Since Our Homeland is in Heaven, Should We Pray for Healing? -- summary of homily by Rev. Fr. William Goh

I would like to thank and praise the Lord for dragging my sick body out of the hse to attend the wonderful session.

3 things that we are most afraid of in life - pain, illness, death. That is how euthanasia comes about. As such, people are frantically seeking for healing. But since our final destination is in heaven, should we pray for healing at all? Should we just resign to our fate and pray for a final holy journey then pray for a good, early death?

This is not apparently so as healing in this life is not mutualy exclusive from the healing in the 'after life'. In fact, during his ministry on earth, Jesus was so ready to heal the sick. God's blessing is not only exclusive to the after-life but also the life on earth. When God heals us, He wants to give us a foretaste of His love and His eternal kingdom. As such, we should pray for healing in this life too. If we do not pray for healing but get healed in the end, we will not give praise and glory to God.

However, Fr Goh also mentioned that we should not be too caught up with healing. Some people prayed that they have to be healed AT ALL COST. These people are merely not putting their trust in God. God's healing comes in different forms and we all know that his healing is not only limited to physical healing. We should pray for healing but not pray as though we will never pass away. Aging has its advantages too. As we aged, we learn to let go. Fr Goh quipped that as we aged, there are many types of food that we have to give up (lobster, fried kway teoh, beef...etc due to failing health). As we grow even older, we learn to let go of money, of status, of looks... This process of aging, if taken well, will prepare us for death.

At one point of time in our lives, God will not answer our prayer to heal us anymore. That is when we have to embrace sufferings as suffering is also a form of healing. How is suffering a form of healing? Fr Goh gave the example of a terminally illed patient, who learned how to let go of his earthly possessions during the period of illness. If somehow the person recovers, career status, money, achievement dont seem important to him anymore. He learned how to lead a more balanced life where he would not allow himself to work to death, accumulate so much $ so that he have enough to spend at age 300 yrs old. He has learnt how to 'let go'. Our God doesnt preach a gospel of prosperity. In fact, the more riches one has, the harder for him to let go.

Where sufferings can humble oneself and draw him to be more spiritually focused on God, God may also extend His healing hand to the people around that person. A mother praying for her leukemia son finally lost her son to the illness. However, through those period of fervent and earnest praying for her son's recovery, her faith in God deepened. When the people around the former Pope John Paul II saw how he endured his sufferings, people were touched- healed spiritually, emotionally, psychologically.

Sufferings are not that scary and intolerable - if we know that God wants us to go through these and that we know that He is with us always. Sufferings become unendurable only when God seems to be absent, when we are far away from Him. This is when resentment, despair, hatred and all the negative feelings set in.

In order to survive our sufferings gracefully, we have to come to God through prayer. In prayer, God affirms us to be His beloved son/daughter. In today's Gospel about the Transfiguration of Christ, we know that Jesus was told about his departure that had to take place in Jerusalem. Moses represented the law and Elijah represented the prophets. Jesus needed to know that he was on the right track, that He was here to fulfil the law and the prophe(cy). And He got the affirmation and encouragement to embrace the Passion through prayer. By Jesus' vicarious and voluntary sufferings, He had transformed the negative aspects of sufferings into a redemptive and healing one; so that we too will be healed in taking up our crosses and partake in His sufferings.

Let us approach the Lord for strength, courage and perseverance in carrying our daily crosses.

P/S: how i wish i have such memory for lectures... I would have aced all examination.