Devotions for the Sick
Instruction
The state of sickness and sufferings is to be regarded as a fatherly visitation, whereby God knocks at the door of our hearts, to put us in mind of our mortality. It is a call from heaven, a timely warning to prepare for eternity, by spending the remainder of our life in the love and service of our Creator. It is the touchstone of patience, the school, or rather the harvest of penance, resignation, and every Christian virtue. It is the test of our love, by which we may judge whether we acquit ourselves of duties that are agreeable to nature, in conformity to the will of God, or only do them because they are agreeable to our own will. We know not what we are until we are tried. It costs us nothing to say, “We love thee, O God, above all things;” or to show the courage of martyrs at a distance, when we have nothing to cross or thwart our inclinations; but that love is sincere which stands the proof. If we loved God sincerely, we would on all occasions embrace, desire, and find no happiness but in the accomplishment of his holy will. We would be prepared to bear whatever crosses and calamities he is pleased to send us, with a patient resignation. We would rejoice in them as the greatest blessings, and the sources of immortal crowns. We would regard them as precious talents, to be improved by the increase of our love and affection for God, and the exercise of the most heroic virtues of self-denial, patience, humility, &c.
To be dejected and impatient under sickness and trials, to indulge murmurs and complaints, to repine and call ourselves wretched and unhappy, &c, are signs that an inordinate self-love reigns in our hearts, and that we seek our own inclinations more than the will of God, who has bequeathed the cross to his elect, as their portion and inheritance in this world. It is in vain that we take the name of Christians, or pretend to follow Christ, unless we also carry our cross after his example. It is in vain for us to expect to be glorified with Jesus, unless we also suffer with Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us on the cross, that he might unite us, by it, eternally to himself. We cannot arrive at heaven by any other road. If we courageously embrace our cross, God will be our comfort and support, as he was the comfort and support of the holy martyrs under the most severe trials. He will not forsake us, unless we first forsake him by sin. Too nice and anxious a care of health, is also an evident sign of inordinate self-love, and hatred of mortification. Nevertheless, as a man is not master of his own life or health, he is bound to take a moderate and reasonable care not to throw either of them away, nor neglect the essential prescriptions of physicians in the simple and ordinary remedies and succours of medicine. But he who trusts more in the art of physicians than in the Lord, deserves to be disappointed, like Asa, king of Juda, who became the victim of death, because he placed more confidence in his physicians than in God. Wherefore a Christian in his sickness should, in the first place, consider God as his chief physician, make his peace with him, and seek the health of his soul, by having recourse to the holy sacraments in due time, whilst he is in a condition to receive them with the proper dispositions. If he be in debt, or has any restitution or satisfaction to make, he should take care to have these obligations discharged to the best of his power. He should settle his temporal affairs without delay, that he may wholly apply his thoughts afterwards, without any disturbance, to the care of his immortal soul. He ought to beg of God to extinguish in him all self-love, and to dispose of him as he pleases. He ought to excite in his soul devout acts of faith, hope, charity, contrition, patience, resignation, &c. He should endeavour to sanctify his sufferings, by receiving them from the hand of God, by bearing them in the spirit of penance, by offering them in satisfaction for his sins, and by uniting them with the sufferings of his blessed Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.—” Omnia si pardas, animam servare memento .” “Although you should lose everything else, be careful to save your soul.”