Showing God's love

I graduated in Medicine in 1983 and quickly realized the relevance of the gospel in relationships with patients and co-workers. I worked for many years in emergency services on a 24-hour shift. The level of stress among health professionals and patients was very high. Long hours of waiting, coupled with lack of comfort and fatigue, made those hours very tiring and tense. Arguments between patients and physicians were very common.

Weekly at 6:30am I would come in praying, interceding for the patients, doctors, nurses, and all the local workers. I always wanted to make my medical colleagues aware of the suffering of those people and of the difficulty of obtaining quality medical care in our country.

Aware of the lack of resources, I tried somehow to seek the opportunity to awaken a feeling of brotherhood and solidarity for those who suffer. I reflected with them how patients like to consult with familiar doctors, because when we are attended by unknown doctors, we often feel the lack of interest, impatience and lack of care.

Our field of work is our missionary field and through our attitude in meeting people and in the relationship with our colleagues, we can influence our workplace making it more welcoming and humanized.

Once, I was examining a child sitting in his mother’s lap, and she suffered greatly from a wound on her leg. Shyly, she asked me if I could make a prescription for her too, because we were at a hospital just for children. She wore a crucifix around her neck.

Holding that crucifix, I told her that because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, I was there and I would take care of her. Silent tears ran down our cheeks in gratitude to God for revealing Himself to us. Jesus identifies himself with the suffering, with the marginalized, with the sick, with the incarcerated, and calls us to see in others the image of God.

Prayer: Help us, Lord, to see You in the faces of those in need. Give us the willingness to go the extra mile, following Your example. Amen