On the occasion of the XXXIII World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis invites us to deepen our understanding of Christian hope in the midst of suffering. Framed within the Jubilee Year 2025, this message resonates strongly, reminding us that "hope does not disappoint" (Rom 5:5) and that, even in tribulation, God sustains and strengthens us.
Illness often confronts us with our fragility and plunges us into uncertainty. However, the Holy Father exhorts us to discover in illness an opportunity for an encounter with God. This is not about passive resignation but about opening ourselves to grace, allowing us to experience divine closeness and the strength that only He can grant.
In his message, Pope Francis highlights three essential dimensions of this experience: encounter, gift, and sharing. The encounter with God in illness transforms us, anchoring us to a solid rock amidst life's storms. The gift of hope, received through faith in Christ’s resurrection, enables us to overcome moments of trial. Finally, sharing reminds us that suffering is not lived in isolation; it is a space of communion where all—patients, caregivers, and family members—become "angels of hope" for one another.
This reflection finds a deep echo in the call to the "culture of care" promoted in our general chapter. In a world marked by indifference and fragmentation, commitment to the integral care of the person becomes a concrete testimony of hope and mercy. Solidarity with the sick and accompaniment in suffering not only dignify the lives of those who suffer but also build more humane and fraternal communities, where God’s love is made present through everyday gestures of compassion and service.
The World Day of the Sick is, therefore, an occasion to rediscover the beauty of solidarity and compassion. In the faces of those who suffer and those who accompany them, we see the reflection of God’s love, which never abandons us.
To read the full message from Pope Francis, visit: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/sick/documents/20250114-giornata-malato.html
Mercedes Méndez. Head of Communications. Original Spanish.The translation has been done with AI. If there are any grammatical or lexical errors, please report them.