Spirituality and pastoral care-giving

WE DESCRIBE the level of HIV/ AIDS in the Philippines as slow and low even though we know it is hidden and growing; we face a major problem of social stigma and discrimination as most people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) hide in the closet. We all know that HIV/ AIDS is a scourge of our time. But we believe that all this work was given a face only during our encounter with PLWHA.

And now let us enlarge the focus on HIV/ AIDS to a reflection on pain in general. No aspect of human condition is as common, universal and indiscriminate as suffering. It afflicts everybody regardless of ideology, culture, wealth, resources, religious faith, race and other facets of life.

As Pope John Paul II has said, “In whatever form, suffering seems to be, and is almost inseparable from man’s earthly existence.” At the same time, it is a personal experience so that it “remains an intangible mystery”. Since every experience is personal, the answer that each one gives to suffering is equally person al .

Thus, it is risky to generalize; on fact every person suffers and dies alone. His or her reactions depend on many personal factors, besides those external and outside one’s control.

There is the gravity and length of the illness as well as a patient’s sensitivity, resistance to pain, past history, sense of values, religious and moral convictions and presence of friends. A specific case of suffering that is of particular interest to us who work for those who are ill, is when suffering is caused by sickness.

Here, sickness is in the wider and general sense of the term – the breakdown of the physical and the psychical balance in an individual. In a world which is slowly but surely being devastated by illnesses like HIV/ AIDS, malignant tumors or cancer, heart and lund disorders, Zika Virus infection and chronic diseases of the lungs, the Church needs to get involved in the fight against these illnesses.

The onset of illness brings a crisis, something that comes unexpectedly and gets in the way of the normal rhythm of life and relation with the patient’s self, environment, friends, relatives and God.

Above all, the onset of illness involves the loss – momentarily or prolonged or indefinitely – of the precious gift of health. Pope John Paul II describes such a loss as being felt as an injustice, a theft, the illogical deprivation of a great good, and even an attack on fundamental rights.

The right to health is a fundamental human right because it is directly linked to the right to life and to love for life in its fullness. How does an attack of illness cause a change in our relations with others? We no longer see colleagues with whom we work; we cannot meet friends; and we receive visits from people we have not seen for a long time.

(To be continued)