Pope's message for 2014 World Day of the Sick released
Pope Francis in 2014 is commending the 22nd World Day of the Sick to the intercession
of Mary, so that she will help sick people to live their own suffering in communion
with Jesus Christ. The theme for this world day is Faith and charity: " We too
must give our lives for the brethren" and in his message to mark this occasion, the
Holy Father turns his attention especially to the sick and all those who provide them
with care and treatment. The Pope begins his five point message by saying “the
Church sees in you, dear sick people, the special presence of the suffering Christ
and he goes on to say that God gives us the courage to face each adversity with him
and united to Him In his second point, Pope Francis underlines the fact that although
the Son of God made man has not taken away human disease and suffering, he has taken
them on to himself, transforming and reducing them because, as the Holy Father explains,
they no longer have the last word. The true test of faith in Christ, continues
the Pope is the gift of oneself to spread the love for one's neighbour, especially
for those who do not deserve it , for those who suffer, and for those who are marginalized. In
the third part of his message Pope Francis highlights that we should approach those
who are in need of care with tenderness. He continues this theme in the penultimate
part of his message saying that “to grow in tenderness , and charity, we have a model
Christian. She, Pope Francis says, is the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, attentive
to the voice of God and the needs and difficulties of his children. Concluding
his message the Holy Father turns to the figure of St. John, the disciple who was
with Mary at the foot of the Cross. It is this Saint, he stresses, that takes us
back to the source of faith and charity, to the heart of God who " is love" and he
reminds us that we cannot love God if we do not love our neighbour. Listen to Lydia
O'Kane's report