Led by the Holy Spirit

Abstract

The vocational call to being a physician has been one of the greatest honors and blessings of my life. As a Catholic physician, being a direct extension of the healing hands of our Lord is something this is not easily translated into words. I reflect on two cases that remind me of this great calling.

The vocational call to being a physician has been one of the greatest honors and blessings of my life. It is a precious gift that I hold near and dear to my heart. As a Catholic physician, being a direct extension of the healing hands of our Lord is something that is not easily translated into words. Each day I have the privilege of serving not just the physical needs of my patients but addressing their spiritual needs. I have witnessed many small miracles in my short time as a physician. One, from early in my training, took place in a small, rural mountain village outside Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

I was a second-year medical student, on a school-sponsored medical mission trip, where we spent our time in a different village each day providing primary care to the villagers who otherwise had very limited access to health care. It was toward the end of the day, and I was tired. Most of the others were beginning to pack up their stations when an older woman came to me. She had a number of vague somatic complaints including headaches, neck, and back pain. She was tired from being the sole caregiver to her three wheelchair-bound, adult children. Her husband had died several months earlier. The only thing I could think was, “No wonder you feel so tired and have all these aches and pain!” I went through the motions and attempted to employ some of my newly taught osteopathic manipulative techniques, which did provide her some relief. Despite all that she disclosed, I had the sense that something else was going on. Finally, the patient admitted that she was most troubled by the fact that she was no longer able to read her Bible due to the recent decline in her vision. Reading her Bible had been her one source of consolation in her current situation. I immediately lit up and was excited to hopefully “provide a solution.”

Through generous donations from the Lions Club, our medical brigade had been able to distribute hundreds of pairs of reading glasses to people throughout the week. Despite my excitement, I doubted we would be able to supply her with a suitable pair of glasses because it was the end of the week and our supply was quickly dwindling. A volunteer checked the patient’s vision, and she did qualify for glasses.

Most of the glasses had already been distributed. I immediately began to intercede for her. I begged the Lord for a pair of glasses for this woman. I prayed that she might experience the love and care of the Father personally and come to a deeper realization that He would provide for all her needs. As I finished this quick prayer, I learned that of the remaining pairs of glasses we had one pair left that suited the patient’s needs. I later learned that the particular strength prescription had run out earlier in the day, but when the volunteers looked for my patient, they found this single pair of glasses. I am convinced these glasses were a gift from God. The encounter with this woman has been a constant reminder to me that we serve a good God who loves and cares for each one of his children.

As physicians we are invited into the healing ministry of Christ, yet He is still in control always. We are privileged to participate in something so beautiful and miraculous when we remain open to allowing the Lord work through us.

Recently, I was again reminded of this important lesson that seems to be ever-present in the Christian life. I was sitting in my office with a new patient at the community health center where I work. After a couple visits, I was still trying to figure out all that was going on with this patient, and I could not understand why her diabetes had become so horribly uncontrolled over the course of a single year. I was frustrated because it seemed that we were not making any progress. There was some disconnect that I was unable to pinpoint and didn’t know how to help this patient.

We were discussing multiple treatment options, and this woman was quite apprehensive. I finally took a step back to try to understand some of the other biopsychosocial factors that were contributing to the situation. The woman confided in me that she was struggling to make ends meet since retiring about a year ago. She was living check to check and simply could not afford her medications. She was embarrassed and felt defeated. I quickly realized that her greatest needs were beyond medicine’s reach. She needed something much more powerful. I sensed that she could use prayer, and I needed guidance on how to best serve this woman in front of me. I asked whether I might pray with her. I invited Jesus into our encounter, and for his healing, loving embrace to envelop this woman. I spent nearly an hour helping my patient get set up with our pharmacy assistance program, arranging for her to meet with our outreach personnel to ensure that she was getting all the resources she needed to care for herself. I did not want this woman to have to worry so much about how she was going to pay her bills and the testing supplies for diabetes.

A couple months later I walked into the exam room only to be greeted by a huge smile from this patient. I looked at her labs and was astonished by the significant improvement that had occurred in only three months. Before I even started speaking with her, the patient said, “I just need to thank you for praying with me at our last visit. I was in a very dark place before, but the Lord has changed all of that. I know that I am going to be okay and God is taking care of me.” I was again reminded of the great privilege with which I have been entrusted with as a physician.

Being a Catholic Physician means so many things; however, these two vignettes capture the heart of what this vocation has meant to me. Spending more time in prayer and taking time to dedicate parts of my day to the Lord have made all the difference. I still fail more times than not each day. However, when I allow myself to be attentive to the Holy Spirit and open to the outpouring of God’s grace, I have been able to witness many small miracles.

Biographical Note

Macy Rupprecht, DO, is a family medicine physician and a member of the Catholic Medical Association who is currently practicing family medicine with the Eastern Shore Rural Health System at the Onley Community Health Center in Onley, Virginia. She completed medical school at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia, in 2016 and completed residency training at the Via Christi Family Medicine Residency Program in Wichita, Kansas, in June 2019.