Be Healed

1. Encountering Jesus: The Good Teacher, Compassionate Healer, and Beloved Son

"Jesus' gaze, the touch of his heart heals us . . . enabling us to become truly ourselves and thus totally of God."

Jesus as teacher. Jesus taught with authority, unlike the scribes and Pharisees. His words were infused with the power of the Holy Spirit, and He backed up His teachings with demonstrations of God's love and power through healing and miracles.

Jesus as healer. Christ's healing miracles were expressions of the Father's tender compassion for each person in their brokenness. These miracles point to the ultimate healing He won for us on Calvary, expressing the entire content of our redemption.

Jesus as beloved Son. At His baptism, the Father expressed unconditional love and delight in Jesus before He accomplished anything. This reveals our own identity as beloved children of God, united with Christ through baptism.

2. Facing Our Brokenness: Understanding the Whole Person Perspective

"Whoever wishes to heal man must see him in his wholeness and must know that his ultimate healing can only be God's love."

Holistic healing. True healing must address the whole person - body, soul, and spirit. It includes restoration of our communion with God, integration within ourselves, and reconciliation with others.

Root causes. Many physical and psychological symptoms have deeper spiritual roots in the seven deadly sins and seven deadly wounds. Addressing these underlying issues is crucial for lasting healing.

Interconnectedness. The five primary areas broken by original sin and in need of healing are:

1. Relationship between us and God (spiritual)
2. Relationship between us and others (relational)
3. Integration within us: soul and spirit (psychological)
4. Integration within us: body and soul (physical)
5. Relationship between us and nature (ecological)

3. The Tree of Life vs. The Tree of Knowledge: Roots of Sin and Virtue

"A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit."

Tree of Life. Represents communion with God, bearing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Tree of Knowledge. Symbolizes ungodly self-reliance, bearing the fruit of the seven deadly sins:

• Pride
• Envy
• Gluttony
• Lust
• Anger
• Greed
• Sloth

Virtues vs. Vices. Jesus demonstrated how to overcome deadly sins by responding with lively virtues:

• Humility/Meekness (vs. Pride)
• Kindness/Gratitude (vs. Envy)
• Fasting/Moderation (vs. Gluttony)
• Chastity/Self-Control (vs. Lust)
• Longsuffering/Surrender (vs. Anger)
• Generosity/Stewardship (vs. Greed)
• Diligence/Faithfulness (vs. Sloth)

4. Anatomy of a Wound: Seven Deadly Wounds and Their Impact

"Shame . . . seems to shake the very foundation of [our] existence. A certain fear is always part of the very essence of shame."

Seven deadly wounds:

1. Abandonment
2. Rejection
3. Fear
4. Shame
5. Powerlessness
6. Hopelessness
7. Confusion

Impact of wounds. These wounds create barriers in our minds and hearts, preventing us from receiving God's love and grace and knowing our identity as His beloved children.

Strongholds. Wounds, when left unhealed, can develop into spiritual and psychological strongholds, often reinforced by:

• Identity lies (e.g., "I am unlovable")
• Judgments against self, others, and God
• Inner vows (e.g., "I will never trust anyone again")

5. Redemptive Suffering: Transforming Pain into Healing

"Christ's Cross embraced with love does not lead to sadness, but to joy!"

Meaning in suffering. While suffering itself is not good, it can become redemptive when united with Christ's suffering on the cross. This transforms our pain into a source of healing for ourselves and others.

Jesus' example. Christ demonstrated how to face suffering with trust in the Father, refusing to internalize shame or give in to fear, even in the depths of abandonment on the cross.

Personal application. We can participate in Christ's redemptive suffering by:

• Facing our pain with Jesus instead of running from it
• Bringing our wounds to the Father in prayer
• Responding to hurt with love and forgiveness rather than retaliation
• Persevering in faith during times of trial

6. The Healing Power of Sacraments: Encountering Christ's Presence

"The Church believes in Christ, the physician of souls and bodies. This presence is particularly active through the Sacraments."

Sacraments as encounters. The seven sacraments are privileged encounters with the crucified and risen Jesus, providing healing and grace for our bodies, souls, and spirits.

Barriers to reception. Our lack of faith, unhealed wounds, and unrepented sins can block us from fully receiving the graces inherent in the sacraments.

Healing effects. Sacraments provide:

• Forgiveness of sins
• Restoration of our identity as beloved children of God
• Healing of relationships within the family, church, and society
• Strength for renewal in personal and communal life

7. Healing Prayer: Overcoming Barriers and Experiencing Freedom

"Miracles happen. But they need prayer! A courageous prayer, that struggles for that miracle. Not like those prayers of courtesy: Ah, I will pray for you!"

Persistence in prayer. Jesus emphasized the need to persist in prayer until we receive an answer. Healing often involves a process and may require repeated prayer.

Overcoming obstacles. Effective healing prayer must address barriers such as:

• Identity lies
• Judgments
• Inner vows
• Spiritual warfare

Signs of healing. Seven signs that indicate healing has occurred:

1. Connected and understood (vs. Abandonment)
2. Accepted and valued (vs. Rejection)
3. Safe and secure (vs. Fear)
4. Pure and worthy (vs. Shame)
5. Empowered and liberated (vs. Powerlessness)
6. Hopeful and encouraged (vs. Hopelessness)
7. Clarity and enlightenment (vs. Confusion)

8. Living in Freedom: Using Liberty for True Good

"In reality, freedom is a great gift only when we know how to use it consciously for everything that is our true good."

Purpose of freedom. True freedom is not an end in itself but should be used to pursue our true good and the good of others.

Communion as healing. Healing restores our relationships with God, ourselves, and others, allowing us to live in the freedom of the Holy Spirit as beloved children of the Father.

Self-gift. Our ultimate freedom and fulfillment come through making a sincere gift of ourselves to others in love, reflecting the self-giving love of the Trinity.

Last updated: November 12, 2024