Christ the Physician: A Theological Framework for Healing in Catholic Health Care

Abstract

The metaphor of Christ the physician features prominently in the gospels and the preaching of the Church Fathers, emphasizing that Jesus’ work of healing extends beyond bodily ills to spiritual healing as well. Given that the end of medicine is “health,” which involves wholeness of body and soul, Christ is uniquely able to accomplish this in us—beginning with grace in our souls in this life, and culminating in the resurrection of the body and restoration of body and soul in glory at the end of time. Drawing on the thought of the Church Fathers and Thomas Aquinas, this paper considers how Catholic health care is distinctly positioned to continue Christ's work of bodily and spiritual healing through medical and sacramental approaches—as we await our perfect and ultimate healing upon Christ's return in glory.

Jesus refers to himself as a physician in all three synoptic gospels: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Lk 5:31–32; cf. Mt 9:12–13, Mk 2:17). ¹ Our Lord's use of this metaphor to teach about himself implies a familiarity with the concept of medicine among his hearers. Moreover, its rendering across all three synoptic gospels suggests that the intended audience of each gospel was expected to derive something meaningful from the theme as applied to Christ. ²

Indeed, historians have shown that during the Hellenistic period, Greek medicine—with its focus on the natural causes of illness—found a stable foothold in Jewish society as an approach to healing that had been sufficiently divorced from its pagan religious background (Ferngren 2009, 24–25). Similarly, Greek medicine became part of the general cultural milieu in which Christianity developed and spread in the East and West.

Christian writers from the second to the fifth century commonly applied the theme of Christ the physician (Christus medicus, Latin) to instruct believers in the healing Christ offers for our salvation (Ferngren 2009, 30). Among the Church Fathers, Origen and Augustine placed particular emphasis on this theme, making ample use of it in their scriptural exegesis and pastoral instruction—generally within a homiletic context (Arbesmann 1954, 2–3). ³ For instance, Origen identifies the Church as Christ's infirmary and Sacred Scripture as his medicine; additional remedies of the divine physician according to Origen include the Incarnation, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, baptism, and the forgiveness of sins (Origen 1990, 8.1–8.11). ⁴

In these early centuries of the Church, Christian physicians who wished to care for their patients in imitatio Christi had a well-articulated ideal to follow—a compassionate healer, motivated by charity, who treats the most poor and desperate without seeking compensation (Ferngren 2009, 104–107). ⁵ Nonetheless, the Church Fathers emphasized repeatedly that it is God who heals through the work of physicians (Ferngren 2009, 61). This corresponds with the teaching in Sirach, that God created physicians and gave them their skill “that he might be glorified in his marvelous works” (Sir 38:1–15). The same passage instructs the sick person to pray to the Lord for both physical and spiritual healing and observes that physicians also pray for success in healing their patients.

A theological understanding of the work of healing continues to inform the Church's teaching and guidance today. For instance, the most recent edition of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Services, issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), describes Catholic health care as seeking “to embody our Savior's concern for the sick,” which extends beyond bodily ills to spiritual healing (USCCB 2018, Gen. Intro.). Additionally, Pope Francis—reminiscent of Origen—has compared the Church to a “field hospital” that heals those wounded in battle (Spadaro 2013, 24). ⁶

Moreover, several contemporary magisterial documents invoke the theme of Christ the physician to emphasize that Our Lord's mission on earth involved both physical and spiritual healings. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, for example, teaches that Jesus “has come to heal the whole man, soul and body; he is the physician the sick have need of” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2012, no. 1503). Similarly, Evangelium vitae instructs that Christ's many healings show God's concern not only for the life of our souls, but our bodies as well: Jesus is the physician of body and spirit (John Paul II 1995, no. 47). Finally, Samaritanus bonus, the letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on the care of the critically ill and dying, refers to Christ as physician of soul and body—“who encounters man in need of salvation,” and like the Good Samaritan, “cares for his wounds and suffering” (CDF 2020, Intro.). ⁷

Given the Church's continued emphasis on the close relationship between physical and spiritual healing in Jesus’ ministry—and, in imitatio Christi, the ministry of the Church today—it seems valuable to consider more deeply how this applies to the work of Catholic health care. A couple of recent theological reflections have touched upon this. According to Edmund Pellegrino, the image of Christ the physician provides a model for healing in the physician-patient relationship today—such that healing is not just a profession, but a vocation (Pellegrino 1999, 73–75). Fr. James McTavish has supplemented this with a reflection on the complex relationship between sin and illness, as well as our ultimate need for salvation in Christ (McTavish 2018, 19–22).

