On August 28, 2025, I suddenly began experiencing pain in the right hand, which has lymphedema. By afternoon, the pain increased, and I could not use my right hand at all. I panicked, not because of dying or getting paralysed, but because of a talk I had to give to a secular group on August 30. I wanted to keep my commitment. I immediately got an ointment and got someone to apply it for me, as I was alone in the community that day. Pleading with God to help me keep my commitment, I went to bed. The next day, my hand was better, and I was as fit as a fiddle on August 30. Deo gracias! On deeper introspection, I realised that physical pain is a great blessing. It serves as a vital protective mechanism, alerting the body to harm and preventing further injury. Yes, I was not being kind to my body, which is the Temple of the Holy Spirit.
St Benedict advocated the motto ‘Ora et Labora’- Pray and Work. Body, mind, and soul have to be cared for and nurtured appropriately. In conscience, I know that I take good care of my soul and mind. As a religious sister, time for daily meditation, prayer, the Eucharist, spiritual reading, annual retreat, and silence is well safeguarded. As a voracious reader, I grab every opportunity to learn something new and go out of my way to share my knowledge with others, pampering my brain, which is always super active and alive.
However, I should humbly admit that I have neglected my body. Giving into gluttony, junk food, putting on weight, burning the candle on both ends to satisfy my intellectual acumen and feed my taste buds! Exercise and good nutritious food have been last on my daily to-do list. When I was transferred to Patna and was teaching at St Xavier’s College of Management and Technology in Bihar, I further tilted the balance, as co-ordinator of three departments - Sociology, English Proficiency Classes and Environmental Studies, giving talks, workshops, judging competitions, being the Chief Guest/Guest of Honour, organising extra-curricular activities in college and in the Parish, visiting the sick and old, to give communion and much more! Being a very conscientious person by temperament, I was very faithful to time for prayer and ministry. The only thing I could cut into was my time for sleep, exercise, and health. The result was Total Knee Replacements in both knees, double cancer, fractures, etc.
Miraculously surviving all these and many more health issues, on Aug 28, 2025, the clarion call was loud and clear- DO OR DIE! Today I know, in the depth of my being, that caring for the body is prayer, and eating the right type and quantity of food is also prayer. Exercising, massaging my numb feet and hands daily, especially the right hand with lymphedema, is my bounden duty to the Holy Spirit who resides in my Body. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind (Lk10: 27). This awareness hit me hard and shook me out of my complacency. Abusing my fragile body relentlessly is a sin, amounting to slow suicide.
After surviving double cancer, I decided not to cut down on sleep, not to accept more work than I can manage, and to care more lovingly for my body. I often fail in body, mind, and soul balance, but pick myself up each time, with greater determination. My prayer each day is, “Lord, please help me to heal myself to wholeness. Make me a co-creator helping You build Your Kingdom here on earth, only if that be Your Holy Will.”
Religious women and men usually do not prioritize the need to care for the body. Prayer and ministry tend to overshadow all else. We do not realise that we are human beings first. Health is wealth, which will enable us to serve the Lord better and longer in His vineyard, not becoming a burden to others. On deeper reflection, I noted that with patriarchal structures, women in general tend to neglect their health, as they are busy caring for their spouse, children, or in-laws.
The August pain was indeed a big blessing for me! It promoted personal growth, fostered resilience, wisdom, and self-discovery, challenging and prompting me to introspect. It also helped me to cultivate empathy, strengthen connections with others through shared human experiences, and thus deepened my appreciation for life. May a holistic approach to health, recognizing the balance of physical vitality, mental clarity, and spiritual contentment, which in turn leads to overall harmony and improved health, be the gift and grace of the Holy Spirit to each of us.
