Healing of soul and body

[Rich]

Healing of soul and body

"Now in the narrative of the paralytic a number of people are brought
forward for healing. Jesus' words of healing are worthy of reflection.
The paralytic is not told, 'Be healed.' He is not told, 'Rise and
walk.' But he is told, 'Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven
you.' The paralytic is a descendant of the original man, Adam. In one
person, Christ, all the sins of Adam are forgiven. In this case the
person to be healed is brought forward by ministering angels. In this
case, too, he is called a son, because he is God's first work. The
sins of his soul are forgiven him, and pardon of the first
transgression is granted. We do not believe the paralytic committed
any sin [that resulted in his illness], especially since the Lord said
elsewhere that blindness from birth had not been contracted from
someone's sin or that of his parents" [John 9:1-3].
 by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD)(excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 8.5)

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July 23rd - Blessed Joan of Orvieto

 Joan was a peasant girl of Carnaiola, and was, and is at Orvieto,
commonly called Vanna. She was left an orphan at the age of five, and
her companions tried to frighten her by telling her that now she would
have no one to look after her and she would starve. This did not
disturb her and she retorted to them that "I've got a better father
than you have!" When asked what she meant she led them to the church
and pointed triumphantly to an image of a guardian angel: "He will
look after me!"  Her trust was justified, for she was adopted by a
family in Orvieto, who brought her up and arranged a marriage for her.
But Joan had different ideas. She ran away to the house of a friend
and joined the third order of St. Dominic. Henceforward her life was
one of unwearied devotion to God and attention to the poor; it was
known that she bore particular good will towards those who were unkind
to her, doing penance for their sins, and it became a byword in
Orvieto that anyone who wanted Sister Joan's prayers should do her a
bad turn.

Numerous ecstasies and other unusual occurrences were reported of her.

For some years she was under the spiritual direction of Bl. James of
Mevania, stationed at the Dominican priory in Orvieto; there is a
remarkable story told of Joan confessing to him at Orvieto, when he
was in fact lying dead at Bevagna.

Joan predicted among other things some of the miracles that would
happen after her own death, but made every effort to conceal the
supernatural favours that were accorded her; her detachment from the
world, her humility and her sweetness she could not hide. She always
maintained great devotion to the holy angels, and died in their care
on July 23, 1306.  Her cultus was approved in 1754.

Bl. Joan is known to us primarily by a Latin life that was written by
James Scaiza this was edited in 1853, and other editions in Italian
were issued by L. Furni and by L. Passarini. See also Procter,
Dominican Saints, and M. C. Ganay, Les bienheureuses Dominicaines
(1913).


Saint Quote:
 [The devil] dreads fasting, prayer, humility, and good works: He is
not able even to stop my mouth who speak against him. The illusions of
the devil soon vanish, especially if a man arms himself with the Sign
of the Cross. The devils tremble at the Sign of the Cross of our Lord,
by which He triumphed over and disarmed them.
--Saint Antony Abbot

Bible Quote:
For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest,
whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of
good fame, if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline: think
on these things.  [Philippians 4:8 ] DRB


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ON What Humility is Not [V]

We are inclined sometimes to aim at a false humility and so to be
hindered in our attainment of true humility. We must be on our guard
against errors in this. Humility does not consist in shutting our eyes
to the talents, ability, graces, and accomplishments that we possess.
To do so is to refuse to acknowledge the good gifts that God had given
us. If we have skill in music, in conversation, in painting, in
languages, it is no humility to deny the fact. We ought to thank God
for His goodness in bestowing upon us this talent. What is contrary to
humility is to take the credit to ourselves, and to plume ourselves on
what we have received from God.

Humility does not consist in self-depreciation and in running
ourselves down before others. This is often a cloak for pride.
Sometimes its object is to obtain from others the praise we deny to
ourselves; sometimes it is a marked expression of discontent. The
continual song: "What a poor worm am I!" is very much opposed to the
spirit of the Catholic Church, and to the cheerfulness that every
Christian ought to show in his words.

Nor does humility consist in, or even admit of discouragement. If we
are discouraged, it generally means that we think more about our own
success than about the glory of God. It means that we are not
perfectly resigned; it means that our pride is wounded and our
self-will thwarted, or that we have worldly motives in what we do, and
seek honor from men and not from God. True humility is willing to fail
in its projects if God so wills it. Examine yourself on these
particulars, and see whether yours is true or false humility.