April 25th 2005

Mk 16:15-20 Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:"Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. "Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

God works miracles daily. God gives believers gifts to share along with sharing the Word of God. I pray to be an instrument of God's peace and love and if it is God's will, to bring healing to others. Raphael is the angel who brought healing, in the old testament story, sight to a blinded young man. Healing can be more subtle at times and a daily miracle. It can be the relief of pain, the prevention of further damage, the recuperation from a major illness or listening at the right time. The laying on of hands is a part of many of the stories of healing. I think that there is more than a physical act in the laying on of hands but a heart act of caring and giving that is a part of the healing.