Healing of illness and protection against evil spirits-seminar

HEALING OF ILNESS AND PROTECTION AGAINST EVIL SPIRITS Healing retreat Prepared by Fr Jean Chrysostome Kiyala, Svd

"O LORD, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror".

Introductory prayers

? Invocation of the presence of the Lord (vocals, all prayers, closing by an intercession)

? Calling for God's mercy and asks for forgiveness (vocals, all prayers, closing by an intercession)

? Invocation of the presence of the Holy Spirit (vocals, all prayers, closing by an intercession)

Dear brothers and sisters, we are gathered here as FAITH FILLED FAMILY.

Men and women of faith identify themselves with CHRIST in every situation of life. They praise God for the warmth of the sun as well as the down-pour of rain, form moments of great joy as well as for those filled with tears and suffering. They proclaim God's goodness even in events, which are fully understood by God's alone. People filled with faith are able to face the realities of life with calm and maturity. What could be to them a world of darkness, and despair, becomes rather a transformed world and they experience peace. How is this possible? Where do they get strength? Where do they get courage? From God, from Christ who gave his life for us.

Two particular states of life, which are difficult to face are sickness and old age. In times of suffering, sickness, people of faith fight the physical evil, which threatens to overwhelm them, by accepting their sufferings with resignation, and by becoming for others a sign of hope when they surrender themselves to God's will.

In the Old Testament, we see that the omnipotent Yahweh is the author of life and death, sickness and health. His purpose in sending sickness is to chastise his people in order that they remain true to him and united as a people. This means that sickness has a disciplinary nature and it has a communitarian dimension (Dt 32:39; Ex 4:11).

But there is a stand that healing is God's will for his people whereas sickness is against his will. This can be proved by the many healings stories some of the Psalms, some readings of the prophets. We cannot be healed if we do not understand first illness. Let us now look into what sickness is and how God can intervene.

Types of sickness that challenge human existence

We experience so many sickness conditions with their related causes (Stuart Bate, 1996. Inculturation & healing. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications). Fr. Bates explains very well 5 types of sickness we suffer and he provides us with guidance for healing. The following are his views and thoughts for healing:

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Physical sickness: here the diagnosis includes organic, psychological (psychogenic and psychosomatic), social, cultural, spiritual factors. Human therapy can be applied by surgical intervention, psychotherapy, cultural healing may also be applied. Spiritual means can also be used such as prayer for healing (individual or group), prayer for inner healing, prayer for forgiveness), prayer using culturally significant symbols by culturally significant religious leader, prayer for inner healing-healing of memories. Sacraments and sacramental can be used such as anointing of the sick, sprinkling with holy water, the use of ash, penance, laying of hands, "casting out and binding sickness". Community service such as healing services, penitential services are helpful for healing of this category of sickness.

Emotional sickness: related to original sin (a person hurt by the sin of others) and the same factors mentioned for physical sickness are involved. Human therapy will require psychotherapy and counselling. Prayer for inner healing and healing of memories may prove very helpful. The sacraments of baptism and penance are necessary and other forms of communal service are helpful.

Social sickness: this originates from original sin and other factors mentioned above, and has economic, socio-political and interpersonal dimension. Human therapy will include conscientisation, socio-political action for justice. The types of prayers that are helpful encompass prayer for inner freedom and integrity, prayer for social justice and prayer for prophetic discernment. Sacraments and sacramentals are helpful including prophetic signs. Some important communal services needed comprise social awareness, consientisation, justice, social healing and penitential services.

Spiritual sickness: caused by personal sin. Human efforts for recovery necessitate confession and reparation. Prayers for repentance, contrition and forgiveness are means for recovery including sacraments and sacramentals we referred to above. Community exercises such as penitential services are needed.

Demonic sickness: these are demonic possession and obsession. Prayer for deliverance is the spiritual instrument to heal this sickness including exorcism, holy water and keeping the crucifix in the hands of the person affected. Incense and holy water is used following the rites of exorcism of salt and well, which to some extent may be reserved to priests, not exclusively. Community services for healing here encompass communal prayer for deliverance from possession/obsession.

The constant need to turn to God is evident because men and women are powerless to bring integral healing. A physician cannot heal spiritual and demonic sickness. There is neither physical surgery nor medication prescription against "sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions" (Galatians 5:19-20) and the like. It is only God and his Spirit that can infuse his healing power by touching on the roots of these evil acts. The life changing step is to allow the Spirit to work in each human person to generate "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). These fruits of the Holy Spirit help us to conquer sin if we believe as Saint John puts it: "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his

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commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:1-4).

Several times, we hear about healing ministry. At times we expect spectacular miracles. Like seen the eyes of the blind open, the cripple walking. What we need to bear in mind that the ministry of healing has been entrusted by Jesus when he sends his disciple to mission: Matthew 10:8, Luke 9:2 and Luke 10:9. Sickness finds meaning in the Cross of Christ. Jesus healed the sick by he did not eradicate all sorts of sickness we suffer in our life's.

Jesus' healing ministry

Jesus did three basic things:

1. Preaching of the Good of the kingdom of God 2. Healing the sick-Its manifestations in sings. There are 41 healings works carried by Jesus as attested by the evangelists. Jesus healed all kinds of diseases. We do not know how he did it. 3. Dying on the Cross.

Health, faith and healing are aspects of our Christian living and they are linked together. Healing was the central part of the way Jesus carried out his mission and mandated his disciples to carry on the same mission. He began his mission by proclaim the Good News and healing. When John the Baptist sends messengers to ask him, he replied:

8The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples 19and sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" 20When the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, `Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?'" 21Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. 22And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. 23And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me". Lk 7:8-23

After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them. As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them. Demons also came out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah (Lk 4:38-41).

Jesus heals in different ways (methods): Sacramental religious methods

1. He called upon the faith of the sick person

After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death.

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3When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy of having you do this for him, 5for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us." 6And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. 8For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, `Go,' and he goes, and to another, `Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, `Do this,' and the slave does it." 9When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." 10When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health (Lk 7:1-10)

2. He spoke words and touched the people with his hand (the most common method. Healing of the man with dropsy:

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely. 2Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. 3And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, "Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?" 4But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. 5Then he said to them, "If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?" 6And they could not reply to this. (Lk 14:1-6)

3. He used physical media (saliva, mud, possibly oil). Healing of the blind man from birth:

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. 4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, 7saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" 9Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." 10But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" 11He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, `Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight." 12They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know." (Jn 9:1-12)

4. He heals without discrimination:

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." 23But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us."

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24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." 27She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly (Mt 15:21-28).

5. He casts out demons:

26Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me"--29for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. 31They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. (Lk 8:26-31)

6. He heals through intercessions or pleas from others

- Healing of the Centurion's servant - Healing of the daughter of Jairos: 21When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the

other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23and begged him repeatedly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." 24So he went with him (Mk 5:21-24.35-43)

Why did Jesus heal?

1. Because he cared for the people and his compassionate: Healing of two blind men:

29As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" 31The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even more loudly, "Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!" 32Jesus stood still and called them, saying, "What do you want me to do for you?" 33They said to him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." 34Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him (Lk 20:29-34).

2. He was hostile to what made them sick. 3. He wanted to bring them to repentance for their sins and conversion to the kingdom.

Hostility to the source of sickness: Demonic role in sickness and link with evil

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