Building on these previous reflections, I propose that Catholic health care institutions are distinctly positioned to imitate Christ as physician of body and soul through the complementary work of health care professionals and chaplains—such that medical and sacramental approaches together provide a robust witness to Jesus’ healing ministry. Recourse to the scriptural theme of Christ the physician, as well as its elaboration in the thought of the Church Fathers and subsequent theologians such as Thomas Aquinas, affords an opportunity to reflect on this dual aim of bodily and spiritual healing in Catholic health care. Indeed, a more richly Christocentric understanding of the work of Catholic health care allows for a fuller articulation of its aspirations and limitations, as well as its relationship to the work of the divine physician.

This paper will show that the theme of Christ the physician provides a helpful vantage point for reflecting on opportunities in Catholic health care to promote bodily and spiritual healing, as we await our perfect and ultimate healing upon Christ's return in glory. Contemporary discussions of Catholic health care identity often invoke “the healing ministry of Christ” (Reno 2020, 97). However, the image of Christ the physician has the added advantage of calling to mind certain characteristics that undergird the work of all health care professionals—in particular, having the knowledge, skill, and authority to perform healing acts. First, this paper will consider the end of medicine, “health,” as a basis for understanding the metaphor of the divine physician; second, point out the limits of medicine in restoring patients’ health; third, explore what the work of Christ the physician means both anthropologically and theologically, especially in view of the sacraments and the resurrection of the body; and finally, consider how a reflection on Christ the physician is helpful for both health care workers and their patients.

Health as the End of Medicine, and Its Relationship to Wholeness and Holiness

Both Aristotle and Aquinas identify the end of medicine as “health” (Aristotle 2011, I.1 1094a8; and Thomas Aquinas 1975, I, c. 1, no. 5). Hence, understanding the metaphor of Christ the physician seems to require an account of what health is. How precisely to define the term, though, remains a complex and unresolved undertaking in the philosophy of medicine (Reiss and Ankeny 2022). Ashley and O'Rourke, in Health Care Ethics: A Theological Analysis, point out that the term health comes from the same Anglo-Saxon word as wholeness and holiness; in accord with this, they suggest that health is best understood as indicating wholeness or completeness (Ashley and O’Rourke 1997, 22). This can be understood structurally, as in having all its parts, and functionally, in which the parts act cooperatively and harmoniously. Edmund Pellegrino asserts similarly that healing is “to make whole again,” and that the good of the whole person is physical, emotional, and spiritual (Pellegrino 2008, 40).

Clearly, if one takes the term health to denote wholeness, both structurally and functionally, then an appreciation for how this applies in a human person requires knowing what all the parts are and how they interact harmoniously. Further, an account of how Christ the physician heals us must involve an understanding of human anthropology as well as various aspects of theology—which should also provide a link between wholeness and holiness as they pertain to health. ⁸ A full discussion of these anthropological and theological elements is beyond the scope of this paper; rather, I will give an overview that allows for an appreciation of the tremendous scope of the healing work of Christ the physician.

Before a theological discussion, it is helpful to consider Pellegrino's philosophical work on the internal morality of medicine, insomuch as it offers a framework to understand how physicians work toward the health of patients; it also makes clear the limits of medical practice in restoring health—hence, the need for the divine physician.

The Limits of Medicine in Restoring Patients’ Health

In his account of the internal morality of medicine, Edmund Pellegrino argues that the physician aims at health as a good for the patient; every clinical act, then, should be a right and good healing act (Pellegrino 2008, 66-67). He acknowledges, however, that “often the fullest functioning of the human body and mind are not attainable” in clinical medicine—in other words, the patient cannot be made whole again, strictly speaking—but still much can be done to restore harmony and functionality in the human person (Pellegrino 2008, 72). When cure is not possible, treatment may nonetheless return the patient to a state of equilibrium that is healthier than the patient's previous state at the height of illness.

