The Gospels overflow with stories of Jesus’ healing miracles.  Some are detailed, and some are mentioned only in passing. One gets the impression that Jesus became a walking hospital, curing all physical ailments for everyone who came to Him. But what we often forget is that not every healing of Jesus was of the body; some people were sick in spirit. Their healing was of a restless heart, to use St. Augustine’s image, a heart of stone, or at least of uncleanliness. Distant from God, these souls realized that only in God could they find rest, and that only by approaching the Divine Physician would they be healed. Jesus came to heal all, the physically sick and the spiritually sicker.

When Jesus heals someone, it is the most intense and intimate encounter any two people can have – Jesus the healer, and the one being healed. In every case, Jesus heals as a very human act. 

In today’s Gospel, we heard Jesus healing Simon’s mother-in-law. As soon as Jesus arrives, the disciples tell Him about her. In this, the disciples are praying for her. They lift her up in prayer to Jesus.

Jesus approaches the sick room. He doesn’t stand in the doorway and wave his hand over her. He doesn’t send an angel to comfort and strengthen her. Instead, he comes close, close enough to hear her labored breathing and feel her skin burning with fever. He grasps her hand and helps her up, a very human act. In that touch, Jesus’ human soul reached out to hers. We can never know what that exchange was like. With his divine will, Jesus heals her and helps her to get up. The disciple’s prayers were answered.

Can we doubt that all of Jesus’ healing miracles are any less intense and intimate? The whole town gathers at the door, and Jesus heals long into the night. Once again, he does not stand aloof and does not just issue a general blessing for their healing. He reaches out to each one, close enough to hear their breathing and feel their pain, grasps their hand, and helps them to rise. Each individual’s healing means that Jesus sees into the heart of that person who is asking to be healed. He sees the sins of each person, acknowledges them, and takes them away. The fruits of that encounter, the purity of that moment is sometimes reflected in the secondary healing of physical bodies.

All of Jesus’ miracles are signs of something greater. It is the healing of souls that Jesus came among us to do. All physical healing, signs of great mercy, are temporary. The eyes opened will someday be closed in death, the healed legs of the cripple will also one day fall still. These temporary physical healings show us that a deeper and fuller healing is possible. 

Christ heals those who want his healing. Jesus wants to heal us, but he will not if we are unwilling to have Him in our lives.  We must leave our self-imposed exile and come close to him, responding to his invitation. If you cannot take that step due to weakness or spiritual illness, the prayers of others, both those on earth and the Saints in Heaven, can be of immense assistance in lifting us up to Jesus. It was after all the prayer of the disciples that brought Jesus to the woman burning with fever in her bed. 

Jesus’ healing ministry is a signal to the world that deep healing is possible. Those who are healed are therefore compelled to go out and call others to Christ’s side. The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law brought the people of the village to the door of the house where Jesus was. Jesus has come from far, far from his home with the Father and with the Spirit, farther still to take on a human body. To be healed, we must take a step, however small, towards faith.  There is no other prerequisite than to answer his invitation. 

What would it be like, do you imagine, to have your soul healed by a touch from Jesus? To experience a moment of communion between him and you, releasing all your sins and ills to he who heals both the soul and the body, who acknowledges your sins and takes them away, leaving behind only love?

You need not imagine it. Jesus continues his healing ministry, his reaching out to heal us today. He left the Church with the Sacraments as his healing touch. Each Sacrament is an opportunity to take a step towards greater faith, to answer his invitation to feel his intimate healing touch on our souls. The water of Baptism, the chrism oil of Confirmation, the bread and wine becoming his Body and Blood, these are ways Jesus touches us today. In the Sacrament of Penance, Jesus once again looks into our souls and takes away our sins. 

We need only to turn towards Jesus, the Divine Physician, and ask him for healing, to take a step towards more faith. There is no other prerequisite than to answer his invitation.