Last week I attended a two-day conference in Worcester at Holy Cross College. I'd like to share my notes with you, each in separate postings.
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4th Annual Heathcare Professionals for Divine Mercy Conference
Medicine, Bioethics and Spirituality
April 29th & 30th 2008 – Holy Cross College, Worcester, MA

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April 29th
Dr. Brian Thatcher MD – Divine Mercy as a Way of Life and Dying with Dignity

We all use our professional skills to diagnose and treat patients every day. We use other “skills” to help people become better persons, spouses, parents, friends – through healing not just physical ailments, but through helping to heal the whole person.

Spirituality of Divine Mercy

Devotion – YES - this is a "devotion" - but prayers and other religious observations – especially someone’s “private” prayers need to be shared with everyone - this is important! We pray for others - and pray for their healing - and pray for their salvation! What is more important than that?

Divine Mercy Image – The Fountain of Mercy – the two rays of light stand for the Blood and Water which flowed from the side of Christ – which symbolize Eucharist and Reconciliation – Life and Renewal

• Chaplet – A Eucharistic prayer
• Feast Day – Refuge – a day of great grace

A Way of Life

Most people in the professional world will say that “spirituality” or “religion” is for private, for one day a week, or for the family observance – but it is recognized by the United Nations as an international right to observe one’s faith as one chooses in all aspects of one’s life – as a way of life - ­ and even the Joint Commission recognizes this, mandating hospitals have guidelines respecting patients rights to practice their religion and spirituality as they are accustomed to. This means that doctors, nurses, social workers, and other medical professionals can also “live their faith” in the medical community as a way of life – wearing holy symbols, pins, necklaces, etc, gathering to pray, offering to pray for others, etc. More than “private” the Spirituality of the Divine Mercy is a way of life that includes concepts of:

• Forgiveness
• Trust
• Mercy
• The Role of Suffering
• Humility, Spiritual poverty, Obedience
• Death & Dying – unique vocation

Forgiveness is itself an act of Mercy

• We resemble Christ most when we forgive
• forgiveness opens doors to Divine Mercy. Recall the “Our Father – “as we forgive others….”
  

Chaplet for the Sick & Dying

• An opportunity to offer up powerful prayers for those dying at this moment
• A Eucharistic prayer
• Christ promised St. Faustina He would come to the dying in their final moments – “The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death.” “I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy.”

Trust

• Thy will be done
• Empathy – be merciful
• Trust is the hallmark of living the message of divine mercy
• If you died today…. Would you have any regrets?

Suffering

• What good can come out of suffering?
• How can it be linked to love? Must be done out of love – God IS love, incarnate, personified – we know love because we know God – He says to us – “I demand from you….” We do what He asks, out of love….
• What to do with our suffering….
• What to do for others….
• It is at these difficult times that our faith is put to the test…
• The Love of God is the Flower – Mercy is the Fruit
• Look at the patients through the eyes of Love – not as bed numbers, not as illnesses or diseases – LOVE
• Mercy is Love that seeks to lessen the misery of others

St. Faustina: "I desire to adore your Mercy with every beat of my heart and to the extent that I am able, to encourage souls to trust in that mercy, as you have commanded me, O Lord"

Listening

Slow down – live in the present moment – stop always rushing to the next task. Yes – you are always busy; there are always more patients, always more paperwork – SLOW DOWN – listen to the patient – the person – the SOUL – in front of you. Listen.

• Introduce yourself
• Make eye contact
• Make actual conversation – allow bi-directionality
• Listen
• Respect
• Evangelize through action – St. Francis of Assisi: speak the Gospel at all times – if necessary, use words
• Don’t judge – watch for their baggage – it can be heavy
• Call them by name, not room number or diagnosis
• Offer hope
• Remember the guy in the movie "The Mask" – the Mask made the wimp the strong, confident dude – be the person you always wanted to be
• Make an opening for the patient to open up to you
• See – use “peripheral vision” – the eyes of love
  
  Time Management
  
  Slow down – stop trying to fit 26 hours into every 24.
• Make use of every moment, and give glory to God.
• See God in all things.
• Time moves on, whether you will it or not. Rush or not. Time will still move. You will still miss things, miss important things – like your kids growing up.
• Stress kills. Slow down! You’re going to die anyway! You’re going to suffer anyway! Rush – and you’ll suffer more!
  
  Medical Burnout
  
• Begins with life’s sorrow – excessive demands – criticism, death, loss, failure, dead ends, fear, rejection, inability to live up to everyone’s expectations – leads to:
• Anger, guilt, shame, depression, discouragement
• Anxiety, worry, thinking too much,
• Not thinking at all, escapism, poor self-esteem
• We forget that pain and suffering are the reality of the fallen human nature – and it all becomes far too real
• Any sense of “spirituality” becomes dark, distant, lost
  
  Handling Stress
  
• Live and lead a Sacramental Life – partake of the Sacraments, especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist as often as possible
• Take time off – to rest, relax and recuperate
• Exercise regularly
• Watch for signs of burnout
• Let God’s Mercy be your anchor – remember the road of life is not straight.
  o Be an icon of Mercy
  o Be Jesus to your coworkers and your patients/clients
  o You can’t give what you don’t have – immerse yourself in a sacramental and prayer life
• Life is stressful and chaotic
  o We need to take time to pray – Morning and bedtime
  o Treat your body well – remember it is a “temple of the Holy Spirit”
  o Make time to remember joy – experience the beauty of God’s creation – enjoy nature – watch the sunset/sunrise, etc.
  o Worship
  o Confess your sins – the burden of unconfessed sins is like a bitter poison in your body that wears you down as badly as stress can
  o Get involved in a group of “like minds” – a prayer group, community, volunteer, etc.
  o Find meaning, purpose – be active
  o Trust – let go and let God – connect with the Ultimate Hope
  

This is a message to be LIVED – you spread it as much by your actions as by any word you speak. Bring the message of Divine Mercy to the world

We are in a unique situation to bring love, mercy and hope to the sick, lonely, hurting, and the dying. We could be the one person to really change their lives around. We might be the one person the Lord is calling to be the “tool” in the Lord’s hands. Can you answer as Mary did? “…be it done to me according to thy word”?

84% of Americans state they believe in God
89% said they were “religiously active” in some way
79 % felt that prayer helped their healing process
Fewer than 10% stated that the doctors who took care of them every spoke to them about prayer

A Feb. 2007 Study by the Dana Farber Cancer Inst. stated that 72% of people with advanced cancer felt they received little or no spiritual support from the medical system. The findings also indicated that greater spiritual support from religious organizations and medical service providers was strongly linked to better quality of life for patients, even after other factors were taken into account.

Given religious faith's ability to help people cope with illness, physicians' reluctance to inquire about spiritual issues may deprive patients of an important force for healing and wholeness, the authors asserted.

The Joint Commission states: “Patients deserve care, treatment, and services that safeguard their personal dignity and respect their cultural, psychosocial, and spiritual values. These values often influence the patient’s perceptions and needs. By understanding and respecting these values, providers can meet care, treatment, and service needs and preferences.

Christina Puchalski, a doctor and founder of the George Washington University Institute for Spirituality and Health in Washington, D.C., has developed a "spiritual assessment" to help doctors ask questions of patients, including:

- Do you have religious or spiritual beliefs that help you cope or that might influence your health decisions?
- Is there a group of people you love and who are important to you?
- How should the health care provider address these questions?