On Illness, The Dark Night and Death

Many saints endured long illnesses. Some endured short illnesses. SS. Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, Gemma Galgani, Pier Georgio Frassati, Karl of Austria, Margaret of Castello, John Paul II, and many, many others endured months and weeks, if not years, of serious illness.

Coming in and out of asthma attacks and reactions to meds since January 3rd, my birthday, I have had time to contemplate the effect of illness in the Dark Night of the Soul.

I want to share with you that none of this is romantic or easy. To romanticize illness and to pretend that the purification of the body and soul is not painful cannot be helpful exercises.

Remember also, that the great hardship of illness is isolation. One must stay inside, sometimes be bed-ridden, suffer long hours without someone noticing, and keep up one's prayer life as much as possible.

Sometimes, all the sick person has is will-power.

And, most frequently, one is thrown back on the grace of the moment, without the sacraments, without group prayer.

St. Therese the Little Flower could not receive Communion most of the time in the last 18 months of her life.

I have had to give up daily Mass and weekly Confession, as well as Adoration.

The very spiritual strengths a person needs when ill are the very things taken away. But, God allows this to happen.

He allows these trials for several reasons-punishment for our sins, purification and intercessory prayer.

However, here is the rub.

When one is ill, it is easier for the evil one to tempt one, as one's defenses are down. Satan stands at the bedside and accuses, condemns, lies.  (Sorry Chrome crashed in the middle of this.)

The ill person needs the prayers of the Church as well as focusing on their own time with God.

Be kind to those who are ill. Pray for them and do not think that illness is a time for prayer from the ill person.

It is not. And, in the Dark Night, when God is purging the senses and the soul, illness may be part of this purgation.

Here are two quotations from Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

"All around the sick and all around the poor I see a special light which we do not have."

What wealth it is to be in good health, as we are! But we have the duty of putting our health at the service of those who do not have it. To act otherwise would be to betray that gift of God.”

to be continued..........