Commentary: World Day Of The Sick: Let Us Come Forward To Help

Each year on February 11, World Day of the Sick is observed. It was established by Pope John Paul the second as a way for the world to pray fervently for all those struggling from illnesses. It is a time to think about those who are ill and those who provide treatment to them.

Commemoration of Our Lady of Lourdes falls on this day too. Our Lady of Lourdes, a term referring to the Virgin Mary, in commemoration of the visions claimed to be sighted all across Lourdes, France, by a little girl, Bernadette Sourbirous. Bernadette was canonized as a saint a few decades later.

Being sick or ill is a physically or mentally malaise to a person in different types of illness. It is a general feeling of unwellness of which would be diagnosed to a particular sickness or disease.

Disease like Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingestion of food or water, contaminated with bacterium vibrio cholera, while Coronavirus is of the viruses, known as CORONAVIRIDAE, for containing strains that cause potentially deadly diseases in mammals and birds.

Another, Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and lower limb amputation. Healthy diet, physical activity and avoiding tobacco use can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. In addition, diabetes can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed with medication, regular screening and treatment for complications.

Pneumonia is the single biggest infectious killer of adults and children. Worldwide, pneumonia takes the lives of more young children than any other disease. It takes more than 100 children every hour of every day. The single biggest cause of fatal pneumonia in childhood is preventable with a vaccine.

Pope John Paul II established the World D of the Sick in 1992 to encourage people to pray for those who are suffering from the disease’s consequences as well as their caretakers. The Pope had been identified with Parkinson’s disease a year before, in 1991, and it is thought that his illness prompted his selection of the day. The inaugural World Day of the Sick was observed on February 11, 1993.

The Theme For World Day of the Sick 2022 is: “Let Us Come Forward To Help. Jesus says on the World Day of the Sick, “Come to me, all you who labour and are oppressed and I will give you rest, Matthew chapter 11, verse 28. The concept refers to a spiritual path of beauty that is revealed to the simplest and empowers those who might be exhausted and weary.

On this day, people all around the world are required to pray to God for the sick and for those who work to alleviate their suffering. Many groups commemorate this day by providing drugs, food, and counseling to the ill.

All who provide for the ill and give of themselves with charity and simple compassion are the real children of God. Thus, the World Day of the ill is a chance for everyone to reflect on how they care for the sick. We should all look with abundant mercy on all who suffer in body, mind or spirit and help them and take care of them on this World Day of the Sick.”

We collectively pray God to grant healing and hope to the sick, the wounded and the dying in their darkest hours, so they may witness the power of God’s healing presence in the world.

Let us come forward and help to alleviate the sufferings of the most vulnerable. Happy World Day of the Sick.