Mutual burdensomeness is part of what makes us human. God himself shares in this – bearing our sins and suffering on the cross. The Incarnation reveals another depth of human existence, for as Jesus was once a helpless baby, needing to be fed, washed, and changed, so he was also a dying man who needed care and company in his final hours. In taking on our humanity, God endowed every helpless baby and every dying person with the same value and dignity.

In caring for our children and the dying, we care also for him.