Church of the Sacred Heart

DAY 4 Healing

REFLECTION: Sometimes our lives can feel like a rollercoaster, filled with high and low moments. As much as we strive to enjoy the positive moments, we know that they come and go, and even if we do our best to avoid the low moments, we know they are inevitable. We experience traumatic and dark moments even more acutely. These moments aren’t simply “low” moments but can leave us with lasting wounds and scars. It doesn’t matter what stage of life you are in, your age, or where you live—we all have wounds, and all of us suffer. But, Jesus offers us healing. He spent a significant amount of time healing those who were broken and wounded. Jesus healed others to point out his redemptive mission. His healing was not just for back then but for all time. Jesus still heals us. Are we humble enough to bring our wounds to him? We all need healing, and when we go to Jesus, we can be assured of his desire and power to heal us. As we begin the process first, we must ask for healing in prayer. After that, we have to identify what kind of healing we need: counseling, rehabilitation, or therapy may be necessary steps on our journey of healing. (There are many Catholic agencies and professionals who can walk this journey with you.) Healing sometimes requires reconciliation with people we have hurt or who have hurt us*. The sacraments provide us with yet another way to seek Christ’s healing, for through them he “touches” us just, like he touched the eyes of the blind man. As Pope Francis reminds us, “Indeed, we may find it hard to remain at peace with the Lord when our relationship with others and with ourselves is damaged. It is crucial, then, even in the midst of illness, that the whole Church measure herself against the Gospel example of the Good Samaritan, in order that she may become a true ‘field hospital’, for her mission is manifested in acts of care, particularly in the historical circumstances of our time. We are all fragile and vulnerable, and need that compassion which knows how to pause, approach, heal, and raise up.” The truth is, we need each other even in our weakest, most vulnerable places—even places of pain. Jesus doesn’t want us to be wounded and is with us to confront the broken parts of our lives. However, he will not act without our consent. The choice to be open to healing is ours.

PRAYER: Jesus, you healed many people and still desire to heal us and make us whole. I offer you my wounds and the places where I am broken. Help me never succumb to a bitter sense of injustice or loneliness. In your mercy, hear my prayer and send the Holy Spirit to provide me with courage so I may seek help from others. Lord Jesus, heal me. Amen.  

CHALLENGE: Spend time today to identify an area that is wounded or broken and the next steps you need to take to find healing. Then take 15–30 minutes in prayer, before the Blessed Sacrament if possible, asking Jesus for healing and the courage to take those next steps.  *If you need to find healing from past hurts, reach out to your local parish or diocesan office and ask for a list of Catholic mental health professionals whom you can connect with.