From my residence, Mercy Medical Center is in plain sight. After dark, the word “Mercy” lights up the night sky. It is more than a brand. It betokens a vision of healthcare that is not only technically competent but also founded on love and respect for each patient.
What is true of Mercy Medical Center is also true of all the Catholic hospitals in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In addition to Mercy, there is Ascension-St. Agnes, Good Samaritan, and UMMS-St. Joseph. Locally, there are many excellent healthcare centers, but there is something that sets these medical centers apart. Pope Francis put his finger on it when he chose “Merciful like the Father” as the theme for the 2023 World Day of the Sick.
This theme has deep roots in Scripture. God’s mercy, Psalm 118 proclaims, “endures forever.” In Ephesians, Paul speaks of “God who is rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4). In 2 Corinthians, Paul exults: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor 1:3). Jesus, God’s only begotten Son in the flesh, revealed the merciful heart of his Father. In the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 10:38), Peter proclaims, “(You know) how God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, and God was with him.”
Indeed, even a glance at the Gospel shows us that healing the sick – physically and spiritually – was at the heart of Jesus’ earthly ministry. When Jesus sent forth his disciples, he instructed them to proclaim the Gospel and to heal the sick.
These are the deep roots, not only of this year’s theme for World Day of the Sick, but indeed of Catholic healthcare itself. From the beginning, the Church offered loving care to the sick, the dying and the impoverished. In the Middle Ages, convents and monasteries often functioned as medical centers and this led to the development of hospitals as such. Over time, the Church has contributed greatly to medical research. In the United States, religious women pioneered a system of Catholic hospitals that is second to none in serving the sick and especially in serving the needs of the poor and marginalized. Their spirit of merciful love lives on whether in stand-alone hospitals or those that are part of large systems.
The cornerstone of Catholic healthcare is the dignity of the human person – the person who is loved by God and called to eternal life and friendship with him. Administrators, healthcare professionals, clergy and lay ministers team up to provide a type of healthcare that looks to the whole person – body, mind and spirit. While seeking the best available means to cure the body, Catholic healthcare also seeks to surround the patient with love and respect and with constant reminders of God’s love and mercy. Often, those who are sick experience fear and isolation, and begin to think more deeply about their lives. Catholic healthcare seeks to listen to the patient as a unique person and to provide not only medical treatment but also the spiritual and emotional resources each one needs. What’s more, it delivers excellent healthcare in a manner that respects human life and dignity from the moment of conception until natural death. It regards human nature, including the body, as God’s masterpiece, as a gift to be cherished, protected and healed – not manipulated at will.
A word should be said about the generosity of the charitable care of our Catholic healthcare institutions. Those without resources are not merely a social problem, but images of the Lord in his poverty. It is hard to imagine our local communities without the generosity of our Catholic hospitals.
We will celebrate World Day of the Sick Feb. 19. On that day, I invite you to join me at 10:45 a.m. for a special Mass at the Baltimore Basilica. Let us gratefully remember in our prayers those who carry forward the ministry of Catholic healthcare. They reveal to us anew the merciful heart of our heavenly Father.
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