“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb” (Revelation 7:14).

In the Easter season, the first and second readings that we hear at Sunday Mass are often taken from the Acts of the Apostles and the Book of Revelation. The reason for this has to do with the fact that Easter focuses our attention on two essential messages contained in both of these books. These two messages are as follows: 1) From the Acts of the Apostles we are reminded that Christ’s mission continues in the world through the community of the Church that He established and that you and I are called to be active members of that Church, making Christ present in the world today; And 2) From the Book of Revelation, because of the sacrifice that He offered for our salvation, Christ has opened the gates of Heaven and destroyed death so that we are invited at the end of our lives here on earth to the Kingdom of Heaven, where we are invited to be members of Christ’s Church for all eternity. So, to sum it up, it could be expressed this way: By His death and resurrection, Christ has re-established humanity in communion with the Holy Trinity and we are called to live in God’s presence today and for all eternity within the community of His Church- both on earth and in Heaven. Or, as we hear so beautifully expressed in the words of Jesus the Good Shepherd in today’s Gospel from John: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish” (John 10:27-28).

In today’s second reading from the Book of Revelation, we are given a beautiful description of the Heavenly liturgy to which we are all called through faithful discipleship. That liturgy is described as being made up of people from “every nation, race, people and tongue” (Revelation 7:9). One thing I like about that description is that it sounds like a beautiful description of our parishes here in Toronto. God’s message of salvation through Jesus Christ is universal—or as we call it “Catholic”—it is for everyone who follows Christ faithfully. And while this salvation is offered to everyone, the reading also touches on the notion of the call to be faithful to the end, as it states: “These are those who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb” (Revelation 7:14). It is because Revelation speaks about the “great distress” that will lead to the Kingdom of Heaven that many people associate it with the end of time. However, the fact is that for all of us there will come a time of great distress when we must each pass from this world, through death, to the next. This time of great distress does not have to be that type of martyrdom that the Christians who died for the faith faced. The Church knows many more examples of white martyrdom, which refers to those who die being faithful to the Lord in the normal circumstances of life. The Book of Revelation reminds each of us that we are called to be faithful to Christ until death in order to come to the Kingdom of Heaven.

As we hear about this call to be faithful until death from the Book of Revelation, the Gospel of John gives us the promise of the hope as to how we are to do this. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd who will be with us to guide us and lead us to eternal life. Listening to His voice, we are to find the way and the strength to endure through life’s trials. As I have already quoted, Christ speaks to us of His presence in our lives, as He states: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish” (John 10:27-28). How this is done for us today takes me back to the central message of the Acts of the Apostles: Christ is with us today to guide us through His Church, the Sacraments and His Word. We are called to be members of a community that is made up of family, friends and the larger community of the Church. We are to be strengthened in His Church through the Sacraments that Christ has left us to make His healing touch present, through His Word, and the fellowship of family, friends, and the larger community of the Church. This community dimension of our pilgrimage of hope is expressed in the Psalm Response by the “WE” of: “We are the people, the sheep of His flock” (Psalm 100). Because we are all weak and vulnerable, we are to allow others to get close to us and be Christ for one another. One of the beautiful images that depicts the way that Christ is to care for us through the community of the Church is that of the Good Shepherd carrying a lamb on His shoulders. Although we often think of the lamb that Christ is carrying as a young lamb, I like to think of that lamb as one who is elderly and worn out by the journey. The fact that in our parish there is an image of the Good Shepherd over our tabernacle is also a reminder that Christ wishes to carry us through His presence in the Sacraments and the community that He calls and builds up through the Sacraments—that is us the Church.

