Pain Management

Pain Management was a concern of most enlightened people. Buddha told his disciples to detach from pain. Some others taught of having a parallel world of music and dance, thus forgetting the pain. In truth, we need to face the pain. Veda and vedana both have the same root, vid. Vedana itself is a healing process. When we celebrate the 800th year of the Stigmata of Francis we must meditate on our pain. For Jesus undergoing pain was a new baptism, a baptism by fire.

Jesus told Nicodemus, ‘like Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert’ for those afflicted by snakes to look up, meditate, and get healed’, you need a cross to look up and meditate on. Lift the pain that you have, look at it, meditate on it, and slowly you cope with the pain.

Pastoral accompaniments help others to confront pain. Mary stood at the foot of the cross, as Jesus was in deep pain. When the historic Titanic was sinking, the musicians on board kept playing music, they did not run away first. In the parable of Jesus, when the wolf comes, a good shepherd does not run away, he stands with the sheep.

Cross is the sum total of all human pain. Only someone who has gone through the same pain can understand you. Jesus has suffered every pain possible. His pain starts from his genealogy onwards. Having no offspring is a pain. Genealogy mentions 42 continuous generations, and it stops with a man called Jesus, who did not beget a child. Infertility is one of the major pains of time too.

Jesus was in the womb, and it senses and hears the people questioning the integrity of Mary. Even Joseph is sceptical about the child in her womb. Jesus had the most painful beginning. We have romanticised a lot of parts and characters of the gospel; Mary is portrayed as a beautiful young woman, she in fact was a poor sunburned country woman.

Jesus was homeless. There is a famous sculpture in Canada called ‘The Homeless Christ’. The artist having completed the work went to at least six churches to have it placed in the church or church campus, and they all refused. People can’t even think of a homeless Christ. Now the statue is famous elsewhere.

What pain has Jesus not gone through? He was lonely, misunderstood, poor, arrested, jailed, killed, and so on. One of the most serious pains of our time is people with depression. Did Jesus have depression? The text suggests that Jesus was depressed. The gospel notes this about Jesus, “I am troubled to the point of death.’ This in other words means I am about to commit suicide. In another place, the Jews thought of Jesus that he might commit suicide. Perhaps there must have been SOS messages from Jesus. SOS messages are usually sent out from a sinking ship, or here a sinking man. Jesus has been there all, done it all. The Cross is the sum total of all human pains.

The relieving point is when another person understands the pain when we know of a person who can rightly diagnose our pain and will intervene. Adherent to him; don't let him go without healing you. Sometimes we can become spiritually obstinate. Most times we look for spectacles and miracles; some pains, though understood by Jesus, may stay with you till death. St. Paul talks about a thorn in his flesh. It is something that would affect one’s comfort zone. What was that pain/thorn in his flesh? There are many possibilities. Most think that Paul suffered from epilepsy. Back then it was equated with being possessed, being diabolical. Just imagine a great preacher comes to our church, and as he begins his sermon form and froth come from his mouth and he is on the ground shaking his body violently; what an embarrassment. Paul writes, though you had all the reasons to ridicule me, you supported me. Paul prayed for help; not once but thrice, meaning constantly and completely. And the Lord let that pain be there; but added, ‘My grace is sufficient.’

Vincent Van Gogh, one of the greatest artists of all time, had gone through mental illness. After completing one of his famous paintings, he shot himself. His brother Theo was with him. As he was dying, Van Gogh said/wrote, ‘Pain remains’. All other things are passing, but the pain remains.

Modernity is also about how swiftly one can manage or escape pain. We end with the third cup of thanksgiving and joy. We all have a fourth cup; life is not fished until we drink that cup. The book on the fourth cup divides the chapters into three very simple-looking parts, hold, lift, and sip. It might look simple, but it could take months and years.

As ministers, we are supposed to meet people with pain/suffering every day. Meditating on the cross is the biggest pain management. Isaiah says, with his wounds, he has healed us. Coming out of pain, and helping others to deal with their pains is our ministry.

Notes taken during my annual retreat, preached by Bobby Jose Kattikad, Capuchin.

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