Spiritual Messsage for Healthcare Providers – George Tadros

Amid these times which have presented us with unprecedented
challenges, the call for many of us has been to step to the
front-lines of this global battle. Yet, our very own fragility, that
stems both from our human nature and the risks of being a healthcare
professional, is what burdens our minds, souls, and bodies. While this
burden is shared by all of us as the Body of Christ, it is more
acutely felt in the members of this Body who have been charged to be a
healing hand. It is within this shared Body that we pray to offer for
all of us a regular brief word of comfort and encouragement during
these challenging times.

Today’s message is focused on the word “body.” This word represents
each individual on this earth, but also represents the corporate
identity of all of us. The one and the many was the focus of the
prayer of our Lord in John 17:21 “that all of them may be one, Father,
just as you are in me and I am in you.” It is this oneness of the body
that is most challenged by this epidemic. The forced isolation and
quarantine are fragmenting our human solidarity. The restriction on
celebrating the oneness of Christ in the Eucharist has pained our
hearts, souls, and bodies. Yet, it is our struggle and strive to keep
believing that the sacrament celebrates a reality which is never
shaken. Even if the sacrament is temporarily placed on hold or we
cannot receive it, the reality of our corporate oneness as the Body of
Christ is as ever real. The fear from human touch can only be healed
when “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays”
(Mal 4:2). This reality, even though invisible to our human eyes is
far greater and more powerful than the death that we are visibly
seeing, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them”
(2 Kings 6:16).

For those of us who are on the front-lines, take courage in your
hearts that the Body is there, each member praying for you on their
knees. Moreover, it is in these challenging days, that the Body of
Christ should em(body) its corporate role towards the body of
humanity. Even though our physical temples (the churches) maybe
restricted, our bodily temples (1 Cor 3:16) are carrying the full
force of the Body of Christ to humanity. Let this be our belief and
prayer! We shall celebrate the sacrament through our own bodies as we
present them to the ailed world, boldly and without fear, “Therefore,
I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is
your true and proper worship” (Rom 12:1).