Notebook
As I write these words, two events coincide – the first, the re-opening of old wounds following the publication of the ‘Scoping Report’ into historical abuse in religious-run schools and the visit to Ireland of the relics of St Bernadette of Lourdes. Is this a coincidence and what does one have to do with the other? Without getting into too much detail of the abuse report and the other reports before that, what is essential for us to remember is that behind every report and statistic is a wounded human being with a story to tell. And it is plainly obvious that for all people affected by abuse and hurt, there is great need for healing.
The visit of the relics of St Bernadette brings home to us that this gift of healing is available to us through Christ and his Church through the power of faith, prayer and the sacraments. As a place of pilgrimage, Lourdes has always been associated with the sick and prayers for healing that thousands of pilgrims bring for themselves and their families. With the visit of the relics, this spirit of Lourdes will be available to thousands more in these days in their own dioceses. As we venerate these relics, the words of St Bernadette herself remind us that the real power of healing does not come directly from her, her relics or Lourdes water but from God: “One must have faith and pray; the water will have no virtue without faith.”
It is faith that is the channel through which the power of healing flows as we see time and time again in the Gospels. Jesus connects faith in him with the power that heals people and makes them whole again. Especially at the beginning of his public ministry, the Lord shows himself to be the master healer as he targets those who were sick in body and soul and as he welcomes the thousands who were brought to him. This healing ministry was an essential part of his mission as ‘Saviour’ – the one who delivers us from illness and death. Therefore, Jesus is the divine doctor who has been sent to heal, restore and make well again. He has come to restore all things in himself and to do for us what we can’t do for ourselves.
This is the work of healing so badly needed today. The healing spirit of Christ heals old wounds and hurts. We might still remember those hurts but they lose their power to control us, leaving us at peace. Christ’s healing unites us body and soul so there is a unity and a harmony among the different parts of who we are. Christ’s healing heals the split in our wills that St Paul describes in Romans 7 where we want to do one thing but end up doing another. His Spirit heals the divisions between us, overcomes tension and builds communion between people. Christ’s work of healing unites nations into a universal family where friendship is built and unity is prized. Finally, his work of healing extends to all creation and to the earth that ‘has a fever’ in the words of Pope Francis and that requires prayer and action to recover.
Healing
To conclude. I am always struck by the numbers of those who attend healing services in our parishes whether they be monthly, annually or part of a mission for example. Is it simply a case of people desperately looking for something they need? That might be partly true, but I believe there is something deeper in progress. The people who seek healing are expressing what they know to be true and what is true for all of us – that we constantly stand before God in need of restoration and wholeness. As a nation, it is this healing and wholeness for the wounded that we pray for during this visit of the relics of St Bernadette. I need healing, we need healing, our Church needs healing, our country needs healing and the earth needs healing too. Our hope is that through the intercession of St Bernadette, God’s spirit of healing will be poured out in abundance at a time when we need it most.