How many of you have ever watched the television show, M*A*S*H? I was always taken with that show, a mix of comedy, intense drama, and a group of very different people with different ideas, all working together to save lives on the front lines of a war zone. That show, the flawed but loving characters, and most importantly, the mission of true field hospitals (and the brave real-world men and women who saved so many of our soldiers) has been etched in my soul, especially after this past week’s World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. We were called to make the Catholic Church a “Field Hospital” by Bishops and Cardinals during the meetings, illustrating the direct action we are expected to take as Catholics in the world around us. We are not supposed to shut ourselves off from the world, but focus on healing it.
But, what does being a field hospital mean? To me, I look back at Pope Francis’ first thoughts on the Catholic field hospital:
The thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds. … And you have to start from the ground up. – Pope Francis 9/19/13
Catholic Churches, and our Parish Family in particular, must focus on the love and joyous nature of our faith to be ready to welcome, heal, and enliven those around us, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. Instead of acting like a large medical hospital, with so many forms, procedures, and lots of “no, we don’t do that”, we need to be the field hospital, taking in all, understanding their unique and deep wounds and gifts (Cura Personalis, for those of you keeping track). We need our faith to warm and care for everyone, even people we do not agree with. We also must work together as a team to make this happen. There is no “hot shot” doctor that can save someone all by themselves.
And we need to be a field hospital in a happy and bright way. Cardinal Tagle of Manila was one of the keynote speakers at the World Meeting of Family and he hit on this topic several times (EWTN has the video at: http://bcove.me/gy7mivjr about 28 minutes into the link). How can we have a chance to heal someone if they get a grumpy face or a bunch of paperwork as the first thing they see when they are coming to our church, potentially in deep pain? In particular, Cardinal Tagle says:
Infuse the field hospital with hope. “We cannot be healers if we look desperate.” – Cardinal Tagle 9/28/15
Let’s all head the call of our church to renew our Mission as a Field Hospital with love, joy, and acceptance.