Pastor’s Corner — Sunday, December 15th, 2024
SENT Global: New Video
I could not be more proud of parishioner Alicia Cergnal who is one of the co-founders of SENT Global, a nonprofit Christian organization that feeds the body and soul of people around the world. SENT Global “carries out the great commission by supporting missionaries with a focus on feeding the poor, spreading the Gospel, and tending to the needs of impoverished communities internationally.” At St Pat’s we’ve supported this ministry by helping raise awareness of their missions to different countries with opportunities to give financially, to bring in items to donate to the poor, and to supply missionaries (parishioners) for their trips.
Recently, they came out with a great new video (4:14) filmed on a recent mission trip to Guatemala that I think you’ll find quite inspiring. You might be able to spot additional parishioners on the trip. To learn more about the ministry you can go here. I’m so thankful for what the Lord is doing in this ministry!
Consciousness and Sedation at the End of Life
I know this is a sensitive topic, but we need to work hard at approaching end of life issues with a Christian mindset. When by the bedside of our dying relative, we can be too easily influenced by secular views of the human person of doctors and nurses, views that not only completely miss but also directly violate our human dignity. How we see end of life issues is directly related to how we see the dignity of the human person.
In his recent article, Consciousness and Sedation at the End of Life, Fr. Jose Lim describes why consciousness is “not simply a phenomenon that can be arbitrarily dispensed with or suppressed at whim: it is a critical element of the human experience, particularly in the last chapter of one’s earthly existence, during which one comes face to face with the mystery of suffering and the meaning of life.” If you’ve ever had, or will ever have, to make decisions about palliative care for a loved one, this article is a must read. Here is a beautiful quote from the article.
“To deprive someone of consciousness, and the sacred sanctuary of conscience, in such a critical chapter of one’s life should never be done casually or without serious cause. The partial suppression of consciousness in palliative care should be only applied in the gravest of circumstances such as in cases of extreme and uncontrollable pain, while the total suppression of human consciousness (such as is seen in continuous deep sedation, which of ers its own set of complications) must be seen as a last resort when all other resources have failed.
Considering this, the dying process becomes a unique opportunity for persons to seek the fulfillment of the good in their lives. At the bedside of one who is gravely ill and dying, profound moments of reconciliation, forgiveness, reflection, prayer, and hope are possible if given the opportunity. Through such an exchange, the dying person can experience the love and care of others, shaking of the isolation and despair that so often plagues those nearing death. The deathbed, therefore, becomes a sacred place through which the dying person can experience the empathy, compassion, and consolation of the human community. In this way, as a person approaches his or her own earthly end, this moment can be a precious and profound experience of one’s dignity and singular worth through both one’s own reflection and the compassionate care of others. In this way, a person’s conscious experience comes to its fulfillment during one’s last days.”
May the Lord grant all of us a holy death.
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias