Jesus was going through all cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel and the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
-Matthew 9:35
It was almost at the end of the hour and I was thinking to myself "not sure if I have helped this woman?" She was going on about her past, her truama, and all of the physical ailments she was dealing with. Why did I get a Masters Degree in Therapy? my thoughts continued. I felt so bad for what she was going through. She was also on medication for her depression, anxiety and paranoia. The meds have helped her with her sleep, but she continued to have a wound from her past that was never healed. I then asked her, "How is your relationship with God?" There was dead silence. I asked her again but rephrased the question... "Do you believe that He exists?" She responded with "yeah, sort of." Then I continued with "Do you believe that He has the power to Heal you?" She again responsed with "no, I really don't think He cares about me." I ended the session by explaining that when we invite Him into our healing, miracles happen. She seemed a little taken back by what I said and she responded by saying "I will think about that for next time."
Many of us look to remedies that can help, whether it is a headache or stomach ache. We also look for the latest craze on how to get better sleep or eating this or that will reduce anxiety. Some of these remedies do help but it's only temporary. Anxiety comes back and our sleep is interrupted again. Many of us never really think or believe that God can heal us. In graduate school, I learned about the human person and why people do the things they do, generational patterns in families and how the brain is affected by trauma. I was taught that "I am not a miracle worker" but rather a person who assists the other in getting through trials and tribulations in life.
When I was going through my own healing, I met with a few different therapists that I connected with. It was when I connected with a Christian therapist, that I was able to make a lot of progress. That was the start of my journey back to God. I learned that His Love is the answer to healing and that Love is life changing. When we lack trust in God, we should look to our relationships with our parents. They are the foundation of how we relate to others, how we love and how we trust. If we have good relations with our parents and we trust them, then we can trust God and vice versa. However, God can work miracles. I have seen it. Even people who have been alientated from their parents have found God in their healing. We all have the need to be loved and accepted and when we know this Love that comes from God, it makes all the difference.
God is Good Father (just as Chris Tomlin sings in his song). He is so good, that He has found ways to reach out to us throughout the centuries. He has sent Mary our Mother to appear to many different people throughout history. Earlier this month, we celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. If you are not familiar with Our Lady of the Lourdes, it was an apparition of Mary to a young girl in France. In 1858, between February 11th and July 16th, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to 14 yrs. old St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France. Mother Mary asked her to do penance and to pray for the conversion of sinners. She also instructed her to dig in the ground where she was standing to reveal a spring of water. Bernadette did as she was told and soon enough the spring of water turned into a stream. She was also instructed to go and tell the local priests to have a chapel built. She was met with musch opposition, but eventually the apparation was deemed credible. The waters at Lourdes are healing waters. Thousands of people visit Lourdes, France every year to be healed of many physical and spiritual ailments.
We live in a world full of suffereing and heartache. Who does not want to be healed? I don't know about you, but I really don't like suffering. And God does not want us to suffer either. He has given us tools to use that help us and those tools are the Sacraments in the Church. The Sacraments of Reconciliation and Annointing of the sick are two healing Sacraments given to us by Jesus. The Eucharist can also help us heal, because the bread at mass truly becomes the body and blood of Jesus, His true Presence. The more we recieve of the Eucharist, the more we become like Him and recieve His Peace.
In Conclusion - If you are looking for healing, whether it is emotional, physical or spiritual, belive that God can help you. Don't look for the latest craze or some weird guru that gives you false promises. God has the power to heal you through Jesus Christ. He can deliver you from addictions, emotional pain, and even physical ailments. All you have to do is ask.
About the Author: Donna L. Marotto is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Faith Formation Director/Youth Minister and Lay Franciscan. Her book, Love Changes Everything can be found on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If you would like to contact her, email at
marottodonna8@gmail.com or visit the website Youarelovedministry.com