As one of the 7 archangels and the patron saint of healing, St. Raphael descends upon us today with God’s promise to take away the pain and make our lives whole again.
All of our struggles and challenges have led us to this very moment in our lives, and though we may resent them, it has been an integral part of shaping us to where we are today. When we turn to the Lord in prayer and lift up our sufferings to Him, we are connected to his graces of healing and our divine salvation.
“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”
– Jeremiah 17:14
Where can we find true healing and transformation? For decades men have tried to use their own discoveries and inventions to try and eradicate pain. We develop countless new vaccines, medicine and medical procedures all to try and prolong our lives and reduce the ailments that come with age.
“Miracle pills” and supplements that promise “unbeatable results” fly off the shelves so quickly all because they play to our deep innate desire to achieve our most complete physical ideal.
We refuse to accept that we are born into the world broken because of our propensity for sin, and lose sight of the true healing that takes place first in our hearts. The way to salvation and recovery is only through faith.
St. Raphael wants us to know that the answer we have been desperately seeking through the ages has been right in front of us all along! Any pain we suffer in the world is but a temporary experience. The divine healer, the one who takes away all of our deep seated regrets, emotional hurt and physical pain has been the Lord all along.
Today we are reminded that our heavenly physician is always watching over us to keep us safe from physical harm and sickness. Unlike visiting our traditional doctors, the way we can connect with Him is through prayer and earnest faith.
Why We Suffer Pain
Have you ever wondered to yourself, why does God the healer allow us to suffer in the first place? Is it because He is a cruel God who wants to see us in pain and beg him to take it away?
The Bible has taught us that God is good, and He too feels hurt when He sees His people suffer. Yet our suffering is a reality that we cannot escape from in life through our own means and devices. It is a universal experience that no human being can claim to have to knowledge of.
The book of Genesis reveals that suffering entered into our world with the very first sin committed by man. One cannot fathom the immense love it would take for God to grant us free will to make our own decisions. It is not God’s sadistic intent, but rather our own sin that causes suffering and pain in our lives, and also in the lives of others. This is why the road to find healing begins through renouncing our past sins and to turn to Him.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
It is through our weaknesses that we are humbled and brought to Christ because we realize that all that we have accomplished is not simply of our doing, but by the grace of the Lord. Suffering from pain, ailments, sickness and unfortunate accidents is something that we have all gone through, the only solution to this seemingly “inescapable” predicament is to turn to the Lord who heals all things.
Thus the question should not be “why must we suffer?” but rather how can we avoid condemning ourselves to suffering by relying on the everlasting strength of Christ.
The Healer Who Takes Away the Pain
Today’s devotional message is call for us to turn to the Lord when we are in times of need. Whether it is sickness, physical or mental pain, or spiritual deficiencies, there is nothing too great that we may not overcome with the strength of the Lord.
Those who suffer and yet still bear faith are those that have devoted their lives to God and will draw closer to His everlasting kingdom. St. Raphael wants us to know that he will intercede on our behalf for God’s gracious healing, as long as we call upon him in humility and faith.
St. Raphael wants you to know that the source of true healing and salvation comes from our Heavenly Father. It is not that God does not want to heal us right at this very moment, but we are only able to connect with His everlasting graces when we lead lives that are upright and according to His ways.
