The Ultimate Healing

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2018 2:49 pm Post subject: The Ultimate Healing

The Ultimate Healing

Scripture:

For God made not death, neither has he pleasure in the destruction of the living. For he created all things that they might be: and he made the nations of the earth for health: and there is no poison of destruction in them, nor kingdom of hell upon the earth. For justice is perpetual and immortal.

For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him. But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world: And they follow him that are of his side.
(Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24)

That as in all things you abound in faith, and word, and knowledge, and all carefulness; moreover also in your charity towards us, so in this grace also you may abound.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich he became poor, for your sakes; that through his poverty you might be rich.

For I mean not that others should be eased, and you burdened, but by an equality. In this present time let your abundance supply their want, that their abundance also may supply your want, that there may be an equality, as it is written: He that had much, had nothing over; and he that had little, had no want.
(2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15)

And when Jesus had passed again in the ship over the strait, a great multitude assembled together unto him, and he was nigh unto the sea. And there comes one of the rulers of the synagogue named Jairus: and seeing him, falls down at his feet. And he besought him much, saying: My daughter is at the point of death, come, lay your hand upon her, that she may be safe, and may live. And he went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they thronged him. And a woman who was under an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians; and had spent all that she had, and was nothing the better, but rather worse. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the crowd behind him, and touched his garment. For she said: If I shall touch but his garment, I shall be whole. And forthwith the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the evil. And immediately Jesus knowing in himself the virtue that had proceeded from him, turning to the multitude, said: Who has touched my garments?

And his disciples said to him: You see the multitude thronging you, and say you who has touched me? And he looked about to see her who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said to her: Daughter, your faith has made you whole: go in peace, and be you whole of your disease. While he was yet speaking, some come from the house of the ruler of the synagogue, saying: Your daughter is dead: why do you trouble the master any further?

But Jesus having heard the word that was spoken, said to the ruler of the synagogue: Fear not, only believe. And he admitted not any man to follow him, but Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue; and he sees a tumult, and people weeping and wailing much. And going in, he said to them: Why make you this ado, and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleeps. And they laughed him to scorn. But he having put them all out, takes the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and enters in where the damsel was lying. And taking the damsel by the hand, he said to her: Talitha cumi, which is, being interpreted: Damsel (I say to you) arise. And immediately the damsel rose up, and walked: and she was twelve years old: and they were astonished with a great astonishment. And he charged them strictly that no man should know it: and commanded that something should be given her to eat.
(Mark 5:21-43)

Reflection:

Through our senses, we feel the pain of illness, but we do not always feel the illness within our soul. Our health is not merely a matter of our physical state, but more importantly, it is a matter of what is within us spiritually.

As we suffer in illness, we endeavor to find a means to heal. We look for a pill, for our doctors promise many things by them, but the wise doctor will reveal to us that our lifestyle is often the source of our chronic ills. If we desire our physical health, then, we must provide what our body needs and stop what leads it to decay. We struggle so, to resist the damaging addictions of the body. Indeed, some are so great they overcome our judgment to the point of death. If this is the battle we face over that which is finite, can we imagine the battle we must fight for that which is eternal?

Our attention is sometimes captured through our misery as we seek to avoid the cause of our pain, but too often we treat the symptoms without consideration of the cause. When we are able to remove the pain of the symptom, what do we care about the cause? If we do nothing about the cause, the illness will remain and the symptoms shall eventually return. Too often, our recognition that we must take action does not come until the damage can no longer be reversed. What, then, are we to do when there is no opportunity left for us to reverse our course?

We shall all face the failing of our body, for death was brought into the world through disobedience. We may be tempted to blame those who were disobedient before us, but that does not remove our own disobedience. We suffer through our spiritual weakness, but the choice of obedience to His commandments of love still remains before us.

The question is, will we see the blessings His commandments bring and the love we may share by living according to the will of the One who created us? And what of our spiritual health; it is the health of our soul and the direction of our eternity. Just as the body cannot survive without what is good, neither can our soul. If we allow ourselves to become slaves to our worldly desires, then, our soul shall not be nourished for what it needs to enter unto the kingdom of God.

The cure for our spiritual failing is within our reach. It is a choice of lifestyle and our spiritual life. We may despair within our weakness which leads us to disobedience, but if we turn to God with a contrite heart, He will have mercy on us and will help us heal.

Some might wonder, how might this be? Can we not reason that the One who created us also has the power to restore us? Though we follow the ways of the world and walk on the path of death, if we desire to turn, He will guide us away.

We must remember, while what is physical determines our course in this world, what is spiritual determines our course both here and for the world to come. Which form of health, then, is more important to us? Certainly, we rejoice when we have our physical health, but should that suffer, our concern is less if our spiritual health is reconciled with God.

The health of our spirit comes from our faith in Him. Just as the woman who touched His garment was healed through her faith, so shall our soul be healed if we reach out to Him. The lifestyle He asks of us for this health is simple; to love Him as well as one another. (cf Matthew 22:36-40) It is love by which the soul is nourished; the love that we receive from Him and the love that we share.

Questions for further reflection:

In what ways does our lifestyle impact our physical and spiritual health?

In what ways may we adjust so we may heal?

In what ways may we help others so we may all share in healing?

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier