Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” - Psalm 139:23-24 

Prayer: O Lord, You are the divine physician, You know me through and through, You know my goodness and You know my impurities. As You touch and test those areas of my being that need healed. Help me to trust in Your loving care. To not hold on tight or resist, to not grow hard of heart, but to surrender myself into Your care that you may heal me. You are the potter; I am the clay. I surrender all into Your hands. Amen. 

Physician vs. Hard Heart 

For some going to the doctor is not easy. They know that they are sick or need some kind of treatment. For many injuries or illnesses, we know the classic television lines that comes from the mouth of doctors, “Ok, this is going to hurt.” If it is was different and the healing process did not involve some discomfort or pain, then more people would be going to the doctor. People would not be afraid to get treatment. But never the less, there is pain. There is pain to disinfect a wound, to reset a bone, to cut and perform a surgery, to take some medication. Then time to heal, and if all goes well, then freedom and ease of movement, we are restored or made new. 

So, for God, working as the Divine Physician, He tests the heart and reveals to us a place that needs healing. He helps us know that He is ready to perform the healing. He might say, “Ok, this is going to hurt.” And we have to say, ok I am ready. For God, He reveals to us the Truth about our current condition and as God reveals it, God tests our hearts. Is there resistance, is there timidity, is there hesitancy, is there docility or surrender, or has the heart become hard? If our heart has become hard then God knows that He cannot operate. If there is resistance then God has to treat that resistance so that there is no further damage done when attempting to heal us. Then as God helps us to find healing, He may say we need some time for the process to be complete. 

So, for us we have to ask ourselves, how open am I to the Divine Physician? Do I hear His voice? Do I let Him speak the whole truth? Not just part. We don’t want to cut Him off or presume that we know what He is going to say. Then are we ready? What is the condition of our heart when we hear His voice? “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” (Psalm 95, today’s responsorial) 

In thinking of the Divine Physician, I am reminded of an online video healing retreat done by the Archdiocese of St. Paul Minneapolis. Here is a link: https://www.archspm.org/healing-and-hope-series/

And I will create another posting of the retreat. 

May God richly bless you! 

-Fr. Jeremy