Divine Healing

The Charismatic Renewal has given rise to Healing Services all over. Fathers DiOrio and McDonough are especially well-known for this ministry around here. They have attracted thousands of people to their healing services. These are basically "prayer services." They are very devotional. They speak of a God who is present and cares for his people. A popular kind of Prayer Service in our time.

Healing is a Christian Ministry

Jesus healed. He cured all sorts of illnesses and infirmities. He even, on several occasions, raised the dead to life. Father McDonough estimates that 1/5 of the Gospel deals with healings.

This healing ministry, Jesus wanted it to continue after him, so he commissioned his 12 Apostles to and "proclaim the reign of God and heal the sick," in the same breath. (Lk 9:2) In Jesus' mind, preaching and healing the sick go together.

As if 12 Apostles were not enough, Jesus shortly after sends 72 disciples before him with the mission to cure the sick, as they go around telling people: "The reign of God is at hand." (Lk 10:9) Note that these were not special people like the Apostles, but mere disciples, followers of Jesus.

Finally, just before his Ascension, Jesus commissioned his Apostles to "Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation." And he adds: "Signs like these will accompany those who believe” (Jesus speaks of "all who believe) they will use my name to expel demons... and the sick upon whom they lay their hands will recover." (Mk 16:5, 17-18)

What is the purpose of these extraordinary powers? Mark tells us: "The Eleven Apostles went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord confirming the message through signs that accompanied them." This is also what Peter says in his Pentecost sermon: "Men of Israel, listen to me! Jesus the Nazorean was a man whom God sent to you with miracles, wonders and signs as his credentials." They were signs that God was at work in Jesus, in the Apostles, in the Church.

Miracles and healings abounded in the early Church. Just read the Acts of the Apostles and you will see. The ultimate purpose of divine healings is always to bring people to believe in Jesus or increase their faith. Surely, Jesus and others after him healed out of compassion for the sick and the infirm, but ultimately he wanted to bring them to believe and be saved. Healing was an ordinary part of the Christian ministry. It is one of the "charismatic gifts" mentioned by St. Paul in 1 Cor. 12:9. It is given for the common good of the Church, and very especially to give power to the ministry of Evangelization. Without that, our preaching of the Word lacks the power it was meant to have. Vatican II has affirmed the importance of charismatic gifts for the Church.

Divine healing has always been present in the Church. For centuries, however, it became a rare occurrence. In my view, that was because Christians ceased to believe in supernatural healing. This became associated with exceptional people, like saints, or with special places: shrines, like Lourdes. Today, the Charismatic Renewal has restored this important part of our Christian heritage. We have rediscovered that the gift of healing is still available to those who believe

Healing as a Ministry of the Church

In the Church, Jesus continues the healing ministry he began on earth. For this, he uses people like us, who are his body today. Anyone can pray for a healing and expect God will answer his prayer. Priests have a special reason to believe they have a healing ministry. They are entrusted with a special sacrament: "The Anointing of the Sick." They heal souls through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They consecrate the Eucharist, which has a great healing power. Lay people, also, who believe, can lay hands on the sick, and expect God to heal.

Now, what gives power to a healing prayer, to any prayer, is FAITH. But there are two kinds of faith: there is the faith by which we believe in Jesus and are saved, and there is the faith that works miracles. This is a special conviction that God works through ordinary people like you and me. When I first got involved in a healing ministry, I believed that God does heal in answer to prayer, but I was not sure of myself: would God use me? It's only little by little, as I saw healings happening in response to prayer, that I became more and more confident. The faith that works miracles is that inner conviction that God works through people like you and me. Over the years. I have seen many people come to the Shrine with an inner certainty that Good St. Anne would cure them. And so it happened. The Apostle James tells us that he who prays must ask in faith, never doubting. "The doubter must not expect to receive anything from the Lord." (Jn 1:6-7) Why should God answer prayers if we don't believe he will? Just taking a chance on God doesn't work. It's not faith.

Different Kinds of Healing

Spiritual healing deals with illnesses of the soul: sin and sinful habits. The remedy for that is repentance and confession. Physical healing deals with body illnesses and broken limbs. For this, we turn to physicians and surgeons. Finally, there is inner healing. This, in the natural order, is the work of counselors and therapists. Even physical problems often originate in the mind or in negative emotions. We call these psychosomatic illnesses. Some medical authorities believe that as many as 8096 of body illnesses are caused by stress, worry, fears, guilt, grudges, resentments, lack of self-confidence, in a word, unhealthy negative emotions and mental attitudes. Charismatics speak here of "inner healing", a healing of emotions and mental attitudes. In such cases I do "spiritual counseling", helping people to have more trust in God, to forgive those who have hurt them, etc. This is very effective, coupled with prayer.

Healing at Saint Anne Shrine

If you look at the stack of crutches in front of the Shrine, it speaks for itself. There have been healings long before we ever heard of Charismatic Healing Services. There were no healing services at all.

We had Fr. Marchildon and Good St. Anne. Fr. Marchildon was a holy man, a man of great faith. When people came to him with their troubles, here are some of the things he would do. First, I must say he loved people and had a unique gift to give them comfort and encouragement. He would tell them to pray with confidence to Good St. Anne, "Grandmama St. Anne", as he called her. He might recommend making a novena., perhaps coming to the Shrine and receiving communion 9 times, etc. He would bless people with the relic of St. Anne. Sometimes he would tell them to get a bottle of St. Anne's Oil or St. Anne's Water, and explain how to use it. In simple and persuasive words, he would tell them not to worry, they would be healed. And people went home reassured and often cured.

St. Anne Shrine has been, over the years, a hallowed place, where people have come with faith, where devotions have flourished, and healings also.

Devotions Novena Index