John Paul II and the Mystery of Healing

[troubledgoodangel]

In the process of my recent theological research, I have come upon an interesting item in the Encyclical Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy). There, in article 3, John Paul II addresses directly the theme of the boundless Mercy of God and the Mission of Jesus, and indirectly the Mystery of Healing. The Holy Spirit, he says, "sends Jesus to proclaim good tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to free the oppressed from darkness, and to announce the year acceptable to the Lord (Lk 4:18-19). What struck me, is that according to this great Pope, when the Holy Spirit annoints Jesus for His mission "to restore sight to the blind," the Spirit is actually anointing him "to open the blind people's eyes to the whole Beauty of the Creation"! That's not the type of healing you normally think about when you see a blind person, an unbeliever, or an alcoholic, and for this way of seeing the Pope is probably endebted to Hans Urs von Balthasar (see the latter's trilogy titled Die [Gottes] Herrlichkeit, that is, The Majesty of God). But, let's examine this issue in greater detail. Jesus, the Beauty of the Creation and of Humanhood, abruptly appears before "the blind of Jericho" (Mt 20:29). Submerged in darkness, they are suddenly penetrated with His supernatural Light, and cease to be blind, and become fully restored. What is interesting, their healing is not just a healing of their bodies, but also of their spirits. What is more important, and this is the main point, their healing it's a healing of their whole way of seeing the things around them!" In my opinion, this insight by John Paul II into the nature of suffering, in this instance blindness (but why not unfaith or alcoholism?), and its relationship to "the way we look at things" - seeing the whole Beauty of the Creation, or not seeing - is a monumental step towards understanding the very mystery of miraculous healings, and is a testimony to the profound mystical insight of the Polish Pope!

[leslie]

All this makes me wonder why so many millions of innocent children who have hardly had time to start their lives die every year and look as if they are going to continue doing so. And why good men who have the interests of the people of other countries as well as their own, are killed every year while trying to do these good deeds. Why are there so many murders, and particularly recently the increasing number of misguided youngsters killing Innocent youngsters by stabbing or gunshot.

On the question of healing - should it be necessary? In my creation of life within the family by producing offspring, it is my duty to try to protect them from harm of any nature until they are old enough to do this themselves. So why do so many children die at birth and in their early days; develop incurable diseases; or suffer diseases that cause them intense and extreme pain.

Why??

Leslie

[troubledgoodangel]

Leslie speaks like Albert Camus in his book The Plague. His question has been around for thousands of years. Why a Loving God allows so much innocent suffering? Many people have become atheists, not understanding the answer. I can't even attempt to answer this question right now due to lack of time, but my dissertation happens to deal with this very issue: its main aim is grasping the universal vision of John Paul II as regards human suffering in its relation to the Cross of Christ. It's an awesomely difficult topic, but a necessary one in this world, so afflicted with evil. All I can say for now, is that all this is part of the Mystery of Redemption in its entire dimension, from the beginnings of the Creation, until the end of time. At the end, when all is summed up, the innocents who have suffered the most will be the winners, and so will be God!