Care of the sick—Again ....by Sr. Paz

St. Benedict, in Chapter 36 of The Rule, tells us “Care of the sick must rank above and before all else, so that they may be truly served as Christ, for [Jesus] said: “I was sick and you visited me” (Matt 25:36)

“The music that arrived to stay” is the title of a radio station in Mexico City that my mother loves to listen to. They play old songs that everyone knows which have become part of the city’s culture. This week at St. Placid we have five COVID positive sisters. I was thinking about this resilient virus that is like the music that arrived to stay. We don’t love it, but somehow, it loves our bodies. Again and again, the virus mutates and transforms to enter our body once more—and the body becomes an unwilling host. COVID’s still lingering around, yes, but/and we are resilient too. It is the “new Normal.”

I want to see this lingering virus as another opportunity to serve Christ in my fellow sisters.

We take seriously the care of our sick sisters at St. Placid. They are resting and recovering in isolation in their rooms, and we (the COVID negative sisters) take turns bringing food, medicine or wherever they need. We serve them “out of honor for God” as the Rule instructs us and they try to take care not to put excessive demands on their caregivers. I am so grateful our sisters try to be mindful of my limitations to take care of all their needs and continue doing my daily labors around the monastery. I usually lead the Liturgy of the Hours prayers once a week, but with five less sisters able to pray, we need to stretch ourselves a little more. The strong voices are in the infirmary as well as one of the two organist sisters, and this limits our options for chanting the psalms. However, praying the liturgy is also a priority and the healthy ones do our best to follow our rhythm of Ora et Labora these days at St. Placid.

Nowadays we are so fortunate to know there is treatment for COVID’s complications and we are not in the thick of the pandemic so in the remote need of hospitalization, the hospitals are available. There are always a lot of good things in the middle of the struggle.

I see these days also as an opportunity to get to know my community even more. In Mexico we say something like this: “In prison and in the hospital, loyal friends meet.” That is, in hard times you get to know your real friends. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to meet many loyal friends—I have been in “the hospital” (had COVID) and in prison (quarantine), too, here at St. Placid. I received hot coffee in the morning together with hot lunch and dinner accompanied by a warm word and good wishes. This is the best formula to heal soon—the Benedictine care of the sick. We try to make sure our fellow sisters receive all the care they need to heal.