By ZOE CANNON
GRATITUDE FOR THE GIFT OF FAITH
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; He lives in you! Wherever you go, He goes; and any place God resides is holy. Nothing is more important than the love of God! “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all things will be provided to you” (Matthew 6:33).
I believe most people realize that we are living in a time prepared by God to cleanse the world of evil. We must be attentive about our culpability and our role in this reality. As baptized Catholics, we are blessed with the gift of the sacraments, instituted by Christ, through the ministry of the priesthood. We are part of God’s plan for the salvation of souls!
There is a healing service offered on Thursday evenings at Annunciation Parish’s Christ the King Campus in Evansville. Annunciation Pastor Father Benny Chacko begins at 5 p.m. Central Time with a rosary, followed by Mass and anointing for those seeking physical or spiritual healing. The distractions of the material world rob our hearts, minds and souls of peace. This call to prayer is a gift from God.
I enjoy walking in the quiet woods to pray about my concerns. One Thursday afternoon, deep in the woods, a powerful prompting about the service at Christ the King came over me. I am very fortunate to have a husband who is willing to join in my ventures of faith. Our quick decision to make the two-hour drive was indeed divinely inspired.
On this evening, we witnessed God’s love through the ministry of the priest. I pray more people will take advantage of this opportunity, and other parishes will offer this gift of healing. We all need a renewed spirit and a clean heart. Please remember the sacrament of Reconciliation is always available and should be used more often.
Since the beginning of Creation, God’s Word in Sacred Scripture reveals a plan for us to have eternal life with Him. Jesus tells us we have no reason to be afraid. Easier said than done, right? The key is trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we pulled up to the parking lot at Christ the King that Thursday evening, I was reminded of a very special time in 1990, when I attended a “Life in the Spirit” Seminar at this parish. The experience changed my life, as I learned to listen and call upon the gifts of the Spirit to guide me.
During a recent homily at our home parish, Pastor Father Steve Giannini invited people to write down a memorable event associated with receiving the Eucharist and what it meant to us. The request was optional. We were to place our thoughts in a basket on our way to receive Holy Communion. I wrote down a memory I had not thought about for a while, and the emotions created a real sense of the wonderful gift I was about to receive.
In 2005, our son had an accident causing a traumatic brain injury. After weeks in a trauma unit, we found ourselves in a rehabilitation hospital praying for a miracle. He was awake but not speaking. We took him in a wheel chair to the chapel for Sunday service. As we began to recite the Our Father before the reception of the Eucharist, our son very softly recited every word of the prayer. It was the first words he had spoken in almost a month. I knew at that moment he would be healed. Take time to reflect on how God has blessed you!
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). Amen!