We can walk into a hospital and see people with all ranges of afflictions. Patients are preparing for a minor procedure and some for a life threatening operation. Walk around and you will find happy and sad people; those recovering or welcoming a newborn into their life, as well as those at the crux of end of life situations. Hospitals are full of many people with many reasons looking for a cure or a hope or alleviation of pain.
Besides the patients we can see the doctors, nurses and the hospital administration as well as those visiting. All walks of life are there, from destitute to the extremely wealthy. The hospital is a place that provides treatment for the sick or injured and those requiring assistance for health related issues.
It could be said, if we looked at the Church in an allegorical sense; that it is not a house for the saints, it is a hospital for sinners. We go to Church to be close to God, and many travel with a heavy heart. We go to receive diagnosis and be healed from our sickness of sins. To be nourished and spiritually strengthened with hope in our heart. We receive the medicine of the sacraments and enjoy ‘beginning of life’ and ‘end of life’ celebrations.
The priests and nuns can be our spiritual doctors along with other parishioners.
I remember a story from our priest when he was confronted by a person in a public setting. The person recognized he was a priest and came up to him and said “the Catholic Church is full of hypocrites”. He answered, ‘Yes, and we always have room for one more’.
Our Church is not reserved only for the pious. Sinners make up our Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, and none should be turned away. The ‘hospital’ will always remain open. We have our Lord’s promise, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew.16:18). Now we know that the gates of hell are definitely trying to prevail, both from outside and inside the church; but we can always enter this hospital for sinners, our beacon of hope.
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