"I SHALL BE THERE WITH THEM."

A Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew for the 23rd Sunday

(Mt 18: 15-20)

The explosive spread of the Ebola virus in several countries of West Africa is alarming health authorities, governments and communities world-wide. A spokesperson for WHO, the World Health Organization, has stated in the last few days that infections and deaths are increasing beyond the organizations' abilities to contain the virus. As deaths rise into the thousands, authorities are speaking of emergency measures, of military-style containment and a rapidly spreading pandemic.

And yet there is a pandemic of a different sort that has almost escaped our collective attention because of its silence and the stigma attached to its presence – the sickness of suicide. The WHO, the same body that reported the health situation in the countries of west Africa, has recently issued an alarming report on suicide statistics world-wide: in the year 2012 more than 800,000 people committed suicide – one person every 40 seconds.

Even more disturbing is that the majority of suicides tend to occur amongst young people, from the late teens to the late twenties. Suicide can be traced to many causes, but it may often be a response to the loss of hope in a person's life, to sickness and pain, to loneliness and social isolation.

A recent event that came into the news was the death of the actor Robin Williams, by his own hand. He was a vibrant actor and comedian, but it seems that in his heart he was a deeply troubled man. His death shocked and surprised many, and yet I saw almost nothing in the popular press that questioned his moral choice to take his own life. Rather, the tone of the articles I read seemed aligned with the right of a person to make their own exit. After all, in the United States (as in many countries) it is not illegal to take one's own life, and there are legally-constituted organizations (such as Dignitas and Exit) who are willing to advise how.

Suicide, attempted suicide or threatened self-harm is often a cry for help. For Robin Williams, was there no-one to hear him, no-one in whom to confide? For those young people who have swelled the statistics, was there no ready help or support available in their lives?

In today's Gospel, Jesus (who is the author of life) says, “Where two or three gather in my name, I shall be there with them.” This is just one of Jesus' teachings that he applies to the value of life within the community of the Church, as it strives towards the coming of God's Kingdom. A well-functioning Church community will have helping structures in place to assist those who face difficulties and need help, but more than that is the sense of meaning that comes from active participation in parish life.

Someone who attends a parish community, even irregularly, will always find others willing to help in times of crisis, and a pastor or priest who will put the case for not choosing suicide rather than opting for freedom of choice, based on his understanding of the hope that flows from the life of Christ, who overcame even death itself.

Then, there is in today's Gospel the emphasis on prayer. “If two of you on earth ask for anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven.” What greater prayer could there be than the prayer of the community for someone who is sick?