It is hard to accept physical decline and the limitations that come with ailments or with aging. One must reject the temptation to think that his life is no longer of any value or that he is no longer important to others.
In itself, illness is a trial of faith. It can destroy some and strengthen others. Some go into rebellion or plunge into night of despair. Some take it calmly because they put all their trust in the Lord.
A person suffering from sickness or old age still has his appointment with “tomorrow”. However, it is a “tomorrow” that is not centered on success or on public recognition of his personal merits. Rather, it consists of God’s positive judgment of him. God is pleased not so much on the results of one’s action but on the love he puts into it.
Thus, the key to the problem is to adjust, to accept one’s situation and to try to find meaning in it. In the face of pain, sickness, fatigue and old age, the only proper attitude is that of loving acceptance (after employing all human means to overcome them). These sufferings can be opportunities to express one’s love for God, to unite himself with Him, to pay for his past sins, to gain virtues, and to send graces to his friends.
This should be the goal: to transform the suffering into an offering. When he knows how to accept it, it purifies.
(Reference: Ethical Practices in Health & Disease by Michael Monge, M.D.)
Santuario de San Antonio Parish 