Friar’s Corner: Every Mass is a Healing Mass

Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR

2 Kings 5:14-17; Psalm 98:1-4; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19 

I think the greatest benefit I have gained from belonging to Catholic Charismatic Renewal over my priestly life has been the various ways of ministering healing and deliverance from evil. At the Last Supper, Jesus taught his followers about the five major works of the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of God’s truth (John 14:16 and the witness of God’s Truth, John 15:26). Secondly, the Holy Spirit instructs us and reminds us of all that Jesus said, did and continues in our lives today. The first and gospel readings today speak about some healings. Do we want more healing from our Lord? Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open for you.

Jesus was the great healer. He commissioned the apostles: “Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go proclaim: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. You received without payment; give in the same way,” Matthew 10:8. God knows all things and everything about us. He knows best what we need to know and love him more. St. Luke 11:9-10 and St. Matthew 7:7-8, tell us to ask, seek and knock. Yet, like a good parent, God, knowing the future knows what is best for us and wants to give us that best result. So he may not give us exactly what we ask for.

Preface to Anointing

When Mass is celebrated with the Anointing of the Sick, there is a wonderful preface in the ritual book. It reads:

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always nd everywhere to give you thanks,
for you have revealed to us in Christ, the healer, your unfailing power and steadfast compassion.
In the splendor of his rising, your Son conquered suffering and death and bequeathed to us his promise of a new and glorious world, where no bodily pain will afflict us and no anguish of spirit.
Through your gift of the Holy Spirit, you bless us, even now,  with comfort and healing, strength and hope, forgiveness and peace.
In this supreme sacrament of your love, you give us the risen body of your Son: a pattern of what we shall become when He returns again at the end of time.
In gladness and joy we unite with the angels and saints in the  great canticle of creation, as we say or sing:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and  earth are full of your glory…”

When we come to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in communion, we pray: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” Ask for your whole person to be healed. Do we believe this is happening? Jesus, please increase our mustard seed faith. We really are receiving more of Jesus’ power and gifts within us. He is filling us with his fountain of Living Water (“Whoever drinks the water that I will give him/her will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become a spring of water within him/her welling up to eternal life,” John 4:14) and giving us himself as our “daily bread.” Jesus is these things. Ask God for a deeper understanding. The Holy Spirit will do that for us.

Five stages of healing

We know of many types of sickness, especially as we get older and our body gets weaker. The gospel stories of Jesus’ countless healings can give us deeper faith, hope and understanding. Every Mass, which is also a healing Mass, has five stages of healing, as the Jesuit Linn brothers told us many years ago. These are the stages:

1) the forgiveness rite (our sins can be forgiven),

2) hope found in the scripture readings,

3) as the priest offers bread and wine, we can bring God our needs,

4) as the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus, we can ask Jesus to heal our difficulties. At communion, we and Jesus touch each other.

5) As we receive these wonderful gifts, we are “radiated” with the light and love of Jesus. Then we take this radiance out to bless those we see during the day.

A book that can help you understand and pray for more healing is published by Queenship Publishing Co., in CA, Order #3108,  A Catholic Compendium of Inner Healing, by Fr. Bill McCarthy.

Jesus’ healings are such an amazing grace.  St. Luke tells us in 12:49: “Jesus came to spread fire on the earth, and how he wished it were already blazing.” He wants to set us on fire with his teachings. As we understand and receive these wonderful images and graces, we begin to glow brighter and radiate more of his love. Amen! May this fire of God love burn more fully in our lives so the world will be more ablaze with Christ’s light and love.

Have a beautiful week,

+ Father Bob Hilz
fbhilz@gmail.com

(© 2019 Father Bob Hilz, TOR)