That was until I attended a symposium on the twin hearts of Jesus and Mary… there I learned that if there is one thing that is common to us human beings, it is our hearts… we belong to different races: black, white, brown, yellow… we have different hair; curly, straight, wavy… we have different eyes; round, chinky, drooping… even the color of our eyes are different; black, brown, green, blue… even our blood differ; AB, A, B, O still with RH + or RH - … we are all so different from one another!
Why the heart? Experts would say that flesh that composes the human heart is the same in all human beings… that if one takes a piece of flesh from a human heart and have them examined by experts, they would readily identify this as flesh coming from the human heart! This explains why the experts who examin4ed the host and the wine that turned into flesh and blood in the miracle at Loreto said that the flesh is from the human heart and the blood type is AB… with these we can say that indeed it is the human heart that makes us the same with other human beings for only a heart can understand a heart… puso sa puso! If we would want to unite people we have to have a revolution of the heart, not an ideological revolution using weapons of mass destruction… not by force using power… Kung ang kalaban walang puso, puso na rin ang gamitin mo!
With these we can rightly use the in exchange for the word love… for love goes beyond all our differences… As health care workers we should be aware that there are different medications for different ailments… that a particular medicine may be good for a particular illness but not for other illnesses… but there is one ‘medicine' that may be applied to all patients whatever their illnesses are… LOVE/.
When patients feel that they are not left out and are loved by their families, friends, health workers and people around them then the healing process is hastened… we may not be able to cure them but we can do a lot to alleviate their pain and suffering… actually it would take very little from us – a smile maybe, a listening ear, an understanding heart… constantly make effective the compassionate love of Christ for the sick poor by serving them corporally and spiritually, as taught and practiced by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac ( USI-MSH Mission #3)
Between us two USI-MSH resident chaplains, I was the one tasked to fill up this column (a case of seniority rule?!) Being my first – in fact my first ever in any newsletter – I must admit it was certainly no easy task. The six - day deadline with “any topic under the sun” did not make it easier either. But as they say, “there's a first time for everything!” I deemed that I might as well make the most out of this first of a kind opportunity.
I have entitled then this article: “Everything you wanted to know about your chaplains but were afraid to ask!” - or should I rather say “but have no time to ask!” after all your two chaplains are not really that scary! But lest I may bump off some other columns, let me just entitle it now: “What really are chaplains for at the USI-MSH.”
First, to set the record straight – your two chaplains here are no doctors, no need then to be calling them “doc” as well (and no more calling them either “sister”!)
Second, your chaplains are providers for the spiritual, liturgical and pastoral needs of the patients, their families and the hospital staff as well as the Daughters of Charity resident-sisters.
To particularize, your chaplains at the USI-MSH, among others:
-celebrate the daily, the anticipated and the Sunday masses
-Visit patients shortly after admission and counsel the seriously ill, the emotionally disturbed and those in crises situation.
-administer the sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick, Penance, Baptism in emergency cases and Marriage “in articulo mortis”
-conduct counseling, confessions and other needed pastoral services to patients' families and specially to the hospital staff during office hours, 3:00-4:00pm Monday to Sunday at the Chaplain's office.
Let me end by saying that in this issue, I may not have given the chaplain's viewpoint on a given topic but I hope for the many they now have their proper viewpoint on what really are chaplains for at the USI-MSH.
Original Copy for the Column
Chaplain's Viewpoint of
Our Healing Place
Vol-6 Iss-1 Jul-Sep 2007
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