is not confined to mysticism, but also has an exem­ plary dimension for us. She is our example in the life of grace. This essay is an attempt to appreciate the role o f Sister Faustina’s message in the context o f modem medical ethical dilemmas, and more particularly, to engage in pastoral ministry and to assist those who have a special vocation to communicate Christ’s Mercy to the sick. This essay is not only for you who are apostles o f Divine Mercy now, but also for healthcare providers whom you will encounter in the parishes where you speak and work, in other groups and among your families, friends and neighbours. I am going to divide this presentation into two halves. Firstly, I want to outline briefly the contributions that have been made by the magis- terium of Pope John Paul II towards understanding the mystery of human suffering. If we do not have an awareness o f the meaning of human suffering we cannot speak of mercy and we cannot be messen­ gers o f mercy. The magisterium o f the Holy Father finds its most com­ prehensive expression to date in The Charter fo r Healthcare Workers (1995, Pontifical Council fo r Pastoral Assistance to Healthcare Workers). In this document we find the Biblical identity o f the medical professional clearly delineated. Here, too, we find the most complete presentation of the Church’s understanding o f the needs o f the dying and the response of authentic mercy which leads one to share in the suffer­ ings o f others. Secondly, I want to speak to you at more length about the