The Gift of Healing

God is nourishing my gift of healing. I have been learning from several people blessed with this same holy gift. I listen, I pray, I give myself over to God, and I wait for Him to send those to me whom He wishes me to lay hands on. Recently, two new people have been brought to my attention. I was called by a good Catholic friend who knows of my gift, to pray over a young woman in need of spiritual healing because of a situation in her life. I truly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit when I prayed with her. I do not know the outcome of the prayer, but, I know God heard the prayer, and that whatever the outcome, she knows that God loves her and she is in good hands. I made it perfectly clear to her that He is the divine healer, not me. I told her I am only the vessel through which He chooses to work. I never deserve nor want recognition or praise. God is the one to whom all glory is to be directed.

The second person I was asked to pray over is a young woman who suffered from an accident in Italy that left her unable to walk and in very much pain. I have not gone to pray with her yet, but, if God chooses to use me in this case, then may His holy will be done.

Already one woman was healed of cancer by God, through the prayer and laying on of my hands, and a priest was healed of a nasty illness. Either one would attest to this. But, I do not ask them to shout it out. Only to thank God for His healing. I was only a conduit through which He chose to send healing power. Another woman was healed of very upsetting anxiety she had been suffering for months due to a personal situation in her life. We prayed over the telephone and she immediately felt the burden leave. When she was thanking me, I again reminded her that it was only God who needed the thanks, not me.

Each time I attend Holy Mass I continue to lift in prayer Fr. Antonio, Karim, Charbel, my new friend from Lebanon and a few others who need healing from God. These are the ones whom I desire most to receive God's mercy and love through His spiritual and physical healing. Every time the sacramental gifts are changed into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ, I offer the healing prayers for them at that very moment. This is a powerful time. Christ enters in and becomes one with us, once again, as He did at the Last Supper. He reminds us of His promise to be with us always, until the end of time. This is when I ask Him to heal those who are close to my heart.

A Baby is Saved

Tonight I attended a baby shower. You might think this is not unusual. However, this baby's mother, Samantha, was originally going to abort her baby. Samantha is only 19 years old. She had a previous abortion. The father of the baby is the same one who fathered the other baby who was aborted. He wants Samantha to abort this one, too. He doesn't love her. He abuses her sexually, verbally and emotionally. He merely uses her for his own sexual pleasure, as is evidenced by the fact that he doesn't want anything to do with the life he has created with Samantha.

Samantha comes from a broken home. Her own mother lives in Wyoming. Sam was living with her sister and her father until two months ago. At that time, when she was considering abortion, my friend Barb found out through someone who knew Samantha's
mother, that this girl needed help. Barb called Samantha and lovingly counseled her about the life growing within her womb. Barb is a sidewalk counselor and has had some success in talking women out of having abortions in the past. Samantha was willing to listen. Barb also got on the phone and called many of her pro-life friends and asked them to get as many people as possible praying for Samantha to change her mind and to carry the baby to term. She lined up a couple of people willing to adopt the baby as well. Samantha agreed to think about it. She was afraid that her father would beat her up if he learned that she was pregnant.

A couple of short weeks later, Samantha moved in with a very loving family who agreed to let her stay with them for awhile while she got her life in order; including cutting it off with her abusive boyfriend and making important decisions for herself and her unborn baby. This family showed her a lot of love and support.

Through many continued prayers and the love and kindness showed by this family and the Catholic community that supported her, including the youth group she joined and made friends with, she decided to move out west to Wyoming and be with her mother for support. She also decided to keep the baby herself and be responsible for the life she is carrying within. She's not yet ready to take the leap of faith and return to her Catholic roots, but, she has now had the example of this wonderful Catholic family to remind her of God's love for the rest of her life.

Tonight they held a baby shower for her. She's been living with them for two months. She received gifts from some people she hardly knew, including myself. She received loving cards and gifts from members, both male and female, of the youth group, from the religious sister from our parish, and from relatives and friends of the family who took her in, and from Barb. We ended the shower by praying a decade of the rosary together, and by offering prayers for Samantha's welfare and safe travels to Wyoming. Not only did she receive material gifts for herself and her baby, but, more importantly, she received gifts of love and prayer, far greater than she would have ever known, had she decided to take the path she originally planned to take when we all first heard of her. Thank you, Jesus, for surrounding Samantha with your love and protecting her with the prayers of the community whom you placed her in.

Happy Easter

Alleluia, the King has Risen from the Dead!! Let us Rejoice and be glad for this is the day that the Lord has made. Christ has conquered sin. He has loosed the bonds of Adam's sin. He has freed us from our bondage. By His stripes we are healed. And they recognized Him in the breaking of the bread. Weren't their hearts burning within as He opened the scriptures to them? Celebrate and rejoice now. Shout it from the housetops. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Let us rejoice!!

Our Spiritual Gifts

When we flaunt our spiritual gifts we are no better than the pharisees who wanted others to see them praying out in the public, or wanted others to see them gloomy because they were fasting. If God gives us special graces and gifts, they are to be used for the building up of the Kingdom on earth; the Church. No one should ever point to themselves with pride and say to others, "Look what God has done for me today. I am so special. He gave me this gift or that gift." Let the one who is gifted use the gift for the glory of God quietly and humbly. This is how God will be glorified and this will be pleasing to God.