Given the limitations of medical practice, Pellegrino articulates the fourfold good of the patient as a guide for determining the best course of action when faced with competing goods. Pellegrino presents this fourfold good in ascending hierarchy, as follows: (1) the medical good, in light of scientific knowledge and capabilities; (2) the patient's perception of the good, according to individual preferences and values; (3) the good for humans, which respects the dignity of the person as a rational creature; and (4) the spiritual good, which acknowledges an end to life beyond material well-being and is open to faith (Pellegrino 2008, 72–74). ⁹ In many clinical encounters, however, Pellegrino recognizes that not all four levels of the patient's good can be assessed and ordered accordingly; for instance, the patient's treatment preferences and spiritual beliefs may be unknown (Pellegrino 2008, 75).

As much as medical professionals may strive to promote the fourfold good of their patients, including the spiritual good, the limitations of medical training and the demands of patients’ medical needs are likely to keep the focus of physicians away from their patients’ highest good—even if it remains a noble aspiration in the background. Pellegrino might have admitted this readily, considering how much the thought of Aristotle and Aquinas informed his understanding of human flourishing and fulfillment. Specifically, he recognized that, for Aristotle, the end of human life was attained by cultivating the intellectual and moral virtues, which led to flourishing and happiness; and for Aquinas, it was a life lived with the natural and supernatural virtues, leading to ultimate fulfillment in the beatific vision (Pellegrino 2008, 70). If the fullest health of a person—even on an entirely natural level—requires spiritual well-being through the cultivation and exercise of virtue, it seems the medical profession by itself is quite limited in its ability to attain this.

Christ the Physician and the Restoration of Health in Grace and Glory

The limits of the practice of medicine—and, more broadly, of our human abilities to resist illness and death—make abundantly clear what is unique and compelling about the theme of Christ the physician. Our fallen human nature suffers defects and vulnerabilities that cannot be overcome by natural means, but only in Christ. Thomas Aquinas makes clear that, because of original sin, humankind lost not only friendship with God, but also that wholeness of self by which our human parts act cooperatively and harmoniously in grace—with the body subject to the soul, the passions of the soul subject to reason, and reason subject to God (Thomas Aquinas 1981, I q. 95, a. 1). In addition, humans became vulnerable to suffering and death and took on the spiritual wounds of original sin—weakness, ignorance, malice, and concupiscence (Thomas Aquinas 1981, I–II q. 85, aa. 3 and 6).

Scripture readily provides examples of how Christ served as a physician of our bodies and souls in the work of restoring fallen humankind. For one, Jesus performed numerous miraculous physical healings during his earthly ministry. These healings were not accomplished in a medical capacity, but as part of Christ's work of evangelization, and gave witness to his identity as the Messiah. For example, in reply to the disciples of John the Baptist who inquired about his identity, Our Lord proclaimed: “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up…” (Lk 7:22). ¹⁰ Second, these miracles often occurred in conjunction with spiritual healings, so that the visible signified the invisible; for instance, Christ said to the paralytic, “But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins…Rise, take up your bed and go home” (Mt 9:6–7). ¹¹

These examples clearly indicate that the bodily healings performed by Christ were for the sake of spiritual ones. As Augustine observed, since the soul is better than the body, the salvation of the soul is better than the health of the body (Augustine 2012, 379, no. 3). Today, Christ continues his healing ministry on earth through the graces available in the sacraments; like the physical healings Christ performed in the gospels, the sacraments provide bodily and sensible signs of our spiritual healing (Thomas Aquinas 1981, III q. 61, a. 1). In the health care setting, chaplains play a critical role in making the sacraments available to patients, thereby complementing the work of medical professionals in pursuit of health of the whole person—body and soul.

Aquinas offered a distinct contribution with respect to the theme of Christ the physician in the clarity and precision with which he spoke of the sacraments as remedies that heal and perfect the soul in conformity to the life of the body. He articulated an analogy that explains the effects of the sacraments on the soul in reference to the basic needs of the body (Thomas Aquinas 1981, III q. 65, a. 1). For instance, confession restores spiritual health akin to the healing of a bodily disease; anointing of the sick restores spiritual vigor, like suitable diet and exercise for one weakened by infirmity; and the Eucharist provides spiritual nourishment for the preservation of life and strength, as in bodily food.

