by Fr. Justin Fulton
Have you been sick yet this cold and flu season? Whether it be COVID—Delta, Omicron or any other variant, the flu, strep, or a cold, it seems like there is a lot of stuff out there that can knock us off the rails.
I’ve been down with one of those sinus/head colds the last couple of weeks. It starts as a light cough throughout the day without a runny nose. Then, you go to bed. After a couple hours of sleep, you wake up and it feels like there are razor blades in your throat. You cough. You cough. And you cough. You develop a headache.
Then, you don’t want to cough because your head aches, and you don’t want to swallow because it feels like there are razor blades in your throat. You end up staying awake all night, with seemingly no recourse for getting better. It gets a bit frustrating and in this world of modern convenience, it makes one feel helpless.
While working from home during the illness, I’ve had a lot more silence in my life. It’s actually been a bit of a retreat. And while I was focused on myself, the cold, and having a “pity party,” I could understand why God was allowing me to be sick. I probably needed it. My pride can use some humility. My prayer life can use some work. My anger needs His peace. Frankly, I need to become more holy. The grace of an illness can help open our eyes to this reality: that in everything, God’s Hand is working for our holiness and ultimate benefit.
In sickness, we can do a few things. I share these thoughts with you (and frankly, with myself) to reflect on:
For a good part of the year, we are pretty “OK.” In reflecting on my illness, for 345 days out of the year I was healthy. Yet, in those 345 days I wonder how many times I thanked God for simply being “OK” for another day. When we are sick, we can become more thankful to God for the “little things” we never thank Him for and take for granted—like not having a cold 345 days out of the year.
Solidarity. Somewhere in this world there is another person with the exact same sickness as me. That someone may be down the street, in the same office, perhaps on the other side of the globe. Separated, we are united in the same battle. We can pray for a person we have never met, who is suffering the same way as us. Sickness can lead to unity, and suffering unleashes love. When we pray for someone else, we love them. Through that suffering/sickness/darkness, more Love—God—is unleashed in this world. (For further reading on this concept, look up Salvifici Doloris by John Paul II.)
The good ole’ Catholic answer for everything: “Offer it Up.” ‘Tis true. In some mysterious way, Jesus purifies our suffering through His suffering on the Cross and with us in this time. We participate by making an act of the will and giving our sufferings to Him, so that He in turn can sanctify ourselves and others. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!
Always remember there is a point to everything. God is found in the poor and the suffering. Catholic Social Services serves God in His poor and suffering. Stand in solidarity with us as we serve Him through His people. God bless you!
