This week’s Clergy Corner
taken from June 30 Bulletin

Since the heart of Christianity consists in a personal, loving, communicative, forgiving relationship with Jesus, a main aspect of this lies in redemption and healing. Christianity is salvific—it is redemptive, healing religion. Jesus came primarily to save. He went through all towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom and healing diseases and sickness. He healed many who had various diseases (Mk 1:34).

Like Jairus and the woman with a hemorrhage, we need Jesus’ help. And our Lord wishes to heal us totally. His ordinary wish is to heal us. There are many types of daily struggles that need to be healed: Healing of body, mind, and spirit; physical healing, emotional healing, spiritual healing, psychological healing, healing of addiction, financial healing, cancer healing, healing of depression, family tree healing, healing of broken relationship, healing the loss of a loved one, healing of painful memories and other personal and family problems.

There are two big conditions in order to receive healing from the Lord—coming to Him and coming to Him in faith. He teaches, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. And come to me all you who are heavily burdened and I will refresh you.” He also teaches, “It was your faith that healed you.” So, coming to Jesus in faith is most important.

We are actually praying every day for our sick parishioners that our Doctor, Jesus who is our divine physician may touch and restore them to full health. That’s why if you need the Sacrament of the Sick, kindly call your priests to give you this Powerful Sacrament. Through the apostle James, he has commanded us: “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters (priests) of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5: 13).

Lord Jesus, You, are our Divine Healer. I place into Your loving hands, all those who are sick, injured, or wounded; those in need of physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, especially our sick parishioners. I ask for the grace to bring Your comfort, peace and healing presence to them. I also lift up to you the family, friends, healthcare professionals and all caregivers. Guide them, direct them, and fill them with Your Holy Spirit, so that Your healing power may flow through them as they minister to the sick and bring healing in mind, body and spirit. Blessed Mother, all the angels and saints, pray with us through Christ, the Divine Healer. Amen.

Father Cosme