Faith in times of illnes

Monday, February 10, 2020 5th Week in
Ordinary Time1st
Reading: 1Kgs 8:1-7, 9-13 Gospel: Mark 6:53-56

HAVING crossed the lake, they came ashore at Gennesaret where theytied up the boat. As soon as they landed, people recognized Jesus andran to spread the news throughout the countryside. Wherever he wasthey brought to him the sick lying on their mats. And wherever he went,to villages, towns or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplace andbegged him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak. And all whotouched him were cured.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Jesus cured many people. But how many of these were healed? Beingcured and being healed are two different things. Healing happens onlywhen both body and soul are restored to health. It is a comprehensiveprocess requiring the interplay of many factors such as the following: Change in lifestyle, Union with God, Restorative Penance and Enduringcharity. (For better recall, they are so arranged to form the acronym“cure”). Healing requires a “Change in lifestyle”. Drug addicts, for examplemay be cured after some years of rehabilitation.
But healing comes onlywhen he distances himself from his old company. The same can be saidof other vice-driven illnesses. The change in lifestyle should take thepositive direction of “Union with God”. Sicknesses which are deeplyrooted in addictive habits can be overcome only by a strong relationship with God. The disciples themselves once asked Jesus why they could notsolve a particular case of demonic possession. Jesus told them onlyprayer can drive away demons in serious cases of demonic possession(Mark 9:18-28). Union with God requires a firm resolve to do “Restorative Penance”.In the first place union with God cannot prosper in an environment ofsin. To begin cultivating an environment conducive to union with Godone must do penance for his past sins. And when the kind of penance theperson engages in is restorative the same can restore his body to perfecthealth. The necessary outcome of a person who has changed his lifestyle andhas entered into deeper “Union with God” after doing “RestorativePenance” is “Enduring Charity”.
This is good for one’s health. Whenone is busy thinking about others God will be the one to think about hishealth. God will see in his charitable works a reasonable ground tosustain his help so that his charitable works will continue. Are you cured of anything but have remained indisposed? Try beinghealed. Change your lifestyle, deepen your union with God, dorestorative justice and spend time to engage in enduring charity. Onlythen will your “cure” ripen into healing. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. DanDomingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., J.D., D.M.