Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed. // Isaiah 58:8
I have suffered some painful wounds in these last ten years. These physical, psychological, and spiritual wounds have sometimes been confusing, frustrating, embarrassing, and overwhelming. Some of the wounds were visible, but many were very hidden.
There is a deepening of the intimacy of love when Jesus invites His beloved to be united with Him on the Cross. The night can feel unbearable and endless, but Christ gently leads and guides a soul through the darkness. There is a fierce temptation to remain stuck in the pain, wallowing in self pity and cowering in terror. This is where the words of Isaiah penetrate the wounds of the heart and enlighten it with joyful hope: “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn.”
At our Baptism, we each received a precious gift represented in our baptismal candle. The words spoken: “Receive the Light of Christ” are a truth we can experience every day. We are united to this Light and are radiant in Him.
And what happens when this light breaks forth like the dawn? We are healed quickly! A few months ago, the Gospel at Mass was one of Jesus’ miracles of healing. I sensed a very tiny nudge in my heart that Jesus wanted me to ask for healing of a particular wound. There was a glimmer of hope in my darkness that Jesus might actually want to heal me this time. I took this desire directly to prayer in Adoration. I shared my heart with Jesus and to my great surprise, He healed me right then and there! It was as if He said: “You are healed. I want to renew your hope and joy. Receive my Light.”
The Divine Physician works with each individual in His perfect time. Christ remains with you in your suffering and brings healing to you according to the Father’s will. Do not be afraid to ask for healing and live each day with trust in the Light of Christ that will break forth like the dawn.