Fr. Leo's Spiritual Reflections

By Fr. Leo Schneider (6/28/2009)

Dear People of Holy Name,

“May Almighty God give life and health to you on whom we lay our hands in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

These are the words I pray as I lay my hands upon the sick in celebrating the sacrament of healing with them. This is followed by the anointing with oil where we pray that the Lord may in his love and mercy, help the sick person with the grace of the Holy Spirit, and free the sick person from sin, save them and raise them up. These words and actions are what define the celebration of the sacrament of the sick in the church, confirming for persons of faith the healing power and presence of God.

The root of the laying on of hands in the sacrament of the sick is seen in today’s gospel. Jairus, a synagogue official whose daughter is sick, comes to Jesus to ask him to lay his “hands on her that she may get well and live.” Jesus goes with him and everyone follows. On the way a woman touches Jesus and power goes out from him. Again it is the woman’s faith and the touch of Jesus that brings healing to the suffering woman.

After ignoring the mourners, Jesus enters the room of Jairus’ daughter with those close to him, takes her hand and tells her to rise. This action astounds the people as Jesus asks them not to let people know.

The real meaning of the story becomes clear when we look at Jesus’ command to the little girl, “Talitha koum.” The verb for rising that is used, is the same that is used in referring to Jesus’ resurrection. Faith in Jesus is to believe in his power over death, that we who will die in him will also rise with him.

This is the faith I pray with when I lay hands on the sick and pray that God grant them life and health, and for the dying, life eternal. I pray, believing the same Jesus is present among us in his Church, and through us brings his healing power to those who place their faith in him.

We are all called to that kind of faith and we are to call others to that kind of faith through our love and selfsacrifice. The power of touch can be very healing, and all of us have the power to touch others in powerful and positive ways. Artists touch us through the work of their hands which opens our minds and hearts in sacred communication beyond words. We too can bring healing and new life to others in the myriad of ways we may touch them.

When a person at the check-out counter or a waiter in a restaurant is wearing a name tag, I will sometimes address them by name and ask them how they are doing, I take a moment to treat them as a human being and sometimes I can see how touched they are in their response. It is a great joy to have a positive interaction with someone, to touch someone and be touched in return by their response.

The key is to be genuine in our interactions and it is our faith that makes us genuine. It was the genuine faith of Jairus and of the woman with the hemorrhage, that allowed the Spirit to be present and make a difference. It is our genuine love for others that allows the same Spirit to work in and through us. We are God’s hands today, through us God continues to touch the world and make his healing love known.

This week let us contemplate the infinite ways we can touch others. Let us also dream of how we need to be touched by God and pray that his Spirit may live in us and in those around us, that his healing love may be real in our lives, the life of the Church and in the world. May the Lord bless us and send his Spirit upon us!

In Christ’s peace, Fr. Leo