Even Plato Knew: Healing Begins With the Soul
Dear Friends,
Last week, we had our cancer healing Mass, and it was a huge success of prayer, affirmation, testimony and healing. The Holy Spirit is working hard in our parish, touching our hearts and bodies with peace and healing of body, mind and spirit. We continue our supportive prayers and outreach to those who are ill … At this Mass, I read a wonderful quotation, and I will repeat it here: “If the head and the body are to be well, you must begin by curing the soul. That is the first and essential thing.” This was written not by some pope, theologian or saint. It was written by Plato 347 years before Christ … Jesus could have said this, but Plato beat him to it. This quotation fits in well with the fifth chapter of James, the basis of our Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick: “If you are sick, ask the church leaders to come and pray for you. Ask them to put olive oil on you in the name of the Lord. If you have faith when you pray for sick people, they will be well. The Lord will heal them and if they have sinned, he will forgive them.” Plato comes to mind: “If the head and body are to be well, you must begin by curing the soul.” Our sacraments really work, and we can learn even from pagans.
We have a special Mass on the first Saturday of each month at 8 a.m. in which we anoint our members who are sick, elderly or struggling with health and addiction issues. This is a perfect time to invite an ailing friend to be prayed over and to be anointed. The prayers of healing really work. Even Plato believed this.
Peace,
Fr. John