Nevertheless, as Aquinas teaches, the divine physician who heals our souls in grace allows us to continue to experience defects resulting from original sin—including suffering and death—so that we might suffer in union with Christ and come to merit eternal glory (Thomas Aquinas 1981, III q. 85, a. 5). With St. Paul, Aquinas recognizes that our bodies will also be brought back to life because of grace in our souls; but first our souls are restored, then our bodies: “Each is done according to the order of Divine wisdom, at a fitting time. Because it is right that we should first of all be conformed to Christ's sufferings, before attaining to the immortality and impassibility of glory, which was begun in Him, and by Him acquired for us” (Thomas Aquinas 1981, III q. 85, a. 5, ad 2). ¹² Having received the gospel and enjoying the promise of salvation in the grace of Christ, we are first to follow Christ in undergoing bodily death, as we await the resurrection of our bodies at the last judgment. As Ambrose exhorts, “We have a physician, let us use the remedy. Our remedy is the grace of Christ…. Though we are in the body, let us not follow the things which are of the body…but desire before all the gifts of grace” (Ambrose 2012, 180, no. 41).

With this theological foundation in mind, it is possible now to turn to the eschatological dimension of Christ the physician; in other words, we can consider how Christ will bring ultimate healing and perfection in the end times. At the general resurrection, when our bodies are raised to immortal life, those souls who are conformed to Christ in grace will be conformed to Him in glory—body and soul (Thomas Aquinas 1981, Suppl. q. 76, a. 1). Aquinas asserts that this final state, with the body rejoined to the soul, is more perfect than the soul separated from the body (Thomas Aquinas 1981, Suppl. q. 75, a. 1). The reason for this is as follows: although in a purely spiritual state the soul is more conformed to God and the angels, “it is a part of the whole composite, and every integral part is material in comparison to the whole.” Stated in terms of the divine physician, the resurrection of the body and its reunion with the soul in glory is the ultimate restoration of health because of the perfect and enduring wholeness attained. To understand this eschatological health structurally and functionally, it is helpful to consult Aquinas for insights.

When Aquinas considers whether all parts of the human body will rise again, his explanation relates to the work of Christ the physician. He compares the human person to a work of art—with body and soul in perfect correspondence—that would be incomplete without all its parts: “Just as the work of an art would not be perfect if its product lacked any of the things contained in the art, so neither could man be perfect unless the whole that is contained implicitly in the soul be explicitly unfolded in the body, nor would the body correspond in full proportion to the soul” (Thomas Aquinas 1981, Suppl. q. 80, a. 1). He even goes so far as to say that the virtue in the soul will be evident somehow in the body: “It will be necessary for the virtue of the soul's powers to be shown in their bodily instruments…so that the wisdom of God be thereby glorified.”

Aquinas also asks whether resurrected and glorified bodies will be incorruptible. His answer, in the affirmative, relates to the restoration of the harmonious working of all the parts: “Now the human body and all that it contains will be perfectly subject to the rational soul, even as the soul will be perfectly subject to God. Wherefore it will be impossible for the glorified body to be subject to any change contrary to the disposition whereby it is perfected by the soul; and consequently, those bodies will be impassible” (Thomas Aquinas 1981, Suppl. q. 82, a. 1). Other characteristics of the glorified body also result from the perfect dominion of the glorified soul over the body: subtlety, wherein the body is wholly subject to the soul as its form; agility, wherein it is subject to the soul as its mover; and clarity, a lightsomeness resulting from the overflow of the soul's glory into the body (Thomas Aquinas 1981, Suppl. q. 83, a. 1; q. 84, a. 1; and q. 85, a. 1).

In view of this work of Christ the physician in restoring our health—beginning now with the workings of grace in our souls and culminating in the end times with the glorification of our bodies and souls—it is now possible to discuss how the theme of Christ the physician is helpful for health care workers and those experiencing illness.

Christ the Physician and Catholic Health Care: Healing Now and in the Future

Patients suffering from illness—acute or chronic, in the health care setting or at home—want to be healed, to be made “whole” again (Pellegrino 2008, 40). Medical interventions may succeed in curing one illness or another; otherwise, they may have limited success or no success at all. Despite considerable advancements in our abilities to treat acute and chronic disease, and to prolong life in the face of illness, every patient will eventually succumb to physical vulnerabilities and die.

