Charismatic Stile

The poet Blake said: ‘To see the world in a grain of sand; and heaven in a wildflower…’ This is to see the miracle in them. We are surrounded with miracles all day, every day. However, we rarely notice them. In fact, the greater the miracle, the less likely we are to appreciate it: the absolutely breathtaking miracle of creation; a waterfall, a sunset, the smile of an old friend. These are miracles! And so it is also with the miracles of healing – ranging from a child’s scraped knee to a prostitute’s broken heart…Or the miracle of a family reunited. The absolutely beautiful miracle of one flawed human being reaching out to another: “I was hungry and you gave me to eat; thirsty and you gave me to drink; in prison and you visited me…” We are surrounded by miracles even in the midst of war, famine and misery.

Celebrating the everyday miracles we can choose to create. We do not do these things because we are angels, or because we ourselves have never been hurt, and certainly not because we are naïve. We do these things because we believe in God’s dream. In the Gospels, Jesus often tied forgiveness to healing and healing to forgiveness. While there is no magic formula for healing, one thing is sure, we ourselves cannot heal unless we forgive – both ourselves (for we generally have wounded ourselves far more than anyone else could possibly have wounded us) and others. And, of course, we ourselves must ask for forgiveness and, in doing so, we begin to heal.

Actually, healing is not an endpoint; rather it is an ongoing process. So, for that matter, is forgiveness. And it takes an effort everyday. And prayer everyday. And we need God’s unconditional grace – every single day. And then it is that life itself becomes a joy and a miracle “…on earth as it is in heaven!”

Mother Frances’ legacy to all of us can be found in these simple words: “What should we give? Above all kindness, even when it is difficult, for that is true greatness…” and “Only in forgiving does one get to know a heart’s true goodness and greatness.” Her legacy is also found in our Charism: “To heal the wounds of Jesus…” as we see them every day in one another. And so we become instruments of healing – creating everyday miracles.