In the first reading this Sunday, from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear about the Apostles, “who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God” (Acts 13:43). That is what I would like to do today by speaking to you about a very difficult topic- the topic of “Palliative Care and the Catholic Response to Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide.” There is a pamphlet, from the Archdiocese, in the bulletin this weekend that explains the Church’s teaching on this matter. On the front of this pamphlet is a beautiful quote from Pope Francis which reflects on this subject within the context of this Jubilee Year on our Pilgrimage of Hope that is to lead to Heaven, which states: “All who experience the uncertainties so often brought about by sickness and death need the witness of hope provided by those who care for them and who remain at their side. Palliative care, while seeking to alleviate the burden of pain as much as possible, is above all a concrete sign of closeness and solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are suffering.” We are all on a journey to Heaven and within the Church called to remain faithful to Christ until death. With the Sacraments, and loving medical care, each of us is to make that passage confident that the Lord is with us and that death is not the end, but a transition to the Heavenly Church. Supported by the community on earth, we are called to remain faithful till we pass to the Church in Heaven.

I would invite everyone to read this pamphlet, as it is such an important topic in the world today. Today, I would like to simply emphasize a few points that it contains.

The first point that it addresses is how beautiful and compassionate palliative care is. When many hear of a terminal diagnosis, they may think of Medical Assistance in Dying as the compassionate alternative. This may be because they do not know what palliative care is or how compassionate it is. “Palliative care affirms the intrinsic value of every life, given us by God. It neither seeks to hasten nor postpone death.” Palliative care “manages pain, helping individuals navigate their symptoms while in treatment or helps alleviate physical pain until natural death.” If you do not know what palliative care is, please inquire with some of the local palliative care facilities about the wonderful care that they provides. In our own parish boundaries, we have one of the most beautiful facilities that I have visited—the Kennsington Palliative Care Facility. Further away is the wonderful facility at Bridgepoint Hospital. The Church has consistently emphasized the need for healthcare to make more palliative care available rather than the unacceptable alternative of Medical Assistance in Dying. We are called to see that “palliative care is the Catholic response to end-of-life care. It affirms life is sacred despite any illness. It is compassionate both towards individuals and their families. Christ taught us that life has value, even in the midst of severe illness and poverty. Palliative care respects the value of life and seeks to provide comfort and care as illness progresses.”

While the pamphlet speaks about the dignity shown the human person through palliative care options, it also presents some very clear guidance on the Church’s teaching regarding Medical Assistance in Dying that also need to be emphasized. These points are quoted directly from the pamphlet:

• Catholics believe that with death, life is changed, not ended. All life is a gift from God and is sacred. Killing is never the answer. The Church teaches that “Intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives is murder. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator”. In addition, “suicide is seriously contrary to justice, hope and charity. It is forbidden by the fifth commandment.”
• Pope Francis refers to it as “a failure of love, a reflection of a ‘throwaway culture’ in which persons are no longer seen as a paramount value to be cared for and respected.”
• Human compassion consists not in causing death, but, as Jesus showed, in embracing the ill, accompanying them in their difficulties, offering them affection, attention, and the means to alleviate suffering.
• The request for death is often an anguished plea for love and help, an expression of helplessness, and a futile attempt to help loved ones move on in their lives. Euthanasia and assisted suicide exploit these feelings in a way that is not helpful for individuals or families.
• MAID hinders the natural process whereby, instead of embracing the dying experience by placing our hope and trust in Christ’s victory as well as accepting our human condition, euthanasia and assisted suicide “short circuit” this, leaving family and friends to pick up the pieces.

By speaking on this topic, it is not my intention to be insensitive or to suggest that illness or suffering are easy for any of us. Every human being who has been given the gift of life must also suffer and die to pass to eternal life. This is why Christ came into the world to accompany us, accepted His own terrible death on the cross, sent the Holy Spirit to establish the Church to be with us through His community of believers, and gave us the Sacraments and His Word to strengthen us. For those who are faithful until death, there is a great reward, as we hear today in the second reading from the Book of Revelation: “These are those who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb” (Revelation 7:14).

Let us pray for all those in our community who are sick and dying.

Fr. Michael McGourty,
Pastor, St. Peter’s Church—Toronto, Ontario.

This reflection based on the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Easter- Year C: Acts 13:14, 43-52; Psalm 100; Revelation 7: 9, 14b-17; and John 10:27-30; as well as the pamphlet form the Archdiocese of Toronto- “Palliative Care and a Catholic Response to Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide.”