Healing...

When a soul has been cleansed, and the Lord is on intimate terms with it, it begins to apply all its inner force in striving after God. Yet the soul cannot do anything of itself. God alone arranges everything... --St Faustina (119)

        

          Healing presumes a wound and not necessarily a physical wound; wounds could include scares on various levels: emotional, spiritual, etc. If not born from our own sin, they typically result from that of others before us; however unless confessed and offered to Jesus, they breed more. In fact, I would say the hardest wounds to mend are the invisible ones. We may not even realize we’ve been wounded until years later when we fall (sin) because of it, notice a trend of repeat mistakes (e.g., addiction, unhealthy relationships, etc.), or when the scar negatively impacts others. 

Thus, in order for healing to begin, we must first not only recognize the wound but also confront its source. Piece of cake, right? I wish! Think about a time when you decided to ignore an oncoming cold; deadlines at work were looming and you felt pressured to push through and ignore the symptoms. If you’re like me, you hate being sick because it slows you down, but ultimately if you ignore the larger issue (lack of relaxation, regular diet and exercise, and sleep) it just prolongs the illness. Either that or you relapse. Likewise, for some spiritual and emotional wounds (i.e., no father figure), it’s taken years for me to recognize and confront. Why? Because it’s so much easier to run away (e.g., end the relationship, leave the country, quit the job, move out), blame someone else, or drown our sorrows in worldly pleasures (e.g., alcohol, smoking, sex, drugs, shopping). Besides, isn’t that what society tells us: Seek pleasure not pain. 

Personally, I’ve fallen many times in that trap. But does the hurt go away or the problems vanish? No, they just fester. We must confront our deepest pains, unveiling the source of our wound tree; otherwise, we’re doomed to a ripple effect. How many times do we repeat past mistakes because we failed to address the deeper issue and inspect our spirit? In fact, sometimes the longer we deny the larger issue, the harder it is to heal. After constantly running into brick walls, it’s easy to fall into despair. That’s why I thank God every day for my upbringing as a Catholic and for those who remained steadfast in their prayer during my tribulations. Why? Because as Catholics, we are taught that Jesus Christ died on the cross to heal us; He loves us that much and never abandons us to fight our demons alone, even in our darkest hour. 

As 1Peter 2:24-25 states:

           "He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls."

This means that the second step to healing is to surrender to Him.  Trust me, that’s hard, especially when, like me, you think you’re invincible and self-sufficient. Admitting weakness and accepting help is so hard. I’m very stubborn, so this took me quite some time with several falls and repeat offenses. The third step is to ask God for the grace to forgive ourselves and forgive others. How embarrassing and humbling it is to eat your words when you play self-righteous hypocrite and judge others for the same offense! Finally, the last step to complete the healing process is acknowledging our need for God and the Church (our community). Especially in a society that values independence and self-reliability, how many times have you deemed yourself strong enough to battle sin alone but then fall? For me, many. 

Healing not only takes time and lots of penance, but also hurts because it entails facing all those demons you avoided (i.e., enemies, vices, weaknesses, etc.); that’s why so many avoid it. However, take heart. Father knows best; that’s why He sent His only Son to endure the pains in company and heal us for a bigger glory. Rejecting surrender only breeds more hurt while suffering with Him leads to rebirth and strength to live righteously and do His will. It’s either life with Him or death without Him. 

-- Erica

More thoughts for meditating on healing

Catholic Prayer For Healing

Lord, look upon me with eyes of mercy, may your healing hand rest upon me, may your life giving powers flow into every cell of my body and into the depths of my soul, cleansing, purifying, restoring me to wholeness and strength for service in your Kingdom. Amen. 

Isaiah 53:4-5

"But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed."

http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent/story.php?id=33222