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HEALING
Recently, one of our parishioners was diagnosed with
terminal cancer. After the initial shock subsided somewhat something
interesting happened to this too busy man. He simply stopped doing
everything that wasn’t essential, that really didn’t matter. Even though he
knew he was dying, his life changed and he became more vital, more
appreciative, more aware and much more peaceful and trusting.
Then one day he got a call from his doctor informing
him that, in fact, he was not terminally ill, there had been a
mistake in the diagnosis. All was well. After this happened his only fear
was that his life would go back to the way it used to be. So far it hasn’t,
but it could, because we forget.
Someone has said that nothing concentrates the mind so
much as to be informed of your immanent demise. Why wait until the departure
lounge? Sickness, especially serious illness, can be a call to personal
transformation – a call to “concentrate the mind”, to re-discover what is
really important and what is really not. Sickness can call us to see
ourselves as being loved by God and called to share that love and life with
others.
Everyone experiences suffering, even Jesus. He doesn’t
answer the question why, instead he offers healing – the healing love of
God. That is why He was sent – that is our mission too, that is God’s loving
response to human suffering personified in a special way in all those great
women and men who serve us so well in the healing professions, in spite of
all the obstacles so often placed in their way – mindless bureaucracy,
endless paperwork, etc.
If we are sick in mind and heart, soul and body, and
only cured physically – to what end? Healing and curing are two very
different things. Healing connects us to the deeper center of ourselves and
through that center to God and neighbor. (Notice that after Simon’s
mother-in-law is healed/cured what does she do? Serves others
lovingly!)
Suffering may well be an invitation to healing our
distance from God, self and neighbor.
Finally, in today’s Gospel, Jesus gets up early in the
morning in order to pray. There is no mature ministry (loving service)
without mature prayer.
Pray the Word – everyday!
“I came that you might have life and have it in
abundance”.
Jesus didn’t come to establish a new religion – He came
to call us to a new life – abundant life.
Do you have a life?
Fr. King
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Vocation
Awareness:
Healing,
reconciling, and proclaiming good news: the tasks of Jesus, the tasks of the
church. Does God call you as a healer, reconciler, proclaimer of good news?
(Mark 1:29-39)
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