Perhaps a parent has a severe stroke, or a family member is diagnosed with cancer, or we wish to make plans if we should become seriously ill. Segments of our secular society are promoting euthanasia and assisted suicide. Our world seems to value productivity and perfection and tries to avoid suffering and even inconveniences at all cost.
What does our faith teach us? We must go back to the beginning. God made us. We are children of God, made in His image. Each human being has immeasurable value, immeasurable dignity – regardless of his or her size or age or capabilities or imperfections. God loves us more than we can ever imagine. His plan is perfect. All that God wills for us is for our good and the good of others. We live in an imperfect world: a world that includes suffering. No one likes to suffer and no one seeks it. Yet God in His perfect wisdom and in His plan of love chose that His only begotten Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, should suffer and die by the cross so that all of us could be saved. God had infinite choices and He chose suffering as the way to salvation. Suffering must have value. Through suffering we have the opportunity to unite ourselves more closely to Our Lord and to help others. This is a gift of our faith.
Then comes the questions: What about palliative care? What about using painkillers? What is the principle of double effect? What about food and water – including feeding tubes? What if someone is in a coma? What are ordinary and extraordinary medical procedures? What is morally obligatory and what is morally optional? Why is a Health Care Proxy or a Durable Power of Attorney preferable to a Living Will? See the following resources:
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/end-of-life/index.cfm
National Catholic Bioethics Center, A Catholic Guide to End-of-Life Decisions: