Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Cordial Catholic

Home
Catholic
If the Church is a Field Hospital, Lent is Our Medicine

If the Church is a Field Hospital, Lent is Our Medicine

Last updated on: March 30, 2017 at 6:00 am by K. Albert Little

If the Church is a Field Hospital, Lent is Our Medicine 2017-03-28T11:21:00-04:00 K. Albert Little

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Photo Credit: Judit Klein.

Early in his pontificate, Pope Francis likened the Catholic Church to a field hospital.

Rather than a stuffy religious organization, the Holy Father urged us to view the Church as a kind of guerrilla movement—tending to the sick and wounded on the battlefield.

Frankly, this sounds an awful lot like the Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed.

I have a feeling Pope Francis is on to something.

A wise, non-Catholic friend of mine, once remarked that if the Church truly is like a hospital then the things which the Church says we ought and ought not to do is like salve for our wounds.

Like our holy medicine.

And I think he’s exactly right.

If we are truly as wounded and broken as the Bible makes us out to be; if we’re all deeply and innately flawed and unable to do the good that we want to do then we need medicine—we need to be made well. And the Church offers us these prescriptions.

It’s a radical way to see the so-called rules of the Church.

Rather than crudely constructed and arbitrarily enforced do’s and don’ts, the guidelines set out by Holy Mother Church on how to live actually enable us to get better—and grow closer to God.

This is how we ought to approach Lent: as our holy medicine.

Through the season of Lent, as we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus, we prepare and repent. As Catholics, we do this with both our body and our soul. In our soul, we’re nourished and reminded through the Liturgy, through the readings at Mass and our own personal devotions. In our body, our fasting—our giving up of something and giving of something—reminds us physically.

This preparation—and reparation—is our medicine; it’s designed to heal.

As we wait, and reflect, and refrain from whatever it is we’ve chosen to give up this year, we position ourselves to more fully resemble Christ. To more fully reflect the suffering He endured to procure our freedom, if only in a very small way.

But, in a small way nonetheless, Lent prepares us.

This year, as I’ve done for a few years now, I gave up complaining for Lent. (It’s been hard!)

Instead of complaining, every time I’m tempted to, I do my best to either rectify the situation (go figure) or say a prayer. In very small ways, and not altogether very often if I’m honest, I’ve been able to turn my complaints into prayers.

I’m growing, slowly but surely, to closer resemble Christ. And, in these small ways, to usher in the Kingdom of God.

Ultimately, whatever it is we choose to give up for Lent, the very act of fasting—the feeling we get when we want that thing but can’t have it—reorients us towards God. Reminds us that God is greater; that by abstaining from that one thing we want so much, by curbing our own desire, we can become more like the one who curbed all desires, all the way to the cross.

It’s good medicine for the battlefield, indeed.

Previous Post

March 28, 2017

How an Evangelical Learned to Love the Saints

Next Post

April 7, 2017 Thoughts from a Convert in the Confessional Line

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Appearances Christian Living Explaining the Faith Podcast Tough Questions Uncategorized Why I'm Catholic

Select a Month January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 October 2017 September 2017 July 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who wrote two letters known for emphasizing "truth" and "love"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Peter John Paul James

Support this
Column