See Christ in those suffering illness, Pope says in message for World Day of Sick
January 08, 2013
In his message for the 21st World Day of the Sick, Pope Benedict XVI said that those suffering from illness “have been called by Christ and are his living and transparent image.”
The World Day of the Sick will be observed on February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Pope’s message for the occasion was released by the Vatican on January 8.
In his message, which centers on the theme of the Good Samaritan, the Holy Father says that he feels especially close to those “who in health-care centers or at home, are undergoing a time of trial due to illness and suffering.” He remarks that the Church Fathers have typically seen the Good Samaritan as a type of Christ, “the one who sheds the garment of his divinity, who leaves his divine condition to assume the likeness of men, drawing near to human suffering.”
The Pope expresses his “warm gratitude and encouragement to Catholic health-care institutions” and to all those engaged in care for the sick.
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