Pastor's Reflection - June 8, 2025

In this time of Eucharistic Revival across the United States, we are being invited to rediscover not just the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, but the healing power that flows from His Body and Blood. At the heart of this revival is a call to encounter Jesus personally and deeply—especially as our Divine Physician.

Dr. Bob Schuchts, who recently spoke at the 2024 Eucharistic Congress, reminded us that the same Jesus who walked the streets of Galilee, healing bodies and restoring souls, is truly present to us today in the Eucharist. The healing that people experienced in the Gospels wasn’t just physical—it was holistic. Jesus touched every part of the person: body, soul, and spirit. And He continues to do that now.

One Gospel story that powerfully illustrates this is the healing of the woman with the hemorrhage (Mark 5:25–34). Isolated and considered unclean, she reached out in faith and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. In that moment, healing power flowed from Him. Her body was restored, her soul was renewed, and she was brought back into community. According to tradition, this woman may have been Veronica—the same woman who would later wipe Jesus’ bloody face on His way to Calvary. The One who stopped her bleeding would one day bleed for her, and for all of us.

This healing love is not a thing of the past. The Catechism tells us that the sacraments—especially the Eucharist—are “powers that come forth from the Body of Christ” (CCC 1116). Those very words echo the Gospels' description of Jesus’ healing touch. The Eucharist is not merely symbolic. It is Jesus—alive, present, and powerful. He heals today.

What do all the healing stories in Scripture have in common? Four things:

1.        Jesus is the healer—He is always the source.

2.        Faith opens the door—either the faith of the individual or those around them.

3.        Wholeness is the goal—healing brings restoration in body, soul, and spirit.

4.        Communion is the fruit—with God, with others, and within ourselves.

Every time we come to Mass, we have an opportunity to receive this healing. But we must come with expectant faith. Prepare your heart before Mass. Offer your brokenness, your wounds, your strained relationships, and your areas of inner conflict. Listen for Jesus’ voice in the readings and prayers. During the Eucharistic Prayer, imagine placing your hurts on the altar. And when you go forward to receive Jesus, remember: this is the same Jesus who healed the sick, who forgave the sinner, who brought the outcast home.

Let your “Amen” be a bold act of faith: “Jesus, I believe You are here. I believe You can heal me.” Whether your healing is dramatic or subtle, Jesus is at work in your heart. He is drawing you into greater wholeness and deeper communion.

St. Augustine once said, “What you have received, you have now become.” You are a living member of the Body of Christ. As you are healed, you are also sent—to bring healing and communion to others.

Let us be a people who approach the altar with faith and leave it transformed. Jesus is still healing today. Will we reach out and touch Him?

Come, Lord Jesus. Heal your people. Make us whole.

in Christ,Fr. James Northrop, Pastor