Father Aniello

At the weekend conference that I attended on the weekend of April 9th, Fr. Aniello had invited me to call him so I could have a conversation with him where we could have time for discussion. I called him this afternoon and to my surprise we spoke for two hours. I did most of the talking, giving him my background and filling him in on my walk with God, my spirituality, etc. My reason for wanting to talk to him was mainly to get his input on the gift of healing, because this is the gift I have been discerning for ten months. It is a relatively new gift, and I am open to whatever God has for me, yet I am a little apprehensive and a little bit afraid since I am a mere human. This is of course normal, according to my spiritual director and Fr. Aniello. But, one must always understand that God is the divine healer and man is merely the instrument, or conduit, through which any healing may or may not occur.

Father Aniello told me that I need not say anything when I lay on hands. I can even let God entirely say the prayer. All I need do is lay on the hands. But, I must have the disposition, and the true belief and faith that I ask for this person whatever is the will of the Heavenly Father, not what is my own will for this person. I must never put my will before the will of the Father. I am not the healer, only God is the healer. I already knew and understood this. But, I was glad for his telling me this.

He also told me that when he does healing services and healing prayers and lays hands on someone, only 15% of the time is someone healed physically at that moment. The rest of the time, the healing does not take place just then, as the person expects. This can be for a number of reasons. First of all, it may not be God's time for healing. God may fully intend to heal this person physically, but, just not at that time. Secondly, the person may be holding unforgiveness in his heart and until this is gone, healing cannot occur as he hopes. Thirdly, God has something different in mind for this person that is for greater glory for that person or for someone else. We must trust that God always knows what He is doing and that He knows what is best for everyone. He knows and loves everyone more than any human could ever love someone, so He understands our compassion and desires for that person, but He has the best in mind. The very best! Sometimes He just has to say "no" to our prayer as it is. We have to trust. He is asking us to trust.

I will speak again to Fr. Aniello on the phone and he invited me to visit him in Wisconsin some time in the near future. I will be happy to meet with him and discuss more with him. He has much knowledge to share with me. God is good!!

Father Aniello Salicone

I had the privilege of attending a Catholic conference in Chicago this past weekend with two of my friends. All of the speakers were very good. It was as if I received a shot in the arm and a boost in my faith. I came away from the weekend enthusiastic and ready to again proclaim my faith from on high.

Perhaps my favorite part of the conference was the holy Mass on Sunday. The main celebrant was Father Aniello Salicone, a Xavierian priest from Franklin, Wisconsin. I had been to one of his healing services before when Karim was with our family. I took Karim to Father's healing service in 2009 because I had hope that God would heal Karim of his disease. This was not in God's plan at the time, as I found out.

Right before communion, when Father Aniello raised the consecrated host to say, "This is Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world; happy are those who are called to His supper." He smiled, looking at the host and said, "I wish you could all see what I see. It is so beautiful. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you." And then he continued on with Mass. After Mass, the conference host invited Fr. Aniello back to the microphone and asked him what he had seen in the host. He replied that he had seen the holy face of Jesus in the host. It was a gift from Jesus to him. We were all amazed. This priest has received inner lucutions from Jesus since early in 2000. What great gifts Jesus gives him.

I also liked his explanation before the healing service. He explained that before his healing services, many people come excited and happy, yet he sees many go away sad and downcast after the healing services. He asked them why they are sad and they say, because they were not healed. However, he explained that they should always go away happy, even if they are not healed in the way they expected to be healed. For, if they are not healed in the way they asked Jesus to heal them, they are receiving something EVEN BETTER. For God's ways and God's time are not our ways and our time. And if God doesn't give us what we pray for in the way we pray for it, we must realize that He knows what is better for us and we must trust that He has something in mind that is even greater for us. His plan is even better for us. What He wants to do for us is best, so we should rejoice and be glad, not downcast and sad.

This was very good for me to hear, particularly with regard to Karim. I have prayed many, many hours for Karim's healing. I have asked God "why" so many times. I have doubted even God's existence because of Karim's lack of physical healing by the God that I thought for sure would hear and answer my prayers for healing for this little innocent boy. Yet, I heard what Father Aniello said and could understand now, through the gentle explanation of this patient and loving priest, that God has something even greater in mind for Karim. He loves Karim far more than I could ever love him. We will one day know what He has in store for little Karim. And we will rejoice with God in God's ways, not ours. Thank you, Jesus, for sending this good and holy priest to be your messenger to me.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit by Fr. John Hardon, S.J.

Come, Holy Spirit,
and from heaven direct on man
the rays of Your light.
Come, Father of the poor;
come, Giver of God’s gifts;
come, Light of men’s hearts.

Kindly Paraclete,
in Your gracious visits to man’s soul
You bring relief and consolation.
It is weary with toil, You bring it ease;
in the heat of temptation, Your grace cools it;
if sorrowful, Your words console it.

Light most blessed, shine on the hearts of Your
faithful – even into their darkest corners;
for without Your help there is nothing good in man,
and nothing is innocent.
Wash clean the injured soul.
Soften the hard of heart,
warm the cold of heart,
and direct the wayward.

Grant the seven holy gifts
to Your faithful,
for their trust is in You.
Grant reward for their virtue;
grant them death that ensures salvation;
grant them everlasting bliss. Amen