The World Day of the Sick is celebrated by offering one's suffering in prayer. We are to see the face of Christ in our sick brothers and sisters, with love and compassion. They too have the vocation to witness Christ in trying situations, to never forget the deeds of the Lord.

The book of Genesis recounts for us God's deeds of blessing in the creation story. Then the Psalmist invites us to praise God for creating us in His image and likeness. The significance of this is that we are called to be stewards of God's creation. By our baptism, we are called to restore human dignity as children of God. This dignity as children of God is more than our strict and rigid observances of rules and ritualistic practices, it is firstly given by God through his unconditional love and mercy.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus corrected the Pharisees for their fixation on ritual purity. Every ritual is a call to produce love, compassion and justice. More than religious obligation, it merits them to share with others their care, not just mere lip service. Otherwise, rituals produce parrots. The anointing of the sick is to produce stronger faith and cooperation with God's grace. Hence, at the heart of our spiritual journey, we are to examine the authenticity of our faith in the face of illness. In the end, our ritualistic performances must be expressions of a heart truly turned towards God.