Thoughts for Holy Week

As Holy Week approaches, leading to the crucifixion on Good Friday and the resurrection on Easter, I am reminded of the inherent message of eternal hope that the season brings. As CHRISTUS continues our Journey to Excellence, we have, and will continue to have, many challenges which may seem insurmountable. However, we all know that with time, effort and focus, potential solutions will be identified and the pathway to success will appear far less daunting.

One recent example that comes to mind is our task force on Haitian Relief, which worked tirelessly over a period of several weeks to coordinate CHRISTUS’ response to the devastating earth quake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12. The task force finalized plans to send a 20-member team, together with ample medical supplies to Port-au-Prince to provide medical care and spiritual assistance from Feb. 20-27 in partnership with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. In all, our CHRISTUS team performed 85 surgeries, hundreds of procedures and outpatient visits and delivered nine babies.

Over the course of one week, as challenges and obstacles of all varieties were faced and overcome on a daily (and sometimes hourly) basis, the mission that had seemed overwhelming upon our arrival in Haiti become a miracle in and of itself.

In answering the call for help as the Sisters from France did so many years ago, the CHRISTUS family left the hospital in Port-au-Prince a better place. Our CHRISTUS missionaries will always remain astounded at the incomprehensible resilience of the Haitian people. In the spirit of the Easter season, the Haitian community is slowly and incrementally transforming tragedy into hope.

As we experience Holy Week and the resurrection, I am again reminded of our foundation in Incarnational Spirituality, and the honor and privilege we have each day as members of the CHRISTUS Family, to carry out the healing ministry of Jesus. May we also especially this Easter remember the people in Haiti that touched in Haiti and that we continue to heal in CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital. So may each of us, in our own way, call upon our spirituality, and reflect on this prayer.

How We Are Seen
An Expression of our Incarnational Spirituality

Wherever our feet walk
We leave footprints
On the ground in Haiti,
on the grass at the Sisters Park
In the floors of our homes
And where we work
Wherever our live travel takes us each day
We leave our identity.

Wherever our hands touch
We leave fingerprints
On our patients and families
Both in Haiti
And those we touch daily in all of our ministries
On the walls, on the furniture
On doorknobs, dishes, books
As we touch them, we leave our identity.

O God, where we go
On our Journey to Excellence today
Help us to also leave heartprints
Heartprints of compassion
Of understanding and love
Heartprints of kindness
And genuine concern.

May our hearts touch
The Haitian children now at Santa Rosa
The concerned family members of our patients
The residents in our senior centers
Those seeking relief in our clinics
And all of those who turn their most precious gift – their lives
Over to us each day.

Lord, send us out today
To leave heartprints on all of these people
And if one of them should say
“I felt your touch”
May that person sense our commitment
To Your healing ministry.
This is our identity.
We are CHRISTUS Health.
Amen.