Physicians are well-served to keep in mind these limitations, at the same appreciating the great gift God has given to health professionals and their patients by granting them the means to undertake healing on a natural level (Sir 38). Indeed, Augustine repeatedly commended to his hearers the virtue of humility and related it to the theme of Christ the physician: the humility of Christ, in taking on human nature and dying for our sake, is the medicine that heals us from the festering wound of pride (Arbesmann 1954, 8–11). ¹³ Seen in this light, Christ is truly physician to physicians, in his example of humility and his fostering of their growth in virtue through grace. Humble physicians, accordingly, pray to the divine physician for success in the work of healing and desire that everyone—especially their own patients—entrust themselves to the care of Christ the physician. Those experienced in the art and science of medicine can readily appreciate how much more intricate and marvelous must be the work of the divine physician.

On the other hand, patients are in a better position to appreciate the healing available to them through Christ the physician because of their experience of illness; they can reflect on the divine physician to view their illness in greater context. As Pellegrino and Thomasma adeptly observe, “Every illness is an assault on the integrity of the person” (Pellegrino and Thomasma 1997, 22–23). Not only does illness disrupt physiological processes, but it often affects one's ability to perform everyday tasks and may even weigh heavily on the soul. Thrown out of their routine and reminded of their vulnerability, patients may find that the setting of illness provides an occasion for evaluating the direction of their life and deciding what ultimately matters to them. Sick persons tend to look to physicians as authorities in guiding the process of healing and recovery; thus, it would seem quite natural for them to think about Christ the physician in view of a broader concept of health. Similarly, Basil the Great pointed out that “it will make no difference to us whether the cure from God comes to us invisibly or through some bodily means, which often leads us to a keener perception of the Lord's grace” (Basil the Great 2005, LR 55.4).

The work of Christ the physician reminds us that health and wholeness pertain not just to bodily integrity, but to that of the body and soul as a unity—such that, in illness, we need bodily and spiritual healing. Jesus illustrates this with his miraculous healings, sometimes even making explicit the relationship between physical and spiritual healing (Mt 9:1–8; Jn 5:1–15). ¹⁴ Physicians and other health care professionals, in imitation of Christ, can promote spiritual healing on a basic level by showing compassion for their patients, especially those afflicted by great suffering. As Daniel Sulmasy observes, this spiritual healing “consists in the acknowledgment of the reality of the suffering, in expressions of empathy and compassion, in silent presence, and in the process of reminding the patient that he or she still has intrinsic dignity…” (Sulmasy 1997, 106-107) Closely related to this is the opportunity to cultivate in patients a greater awareness of their need for spiritual healing—having experienced suffering in the context of illness, patients can come to appreciate more deeply the wholeness restored to their soul at the hands of clinicians. More broadly, Catholic health care institutions can imitate Christ the physician by offering robust chaplaincy services as an indispensable part of health care, to promote healing of soul as well as body.

Many uncertainties can confront an ill person: survival or death, cure or illness progression, recovery of function or ongoing disability. In light of the teachings of the Church Fathers and Aquinas, physicians and patients alike would benefit from meditating on Christ the physician, considering his work of healing made present now in grace and promised in future glory. The divine physician offers the consolation that, although our health and wholeness in this life will ultimately give way as we enter into the next life, we can look to Christ to restore, perfect, and elevate our bodies and souls on the last day. Hence, Our Lord provides a remedy that not only restores what was lost, but also attains for us a health and wholeness beyond what we have ever known in this world. Viewed in this way, significant illnesses and even death itself may seem less daunting. Saint Paul, rejoicing over the resurrection of the body, proclaims: “O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?” (1 Cor 15:55) ¹⁵

Whereas those experiencing illness should pray to God for healing, with a particular concern for the salvation of their souls in grace, this should not be seen in isolation from the bonds we all share in Christ (Eph 2:8–9; 1 Cor 12:12). In order to continue his healing ministry on earth, Christ instituted the sacraments and entrusted them to the Church (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2012, no. 1210). The sacraments, like the spiritual healings Christ performed in the gospels, restore us to grace and enable us to be partakers in his divine life. The Church especially recommends three sacraments to heal, strengthen, and nourish those facing serious illness: Penance, Anointing of the Sick, and the Eucharist (Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing and Viaticum 1983, no. 30).

