The Source of Healing

Psalm 103:2-5
Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise.

Matthew 9 (NIV)
Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. ² Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
³ At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
⁴ Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? ⁵ Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? ⁶ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” ⁷ Then the man got up and went home. ⁸ When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

 by Louis Jean-Jacques Durameau

These are only a few of the many Bible verses on healing. The source of all healing is the Lord. Whether it is physical, psychological, spiritual, or emotional healing that one needs--and many times it is a combination of these--the restoration of health and wholeness comes from God. Notice in these passages that forgiveness of iniquities (sins) and salvation are inherent to the process of healing. When Jesus heals the paralyzed man, He says, "Your sins are forgiven," and the man walks away rejoicing. There is no separation between body and spirit. Jesus is the original holistic healer!

Meditating upon such verses of healing, as well as praying for the healing of either yourself or another person, is powerful and effective when done with faith, such as the men who bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus possess. They exhibit no doubt that if they can get their friend to Jesus, He will heal him, and they don't let the crowd blocking their way prevent their mission. They go so far as to cut a hole in the roof of the house and lower him down! We must all have such great faith. We can let nothing prevent us from our relationship with Jesus and the healing He is waiting to provide. He sent the Holy Spirit also to guide and comfort us and strengthen our faith, and that divine Comforter dwells within us when we are baptized in water and in the Spirit.

Alcoholism is often referred to as a "cunning and baffling" disease. But isn't such anthropomorphic language attributing too much power to a disease? After all, alcoholism is not a conscious being, and neither is mental illness, drug or other addiction, or depression. However, there is one who is cunning and wishes to baffle  and destroy us, and he is Satan. I think he would rather that we forget all about him while he is busy with his works of evil. No doubt he is there when the alcoholic drinks, he is there when the pornography addict surfs the web, he is there when we fight with our spouse or other family members, and he is there to encourage us to lose faith and hope in times of sickness, affliction, and suffering. He doesn't want us taking our friends to Jesus to have them healed and forgiven. He is the master of deception.

When you pray the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, added by Pope John Paul II, the 3rd Mystery of Light is the "Declaration of the Kingdom."  Jesus declared that the Kingdom of God is at hand, not somewhere in the distant past or far ahead in the future. It is right now. He went from town to town preaching the good news and healing all manner of illness and sorrow. He cast out demons, and he withstood all of the devil's temptations. So as you pray the Rosary, meditate upon these healing works of the Lord, those that fill us with the light of God, and know and believe that they are yours. There is no "program" created by men that will do the trick. We are healed and forgiven only by grace and the authority of Jesus. There is no completion of sobriety or soundness of mind, body, and spirit that will endure except through the power of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that is, salvation by membership in the family of God.

Progress, Not Perfection

I was often comforted by the slogan, "progress, not perfection" in the rooms of Al-Anon. Perfectionism can be a problem for the family and friends of alcoholics, for any number of reasons. We may want our homes to appear "normal" to others. We may suffer from low self-esteem or be afraid others will not like us or want to be our friends because of our alcoholic circumstances. Many in the rooms of AA and Al-Anon also grew up with alcoholic parents, sometimes suffering various forms of abuse. Some have been raped or molested or been victims of incest. They have lived in such continuous fear that they suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Members of Al-Anon come to realize that their suffering has resulted in an obsessive need for control, because so much in life has been chaotic for them. They learn that in their quest for healing and ways to cope, they are allowed the grace to "do the program messy."

In others words, it is okay to make mistakes. If you lose your temper, or say something hurtful, or react to problems in a way that is unhealthy, you can make amends to yourself and others and try again. Recovery from the effects of alcoholism is not a test to be passed with flying colors, with a big A+ and a smiley face sticker. Two steps forward, one step back is more the pattern of progress.

When I write here about my experiences, it is not out of anger and resentment, but rather a desire to understand myself and others better, to raise questions that are important to me, and to offer insights and possible solutions. I can't do this without expressing what happened. My tone may not come across the way I intend to someone else, but I do my best to be clear and to write with the highest integrity. God knows my heart, and He knows yours. He doesn't expect us to be perfect. That's why Jesus came, so we could be perfected in Him. That is why he sent the Holy Spirit in His place, to dwell within us to achieve that perfection of grace that is available in the family of God.

If someone becomes angry with you or is offended by you, your first instinct might be to fix his feelings. You may feel that you somehow failed to be perfect, and begin to doubt yourself. You may try to talk him out of feeling the way he feels. While we certainly need to speak and act responsibly, feelings do get hurt unintentionally, misunderstandings do occur, and we and others do make mistakes. That is okay. It does not necessarily mean the end of the relationship, although in some cases the relationship will need to change or discontinue. You cannot fix or control someone else's feelings. People choose to react the way they do. Often a negative response is just their "stuff"; it doesn't really have anything to do with you. We really don't have the power to make someone feel or react in any particular way. I am glad I am not so powerful!! Compassion, compassion, compassion. For yourself and for others. A wise friend of mine once said that when someone is hardest to love, that is when she needs love the most.

It is apparent to me that many people would prefer to keep relationships shallow, to stay on the safe surface of things. Talk about hairstyles, the weather, work, TV shows and movies. It is a real conversation stopper when people bring up a television program, and I say, "I don't have TV at my house."  People don't feel comfortable talking about what is Real, especially if it is painful. I may be worn thin like the velveteen rabbit, but at least I have the promise of someday being a Real Bunny. And so do you. Applaud your progress, and let the Lord perfect you in His time. Last night while praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, I repeated before each Hail Mary on the Coming of the Holy Spirit decade, "The Holy Spirit dwells in me" and "I am perfected in the Holy Spirit."