To let the sick man take a breath...

 

“Saint Ephraim of Katounakia said:

‘When I was suffering from the first stroke, a doctor came from Sotiria Hospital. He told me:

– Elder, both your eyes and your hand will recover.

He gave me great consolation. Love is not only shown by giving money. Say to the sick person a comforting word, so he can take a breath…’”

(From the book by Metropolitan Nektarios of Argolida, “We Shall Be Together,” Fellowship of Saint Ephraim of Katounakia).

The great contemporary Saint Ephraim of Katounakia—whose very appearance and eyes alone would awaken conscience and stir a disposition toward repentance—touches, through this deeply personal and experiential word of his, upon a very critical matter that pertains to the relationship between doctor and patient. And his words are especially worthy of attention, because he was a man of extraordinary sensitivity to pain and sorrow, having spent nearly his entire life in trials, pain, and suffering, interspersed with periods of great divine visitation through consolation and comfort—or rather, he lived the consolation and comfort of the Grace of God through these afflictions. In this context, the well-known wise and holy Elder, Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol—who was blessed by the Lord to know and associate with the Saint of Katounakia for many years—writes: "The Elder endured many illnesses and afflictions, he was constantly bedridden. It was in 1976 that I met him. But he was usually in bed—that's how I remember him. Once, in fact, he was overcome with despair. He said to me:

– So many years in bed… When I try to get up and take a step, wounds constantly open. When the spirit of despair drew near to me, I heard the voice of the Theotokos say to me:

‘– This is how God wants you.’

That’s who he was!”

And another of his long-time disciples (Fr. G. Athanasakis) notes:

“His whole life was a martyrdom. It was more martyrdom than consolation from God. He had great states of Grace, but he also endured spiritual hardships.”

Therefore, the opinion of such a man experienced in pain and trials carries particular weight. And what does he say? That people in general—and especially the doctor, by reason of his profession and calling—must stand by the side of the patient with such sensitivity and respect that both his words and entire demeanor create an atmosphere of consolation for the sufferer—a stance which, as he lets us understand, becomes for the patient a true "kiss of life." And this is no exaggeration: “To let him take a breath,” he notes. Why? Because a person in need—whether physically or spiritually (these two always go “hand in hand”)—is confronted with the specter of death, and describes his condition as akin to “drowning.” Even in milder cases of illness, the thought of losing one's life subtly creeps into the mind of the sick person. Thus, in such a case, in which an existential crisis is truly being experienced—where a person feels he is wavering on the threshold of two worlds, or senses a loss of the path he has walked until now—there is a need for support and consolation. Someone must lift his spirits, tell him he is not alone, offer him a sense of security, a true embrace. And that someone—and here the greatness of the physician is revealed as the one closest to human suffering—is precisely the doctor.

Who has not experienced similar situations, like the venerable Elder? To be lying on the bed of pain, or even facing an unexpected illness, and the doctor comes and gives you hope. His word becomes balm to your heart—and perhaps less so to your body. For it is constantly confirmed that the psychological factor is the highest and most powerful element in the healing of a patient. Even in cases of those suffering from cancer, doctors first and foremost emphasize the importance of the psychological factor. A distinguished university physician stated just recently that the psychological factor exceeds by far fifty percent in the healing of ailments. Who then can "compete" with a doctor, who by nature of his role is the expert and whose judgment you trust?

But unfortunately, the opposite also happens. Many patients have “received” rejection from their doctor—even right in their medical office—because of the abruptness of the doctor's character, the harshness of his words—there are even those who choose the “sword” with which to speak to the patient—or because of his very real exhaustion, which leads him to disregard the psychological factor and all that we have mentioned above. And what is the result? The patient’s collapse, perhaps the extinguishing of hope within him, a “freezing” of his heart that delivers a crushing blow, causing him to sink into despair—the best “medicine” to finish off a patient. Who would want such a “doctor”? Certainly not Saint Ephraim, nor Saint Porphyrios, who also emphasized the same truth: that the doctor’s attitude profoundly affects the condition and progress of any patient.

And what does the venerable Elder crucially add as a condition for both the doctor—certainly—and all of us to function in the proper way? Love. Love is the foundation that will enable you to see your fellow human being—especially the one in need—as a person, as… Christ! Did not the Lord Himself characterize, above all, the least of our brethren, who is both psychologically and physically afflicted, as Himself? “Whatever you did to one of the least of these, you did it to Me.” And the Apostle Paul puts it another way: “By sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience, you sin against Christ!” But… one must be at least a little Christian!

A consoling word. A breath of air! That which we all need! That which we all must offer!

 

Greek source: https://pgdorbas.blogspot.com/2025/10/blog-post_18.html