Among these, Confession alone reconciles to God and the Church those who have fallen away through grave sin (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2012, no. 1422). It also prepares those who are ill to receive the sacraments of Anointing and the Eucharist more efficaciously. In turn, Anointing is “especially intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness”; it brings healing to the soul, and even the body as well if such is God's will (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2012, nos. 1511, 1520). Finally, the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life” since Christ is truly present—body, blood, soul, and divinity (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2012, nos. 1324, 1374). Aquinas's prayer before Holy Communion makes explicit reference to the theme of Christ the physician: “Almighty and eternal God, behold, I draw near to the sacrament of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; I draw near as a sick person to the physician of life, as one unclean to the fountain of mercy…” (Thomas Aquinas 2000, 72-77) ¹⁶ This and similar prayers could help sick persons meditate on the healing available in the sacraments through the divine physician.

As we learn from Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church from Vatican II, the sacraments of the Church pertain to the present time, as we await in hope the return of Christ in glory and the restoration of all things, including the resurrection of the body (Second Vatican Council 1964, no. 48). Nonetheless, “the promised restoration which we are awaiting has already begun in Christ, is carried forward in the mission of the Holy Spirit and through Him continues in the Church.” In other words, the final age has already been initiated through the work of Christ on earth, including his establishment of the Church; in this sense, we can speak of the Church as having an eschatological nature, moving ever closer to the return of Christ in glory.

This dynamic of God's working through the Church, bringing us ever closer to the complete restoration of creation, “a new heaven and a new earth,” has unique potential as a source of hope and comfort to those experiencing illness (Rv 21:1). As O'Callaghan argues, it can purify them from disordered attachments to the passing things of the world, and lead them to see in this transitory life an opportunity for growing closer to God and communicating his saving power to others (O’Callaghan 2011, 336). No matter how debilitating or resistant to treatment their illness may be, the sick can look to Christ as the one true source of their healing now in grace, and of their full restoration and perfection in glory on the last day.

How does anticipating the completion of Christ's healing work in the end times help those experiencing illness in the present? O'Callaghan, drawing on the thought of Aquinas, argues that the “last things” are not just an appendix to human existence, but a critical vantage point that should inform every aspect of our lives and actions (O’Callaghan 2011, 330). ¹⁷ For Aquinas, all human actions are done for the sake of an end, and the last end of human life—which all of us are called to—is union with God in the beatific vision (Thomas Aquinas 1981, I-II q. 1, a. 1; q. 3, a. 8). Aquinas also notes that this will eventually include the resurrection of the body, and he cites Christ's teaching—that God is not “of the dead, but of the living” (Thomas Aquinas 1981, Suppl., q. 75, a. 1). ¹⁸ Explaining further the implications of Christ's words, Aquinas asserts that “there needs to be life in the whole composite, i.e., the soul and body.” The sick and the dying, by meditating on this truth of the complete healing of our bodies and souls in the end times, can benefit in a number of ways: it puts into perspective the experience of illness and dying, it makes clearer the saving work of Christ in grace, and it gives people hope for eternal life in glory.

In conclusion, this paper has shown how the theme of Christ the physician can be most fully appreciated and understood in view of our human limitations and need for restoration of body and soul, which only the divine physician can accomplish. Given that the end of medicine is “health,” which involves wholeness and integrity of body and soul, Christ is uniquely able to accomplish this in us—beginning with the workings of grace in our souls in this life, and culminating in the resurrection of the body and restoration of body and soul in glory at the end of time. In light of this, Catholic health care has a distinct opportunity to continue Christ's healing ministry on earth through both medical and sacramental approaches. The theme of Christ the physician—by putting illness and death into perspective, emphasizing the saving work of Christ in grace, and fostering hope for our ultimate healing and perfection in glory—provides a much-needed remedy for the sick today.

Biographical Note

Columba Thomas, OP, MD, is a Dominican priest and a physician specializing in Internal Medicine. He completed a Primary Care Residency and Chief Residency at Yale and attained board certification in Internal Medicine before joining the Dominicans in 2016. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow in bioethics at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics; his clinical and research interests include geriatrics, end-of-life care, and prognosis.