Pope Francis reflected on the meaning of illness during an audience with members of the Holy Biblical Council. The Bible’s answers to sickness are neither imaginative nor resigned.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis received participants of the annual plenary session of the Pontifical Biblical Council in the Vatican on April 20. The theme of this plenary session is “Sickness and Suffering in the Bible”. For this reason, the Pope emphasized that in the face of illness, human beings should not fall into a state of “despair or rebellion”, but “see it as an opportunity for growth and discernment, so as to encounter God”. This is “the view of faith we find in the Bible”.
The Pope first pointed out that people in the Old Testament continued to turn to God in their sufferings, while in the New Testament, Jesus’ mission showed his deep concern for the sick and suffering, demonstrating God’s “holy love and forgiveness, and God’s love and forgiveness.” Find the truth about the sinful, lost and wounded world“.
The many healing miracles performed by Jesus are signs of “God’s care for his people” and signs that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. “The suffering of Christ’s crucifixion became an excellent sign of God’s presence with us, and at the same time an opportunity for us to participate in his work of salvation,” explained the Pope.
When it comes to sickness, the Bible offers a perspective that is neither imaginary nor resigned. On the contrary, “the characters of the Bible feel invited to face the universal situation of suffering as an occasion of encounter in which to receive God’s care and mercy. The good Father, infinitely merciful, tends the wounds of his creation.” , heal them, support them, save them.” In Christ, “sickness becomes even love”, with the hope of resurrection and salvation.
Furthermore, sickness teaches us to help each other with a human touch and a Christian spirit, according to God’s “style of nearness, compassion and tenderness”. Citing the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Pope emphasized that caring for the suffering is not an “option” but an “essential condition”, not only for one’s own growth but also for “building an inclusive society”. So is society.
The Pope concluded by expressing his thanks and encouragement for the work of the scholars of the Pontifical Biblical Council. “The more you understand to accept personally the mystery of the Incarnation in your respective lives of faith, the more your work will flourish,” said the Pope.
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