Tag Archives: Christian living

Why Doesn’t Jesus Heal Everyone? Or Does He?

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In the Gospel passage, LUKE 18:35-43, we see Jesus’ mercy toward the blind man as a hallmark of his ministry. But does God heal everyone? And if not why? This is a question I have asked, and many others who read this blog, watch my YouTube Channel and listen to my podcast have asked me over the past 10 years, and many have asked, throughout time. If you are struggling with this question, this reflection may give you an insight into God’s plan.

Below is the story of Jesus healing the blind man.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar Near Jericho (LUKE 18:35-43)

As he [Jesus} approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When the blind man heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” Then he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who were in front sternly ordered the blind man to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and ordered the blind man to be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said, “Lord, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.” Immediately the blind man regained his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

Jesus comes as healer, savior, inaugurator of the kingdom. He is the embodiment of hope. Jesus wanted to connect human suffering to the very source of life and health. The energy of God pours through Jesus to the needy.

Now back to the question, why doesn’t Jesus simply cure everyone, then? The answer is obviously wrapped up in the mystery of God’s will, but the important point is this: Jesus is healer in many senses, but ultimately in the sense that he heals us from sin and death, not only physical maladies. What appears historically in Jesus is an eschatological anticipation, a hint and foreshadowing of what is coming in God’s time and in God’s way.

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Blue Butterfly and Christian Renewal

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2 Corinthians 5:17 says

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This verse highlights the radical change that occurs when someone accepts Christ. 

God shows us many things through His creation. Jesus often told stories using nature and everyday occurrences to teach his followers about His love for us and His Father’s will. 

A blue butterfly represents hope, joy and peace. While there is not a direct scriptural reference to butterflies, butterflies’ natural life cycle involves a transformation from caterpillar to a butterfly. 

The message to all of God’s people is God wants to transform each person into that which He created them for. God created each person with a specific purpose in mind. Each person has great potential to be transformed with God’s grace into that person that God desires for them.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says

.”And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” This verse focuses on the progressive nature of transformation, where believers are gradually changed into the likeness of Christ. 

We become new creations in Christ once we become a believer in Him. We can continue a renewal process by renewing our minds by reading God’s word and receiving the sacraments.

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Spiritual Direction (Part 4) Is it Consistent?

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Spiritual Direction (Part 4) Brigid Ayer, Host of All About The Grace Podcast, delves into the question, What Does God Want? with the particular focus on the question in this episode Is it Consistent? This 6-part series of podcasts on Spiritual Direction: What Does God Want, it will help you discern any decision you need to make large or small using this practical guide to making decisions according to God will. These concepts are based on a book by Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, former president of Franciscan University in Steubenville. This episode delves into determining if what you are discerning is consistent with the way the Lord has communicated with you in the past.

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Return to Your First Love: A Catholic Perspective

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I was scrolling thought my social media feed when I stumbled across a fellow Christian’s YouTube channel. After watching a few of the videos, it stirred up many good, holy memories and scripture verses that came alive to me years ago when I first had my conversion to Christ.

The message I felt God was impressing upon me very clearly was, “Return to your first love!” I wasn’t sure if that was an actual scripture verse or not, so of course, I Googled it and sure enough, I found the full verse in Revelations. The verse referring to “returning to your first love” is Revelations 2:4-5. In this passage, Jesus addresses the church in Ephesus, saying, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”. 

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Turn Setbacks Into Success: 10 Steps

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Setbacks derail our plans and sometimes the course of our lives. If you are reading this blog post, you have likely experienced a setback yourself. I offer 10 steps on ways to turn your setbacks into success. My hope is by sharing my experience, it will give you some hope that things will get better and you’ll know that God has a good plan for your life. You don’t need to take my words since the Word of God says it better

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you a hope and a future”. (Jeremiah 29:11)

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Two Kinds of Fire

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In our hyper divided nation where people get so angry at their opponents or even people on the street or grocery line, the below daily reflection, really struck a chord with me. The human reaction to our enemies or opponents is to get even, or to destroy them in some way, but God’s way is to heal, and forgive, to bring our enemies into the fold. The apostles were not so different from us. When they wanted to pass through a Samaritan town, and the Samaritans refused to give the disciples entrance to pass through, one of Jesus’ disciples wanted to call down fire from heaven to smite the Samaritans. Jesus told them to hold off. Jesus had a different plan in mind for them.

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REST IN THE LORD

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“Your souls will find rest.” —Matthew 11:29

Are you too busy? Are you overwhelmed with life’s demands? If so, God has a better way for you. In talking with a priest one day who had completely burned out at one point in his ministry told me something I will never forget regarding his ministry workload, he said, “The Lord is not a slave driver, the devil is.” He went on to explain, that the Lord called him to minister to his flock, but it was the devil who was whispering lies in his ear, and mentally using a whip to get him to work faster, and faster, to take on more and more than he could handle. One day the priest realized the Lord was not pushing him like this, it was the devil. And he stopped operating like that. He needed REST. And the Lord was calling him to Rest in Him. The below reflection from Presentation Ministry’s One Bread, One Body struck me as many of us try to serve the Lord, and meet all the demands of work and family, but it was a good reminder that we need to know the Lord is not a slave driver, the devil is.

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