The Need for Healing, A Prescription for Wholeness

There is a broad list of topics on my mind this week, but one of the intertwining themes among them is the concept of healing. We as imperfect humans need healing, society as a community of humans needs healing, the Church needs healing.

Msgr. Ken Lasch's homily for this third Sunday in Ordinary Time offers tangible insights into this fundamental human need and meaningful ways to further our ongoing healing as people, as community, as society, as Church through an ever-deepening relationship with Jesus as Brother and God.

The well-known headlings of the week just begin to touch the surface of the hurts we share in common, of our shared need for both individual and collective healing:

• the gun violence in Arizona two weeks ago and the miraculous ongoing recovery of Congresswoman Giffords;
• the vicious murder of Lakewood Police Officer Chris Matlosz;
• the burial of PFC Benjamin Moore (Bordentown, NJ) and the proposed protest by Westboro Baptist "Church";
• the horrible tragedies uncovered at "Dr." Kermit Gosnell's Pennsylvania abortion clinic.

With these few selected examples in mind, this image of open hands filled with candlelight represents for me the opportunity to surrender to God what hurts us, the hurts we have committed against others, the worries, struggles, and burdens that weigh us down and hold us back. Placing these cares into God's hands allows God to hold our hands and embrace us in Light and Love. In return our hands become free to hold God and to reach out with the same healing clasp to others.

May your day and the week to come be energized with light, healing, and wholeness!