"The Crucifixion leads us to the wonders of the Resurrection."
With all the hustle and bustle that goes on in a hospital, it’s easy to forget that at times it’s not only a place of physical care, but a sanctuary of spiritual care as well.
Many people in a medical setting feel vulnerable and reflective, whether suffering through a grave illness or getting through a temporary setback. So while a stethoscope can hear your heart, it can’t hear what’s in your heart. That’s why the chaplain’s role is so profoundly important.
Fr. Leon Grantz, CP, has been serving the spiritual needs of those receiving medical care since 1987. He was 70 years old at the time, and had already had a full life in teaching, retreat ministry, and preaching. But when Fr. Paul Bechtold, his friend and renowned Passionist scholar, suggested to him that he should be a hospital chaplain, he was immediately drawn to the idea and began to act on it.
Perhaps it is Fr. Leon’s willingness to dwell within the mystery of life that makes him well-suited to the work of hospital ministry. He works five mornings a week at Resurrection Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, saying Mass and visiting with patients. “I’m not there to know about medicine. That’s not my business. I’m there to be present to a person and open to whoever they are. That is how we share in God’s presence to us.”
Trust the Spirit
Being a Passionist is the foundation for Fr. Leon in relating to those who are coping with illness or advanced age. “Jesus gave Himself to us, for us, and He calls on us to remember His sacrifice. In the midst of suffering, there is life. We must always remember that the horrors of the Crucifixion lead us to the wonders of the Resurrection.”
Importantly, Fr. Leon says that he has no memorized advice or comments to offer the patient or resident. Rather, “What I have to offer is my undivided attention, my presence. I pray, often without words but with God in my heart and mind. I trust the Spirit to supply what words cannot. The Spirit reveals the truth that Jesus, Our Savior, is ever present and loves the patient to the end.”
