Hidden Heroism of the Family

This past summer, while visiting Rome, my husband, Tom, and I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Wednesday general audience of Pope Francis.

The theme of his address to the thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square was the focus of this issue of the Mosaicthe family. In particular, the pope's message was about the hidden heroism of families caring for the sick. Let me share with you a few of his thoughts about this unheralded, challenging aspect of family life.

Illness is an issue that affects everyone, Pope Francis stated. When someone in our family is sick, we feel it even more deeply. It is harder for a mother or a father to see their child fall ill than to be sick themselves. And often it is the family that must take the lead in caring for one another.

These thoughts resonated with my own experience. How often I have heard parents say how they wish they could carry the burden of a sickness of one of their childrenCrohn's disease, a bipolar disorder, cancer, depression, etc. Parents do not suffer the illness, but they do suffer for the suffering of their children.

I remember my father's admonition when my brothers and sisters argued, as children often do, Blood is thicker than water! Be kind to each other because if you are ever in need, it is your family who will be there for you.

The Holy Father also spoke about the many times we read in the Gospels where Jesus healed people.

The Lord never passed people by, he reminded us, but was always close to them. And Jesus put healing firsthealing took priority over the Law, even as important and holy a law as the Sabbath rest.

The pope further pointed out, Later Jesus sent his disciples to do the same works he himself had accomplished, giving them the power to healthat is, the ability to be close to the sick, and to care for them to the end.

I found this last sentence to be particularly insightful for us today. Many people think of Jesus healing only physical ailments. But Pope Francis seems to infer that just being close to the sick and caring for them to the end bring about a certain kind of inner healing all their own. Just recently, a woman who had cared for her husband in their home for more than a year, after he had suffered a massive stroke, told me that when she finally had to place him in a nursing home, a member of the staff told her how impressed he was that she came to see him every day. Often, he said, family members drop the sick one off, and staff members never see them again.

Pope Francis put his words into action. We watched as he met with a number of families who were at the audience to have him bless their sick ones. Not only did the pope bless each sick member of a family, but he took time to speak with each of the caretakers, encouraging, hugging, and blessing them.

The pope closed his reflections by acknowledging that serious, debilitating injuries and illnesses stress not only the patient but also the family caregivers. It changes life as we know it. Without compassion and sympathy for others, Pope Francis warned, we risk becoming anesthetized' and unable to deal with our own suffering. He praised the care and compassion family members have for those who are sick.

These things are heroicthey are the heroism of the family!