By Carmel Suart
Through the ongoing process of conversion, the Church is continually called to be an agent of healing. Christ initiates the invitation for seekers to “come and see” what the gift of faith has to offer.
Our parishes welcome and listen to the questions of our seekers and share with them the traditions of the Catholic Church through the story of Jesus, and his followers. But as with all humankind, our seekers also have wounds, and it may seem that it will take a miracle to heal them.
Jesus calls seekers into our communities because the Christian community is the agent for the work of God’s healing hand.
By welcoming the seeker into our community and showing them what it means to live as a Christian, we begin the prayerful process of healing wounds, not only for the seekers but for the whole community.
By healing wounds, we are joining the life of the seeker to the paschal mystery of Jesus. The community support the Elect as begin the process of dying to their old selves, dying to whatever is killing them, and rising to new life in Christ.
“Before I joined the RCIA I spent many years isolating myself from the world. I felt that I was not worthy. I just carried all this hurt and resentment inside me and I could not see through it. I didn’t understand what forgiveness is. My understanding was that I will forgive but not forge, so I carried around all these wounds that just seemed to fester instead of healing.
I somehow found myself at the door of a Catholic Church and I saw a poster inviting people to come and see what Catholics believe. I felt called to join and oh Lord, what a blessing. I cannot adequately explain in words how profound the experience was when they felt the touch of God’s healing hand. The peace that I felt was overwhelming. It was a peace that I had never experienced before. It was so intense that I felt my heart being released from all that I had withheld and I could, for the first time in many years, say to myself; I am worthy, I have goodness within me and most important, I am loved. This experience of healing gave me freedom to live my life, and it live it to the fullest. I have been changed!” – Anna
Healing is central to the RCIA process. During Lent, the Elect, those called by God and chosen for the Sacraments, are taken through a process of discernment and healing through the celebration of three community ceremonies known as “scrutinies”.
It is an intense period when, the Elect with the support of the parish community, focus on conversion, review their lives considering the Gospel and ask God for healing and forgiveness. In the sequence of scrutinies, the Elect hear the stories of the woman at the well [John 4:1-26], the man born blind [John 9:1-12], and the raising of Lazarus [John 11:11-40].
Each of these stories reflect human weakness. The woman at the well is healed of her shame and isolation. The blind man is healed of his sightlessness and his exclusion from society. Lazarus is “healed” of his death. In each of these stories, Jesus heals wounds and offers a new way of life.
What does faith offer? Faith offers us the healing power of God; the sense of inner peace and freedom in knowing the healing grace of God in Christ. Healing brings love, joy, happiness and fulfillment to who we are as Christians.
From pages 18 to 19 of Issue 26: Adult Faith Formation in the context of Healing’ of The Record Magazine