As a result of Original Sin we enter this world with a gaping wound, all of us except Jesus and Mary due to the Immaculate Conception. By inheriting Original Sin, even after our Baptism, there are still many negative effects in the world as well as in our own
person.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF ORIGINAL SIN. What are the negative effects of
Original Sin that we carry daily within us in this fallen state? Many! Let us
mention a few: darkness in the intellect, a vitiated and weak will, sicknesses,
women with excruciating pain in bringing forth children, men earning their
bread through blood, sweat and tears, emotional unbalances, interior wars
within as well as wars without, and finally, the wages of sin is death!
This being the case we must come to terms with our own wounded human nature, not with pessimism, much less with depression, but with immense hope that our wounded human condition can be healed. What then are some of the tools or means that we can and should utilize so as to arrive at a healing and wholeness in our emotional life, moral life, and finally and most important in our spiritual life? Let us highlight a few!
1. HUMBLE ADMISSION OF OUR WOUNDS! One of the major reasons why individuals will never exit from a vice or an addiction that they have acquired is for the simple reason that they do not admit that they are sick. If I am suffering from some stomach ailment and go to the Doctor and tell him that above my left eye-brow there is an itch, then the stomach problem will never be resolved. Likewise in our moral and spiritual life: if we do not admit our sickness, then healing is a mere pie in the sky dream! Due to Original sin we are all spiritually sick and wounded! Let us admit it and then the healing process commences!
2. JESUS HEALS! The Gospels constantly portray Jesus moving
freely and full of love and compassion from one town to the next—preaching,
teaching, exorcising and healing. A power would emanate from Jesus and heal the
blind, the deaf, the mute, the lepers, the paralytics, even bring the dead back
to life as in the case of the son of the widow of Naim, the 12 year old girl
who was the daughter of Jairus, and the most famous, the raising of his friend
Lazarus after he was dead for four days! If Jesus could heal powerfully 2000 years ago, then His power is just as much available and accessible today for those who truly believe. May we pray: “Lord I believe but strengthen my unbelief!”
3. THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. Miracles still happen! A very interesting case study is the miracles that have occurred and still occur in Lourdes, France, where Our Lady appeared to the peasant girl Saint Bernadette in the cove 18 times (1858). The miraculous waters still flow from the stream where St. Bernadette dug in with her hands many years ago. Not far from this miraculous water is the majestic Church that Our Lady wanted built. What is of the greatest interest in our regard with respect to healing is that most of the miracles of healing happen not as the sick are lowered into the healing waters, but rather at dusk when the priest is walking outside the majestic Church of Lourdes carrying the most Blessed Sacrament and blessing the sick! In truth, it is the same Jesus who walked the streets of Galilee, and Jerusalem who is truly present (The Real Presence) in the monstrance and it is this Jesus the healer who works the many miracles of healing the many sick who are brought to Lourdes!
4. HOLY COMMUNION. I was told once an interesting story of a woman who was healed instantaneously by contact with the Eucharistic Lord Jesus
in the reception of Holy Communion—the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus
the Lord and Healer! A middle-aged woman was in the RCIA classes soon to receive all of the Sacraments at the Easter Vigil Mass. She humbly admitted that one of her most serious bad habits that she felt almost impossible to conquer, was that of uttering foul words. Despite good will and heroic efforts, it seemed to be an exercise in futility to control her obscene and foul language. But something happened that radically changed her life and healed her completely. She attended the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and accidentally she received Holy Communion. Instead of the priest simply imparting her a blessing he gave her Holy Communion. As soon as the
Sacred Host was placed on her tongue, the miracle occurred! She no longer had the desire, impulse or reaction within herself to say bad words. She was freed of this bad habit by mere contact with the Body and Blood of Jesus in Holy Communion. Praise to the Eucharistic Lord Jesus that can heal and even in the most surprising and extraordinary circumstances.
5. OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY AND THE HEALING IN PURITY! Many people today, young and old, men and women, even children have been wounded in their affective life, in a word in their human sexuality. Unfortunately, one of the most common addictions, if not the number one addiction, is that of pornography. In a word, we live in a pornographic society and the addiction is very easy, quick and gripping!
On one occasion a well-known writer and teacher who was a Protestant,
soon to be converted to Catholicism recounted that he would often visit book
stores to peruse the many books and buy some. Despite his good will he always
felt the magnetic pull to check out the bad magazines, at least to leaf through
them. A miracle occurred in one of the strangest ways! Even before entering
into the Catholic faith, he started to pray the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. Immediately, the pull, the desire, the magnetic attraction to view
the ugly magazines left him. It was as if a chain had been severed; it was as
if a slavery had been conquered. There was real freedom, the freedom of the
sons and daughter of God. Undoubtedly, it was the powerful intercession of the
most holy, and pure Blessed Virgin Mary that attained the miracle of grace of
purity and freedom from addiction to pornography.
On one occasion a well-known writer and teacher who was a Protestant,
soon to be converted to Catholicism recounted that he would often visit book
stores to peruse the many books and buy some. Despite his good will he always
felt the magnetic pull to check out the bad magazines, at least to leaf through
them. A miracle occurred in one of the strangest ways! Even before entering
into the Catholic faith, he started to pray the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. Immediately, the pull, the desire, the magnetic attraction to view
the ugly magazines left him. It was as if a chain had been severed; it was as
if a slavery had been conquered. There was real freedom, the freedom of the
sons and daughter of God. Undoubtedly, it was the powerful intercession of the
most holy, and pure Blessed Virgin Mary that attained the miracle of grace of
purity and freedom from addiction to pornography.
CONCLUSION. We enter into this world being wounded due to
Original sin and then due to our own actual sins. We must come to terms with
our woundedness! Either we will be wounded wounders or wounded healers. If we
can run to Jesus who is the wounded healer, then He can heal us of our many
wounds and we can be wounded healers in a broken world!
Father Ed Broom, OMV, is Associate Pastor of St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary and was ordained by Saint John Paul II on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed teaches Catholic Ignatian Marian Spirituality through articles, podcasts, a radio show, retreats and spiritual direction.
I very much enjoyed reading this. I love your idea of the wounded wounder vs. the wounded healer.