The Jesuit Conference of South Asia has recently issued a
document to all Jesuits on the care of their health. The
document offers practical advice on matters of food and diet,
rest and exercise, attitudes to major illnesses and old age,
etc. It is well written and worth reflecting over.
Document
on Health
It is evident that as
Jesuits we feel committed to give o our best for our mission.
While this desire to give of one’s best is
clear there is often a lack of concern about keeping oneself
in peak physical form. Each one’s body-mind-spirit is a
tool for the mission. It is an amazingly powerful tool if
nurtured and allowed to give of its best.
Unfortunately, sometimes our very desire to
give of our best to the mission ends up in a lifestyle that
kills our health. Usually this happens very slowly and
without our realizing it and too soon one finds that while the
spirit has great dreams the body has aches, tiredness and
breakdowns.
This
has two effects. First, the mission suffers because just when
a Jesuit has built up much expertise and many contacts and
would be very effective his body begins to fail. Second,
medical bills soar, and even Jesuits who in their active yeas
were very frugal in expenses end up with medical treatments
running into lakhs.
Worldwide today there is a movement of
people who are moving away from the health-killing lifestyle
of today’s world and the too-early dependence on medical
support to stay operational. There is a realization that we
are naturally meant to be healthy and that the body
refreshes and heals itself from the normal wear and tear of
activity if it is given the chance to do this repair.
Events
Document
on Health
This
has two effects. First, the mission suffers because just when
a Jesuit has built up much expertise and many contacts and
would be very effective his body begins to fail. Second,
medical bills soar, and even Jesuits who in their active yeas
were very frugal in expenses end up with medical treatments
running into lakhs.