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Thursday, April 22, 1999 The Southern Cross, Page 5
Everyday Graces
Spiritual healing and physical healing
Because my life as I had known it briefly came
to a halt, I was forced to see myself with greater
clarity. Indeed, it became much easier to see my
sinfulness when I was not distracted with the
business of daily living. It became easier to real
ize my personal weaknesses when my body was
weak. As a result, this Lent provided a clear
opportunity to re-evaluate my fallen nature. (On
the first day of the new year, I had literally fallen,
a perfect metaphor for my sinful nature.)
Through this period of unsettling awareness of
my sinfulness, the Sacrament of Reconciliation
became more life-giving to me than I have ever
experienced it in the 16 years since I converted to
Catholicism. Leaving the confessional, even
though I was still significantly lame at the time, I
felt restored to full health. Indeed, it was this spir
itual healing, through Reconciliation, that has
been most critical to my well-being. And I realize
that, while I cannot always be assured of physical
healing, through Christ’s sacrifice, my spiritual
healing has been won for all eternity.
Over the last few months, after Mass, many fel
low parishioners have commented on my
progress. They noticed when I stopped using the
crutches, when I no longer wore a brace, when I
was walking almost normally', even when I \yas
able to wear low-heeled shoes. Witnesses to my
physical healing, many also commented on a new
cheerfulness in my demeanor, a more peaceful
expression on my face. For the miracle of physi
cal healing, I am deeply grateful. But the spiritual
healing, accomplished in this Easter season,
through God’s mercy, is no doubt the greatest
miracle of all.
Mary Hood Hart lives with her husband and
four children in Sunset Beach, N.C.
Making Connections
Teaching
By Father Michael H. Smith
T he activity the gospels most fre
quently show Jesus doing is
clearly “teaching.” Early on people
are amazed, for “he taught as one
having authority” (Mark 1:22).
Jesus was quite comfortable being
called “Rabbi, which means
teacher” {John 1:38), but ran to the
mountains when they wanted to
make him “king” {John. 6:15). In
John’s gospel he presents himself as
“light of the world,” (9:5), and as
“the way, the truth and the life”
(14,6). Peter professes of Jesus,
“You have the words of eternal life”
{John 6:68).
As the very Word of God made
flesh no one else can ever teach us
of God and God’s design and
desires for our lives as did Jesus.
However our work as teachers can
help us both know and understand
the teachings of Christ, but even
more, give us much knowledge to
help us put these into practice.
cooperates with a basic work of God
One very simple
example is that
without learning to
read with under
standing, to write
and communicate
effectively, we
could not read and
appreciate the
meaning of the
Bible, nor share
our faith and what
it means with oth
ers. Those who
teach children and
adults to read,
enable us to grow
in faith and carry
out the Great Commission to bring
the light of faith to all people.
Those who help us appreciate his
tory and literature, or learn psychol
ogy, sociology and political science,
help us to understand how we
human being act and relate to one
another. Jesus’ personal command
Father Michael H. Smith
is: “Love one
another.” This
background can
help us make this
happen. Learning to
use the Myers-Brig-
gs Personality Pref
erence codes has
given me signifi
cant insight into my
own style of acting
as well as that of
-jf those with whom I
E work and live. For-
§ eign language
teachers help us
build bridges to
people different
from ourselves to forge that unity
for which Christ prayed.
Science teachers help us glimpse
more of the wonder and beauty of
the world and all its many and var
ied creatures. Those who help us
appreciate or do art and music,
enable us to drink more fully of the
beauty of the original divine artist.
Those who teach useful skills such
as math, typing, computer science,
public speaking, mechanics, carpen
try or farming equip us to use our
gifts and talents in the service of
human needs more effectively.
One of the public service commer
cials that got my attention is, “A
mind is a terrible thing to waste.”
Everyone who is putting their brains
and bodies, their time and energy,
their love and patience, into that
great work of teaching is helping
insure that none of the marvelous
potential represented by each human
brain is left untapped and untrained.
It is a very special way of cooperat
ing in one of the most basic and
important works of God.
Father Michael H. Smith, V.F., is pastor
of Holy Redeemer Parish, McRae, and
Saint Mark, Eastman.
By Mary Hood Hart
aster Sunday marked exactly
two months since I under
went knee surgery to reconstruct
my ACL, anterior cruciate liga
ment, which I tore when I fell
running on the beach. My sur
geon told me I would be signifi
cantly healed after two months,
and, indeed, I’ve experienced
tremendous improvement in
mobility. I still attend physical
therapy, but I am walking unas
sisted, with only a slight limp.
This column is not intended as
update on my physical condition.
Indeed, I share my story of heal
ing because it struck me as an important metaphor
for the Easter season. I am always amazed at how
easily I take certain miracles for granted. The
miracle of healing is one of those. When I stop to
ponder it, the very process of physical healing is
itself astonishing. I observed my knee, bruised
and swollen from surgery, gradually restored to its
previous health, apart from a thin pink scar over
the kneecap. What the surgeon was skillful
enough to accomplish, graft a tendon from my
knee to replace the torn ligament, was itself
miraculous.
In my physical therapy sessions, I’ve encoun
tered many men and women who have undergone
knee replacements. While the early stages of
recovery can be difficult, once healed, these
patients have found new freedom from pain and
greater mobility through the advances of medical
technology. Those whose arthritic knees prevent
ed them from participating in everyday activities
have, through surgery, been given a
new life.
There’s no question we are living
in an age when medical advance
ments improve our lives in ways
our ancestors never imagined. Yet
what I’ve found most crucial as I’ve
been healing over the last two
months is not the exterior changes
I’ve undergone, but the interior
ones. And it is interior healing
that’s been available to us all,
through Christ Jesus, for nearly two
thousand years.
I have not been a good patient.
The word “patient” itself suggests
that quality which I lack: the abili
ty to wait graciously for healing to occur. Arro
gantly, I expected to recover from the surgery
more quickly than I did, and I was annoyed with
the pace of my progress. At one point, when I vis
ited the surgeon, I asked if I could abandon the
crutches he’d insisted I use. He chuckled and
said, “It doesn’t happen like that.” Gradually,
through therapy, I was weaned of them.
Though I have experienced significant physical
improvement, the interior healing I’ve undergone
is even more profound. And it is that healing
which seems more closely associated with the
Easter season. Indeed, I’ve discovered that in
experiencing sudden injury, surgery, disability, I
was impaired more by my attitude than my physi
cal condition. I was anxious before the surgery. I
was mildly depressed once it was over. Over the
course of weeks, I experienced frustration. Impa
tience. Irritability. Self-pity. The list goes on and
on.
Mary Hood Hart