Introduction
The plan of God in our life is wellness (Jer. 29:11). God has created us to share His blessed life with Him (CCC 1). This is the reason that St John prayed for his disciple Gaius “My beloved I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, I know that it is also well with your soul (3 John 1:1-2). While God has a plan of wellness, satan has a plan of suffering in our lives. God has already made this plan of wellness, when we were formed in the womb of our mothers ( Jer 29:11 and Ps 139:12-13). Similarly satan also has a plan of suffering right from the very beginning of our lives. This plan of suffering, right from the beginning till the end can be revealed to an astrologer who is not a devotee of God. Therefore an astrologer would say about good and bad fortunes. Instead a prophet of God would say only good news and promises of God. Only good things will happen if you listen the prophet of God while if you listen also an astrologer good things and bad things will happen.
God‘s plan of wellness is already revealed in the Bible for all His children, in order to discern this plan of wellness we must study the word of God. If we want to know the days of sufferings, seek horoscope or zodiac predictions and sooth sayings. Whatever you investigate and believe in astrology that will surely happen. If you search the scriptures and the promises of wellness in the Bible, you are entitled to receive only the bountiful blessings and inheritance that God has in store for His children. Therefore church forbids from looking at horoscopes and reading sooth sayings. So CCC 2117, reads “… All practices of magic or sorcery are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion; wearing charms, spiritism, divination, magical practices and traditional cures are to be rejected…” . “… At the same time all forms of divination, such as recourse to satan or demons, necromancy, consulting horoscope, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, recourse to mediums etc are contrary to our faith…” (CCC 2116). Our faith and confidence is in loving God who has a plan of wellness .
If God has a plan of wellness for our lives, why do we have seen miseries in the lives of many?
All miseries such as poverty, exploitation, physical illness, psychological illness, death are obvious signs of inherited conditions of frailty as a consequence of original sin (CCC 2448). The whole humanity is under suffering because of the temporal consequence of the original sin.
What is the remedy of it?
The remedy is also given in the same article CCC 2448 in which we read “…this misery elicited the compassion of Jesus Christ our savior who willingly took it upon himself and identified himself with the least of his bretheren…” All the sufferings will be finished when we believe in Jesus who has already taken away all the sufferings by His passion, death and resurrection. What does it mean that believe in Jesus? It is the life style in which one lives according to the message preached by Jesus.
What can we do to receive this healing and salvation that Jesus has already won for us?
First and foremost we should believe that Jesus has already saved us. Through his suffering, death and resurrection you and I are saved but not by work, but by faith in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8). Salvation is already but not yet. That means theoretically we are saved but we have to personalize it by our efforts.
What does it mean to believe in Christ Jesus?
To believe in Christ Jesus means to practice what he says to us through the word of God and magisterium of the church. For instance, If I say to a group of audience in an auditorium “please get out of the place immediately, because this place is caught in fire”, if you believe my words, you will act according to it and try to get out of the auditorium at the earliest to save your life. If you don’t believe my words you will not act upon it.
Therefore Josh 1:8 says to us ‘… be the doers of the word of God not mere hearers, meditate the word of the God day and night and speak according to the word of God, and then you will be prosperous and successful in all areas of your life, career, business career evangelization, profession…” etc.
What does the magisterium say about it?
Sin has double consequences: Eternal and temporal (CCC 1472). The eternal consequence of sin is hell (eternal separation from God) while the temporal consequence of the original sin and mortal sins are many such as character weakness, sickness, pain, burden, sorrows, difficulties, ignorance, death, concupiscence etc. Eternal consequence of original sin are already cancelled when Jesus died on the cross (CCC 1263). But temporal consequences of sin remain even after baptism (CCC 1264). Therefore generally Catholic Church gives eight remedies to cancel the temporal consequences. Such as:
Indulgences (CCC 1471)
Total Conversion (CCC 1472) and faith in Jesus Christ
Fervent Charity (CCC 1472) towards all people irrespective of cast, creed and religion
Patiently bearing all sufferings and trials until they are turned for our favour (Roman 8:28 and CCC1473).
Mercy (CCC 1473) and compassion towards all creations
Charitable works (CCC 1473) including all seven corporal works of charity and seven spiritual works of charity.
Prayers (CCC 1473) with all six forms and three expressions (CCCc 550-556 and 569-571)
All types penances (CCC 1473) which includes sacrament of penance (confession) because church considers sacrament of confession is a means of healings (CCCc 295)
Conclusion
All human beings are called to Joy! (Christifideles 2), but in practical life miseries are plenty, therefore every individual are in search of remedies. Catholic faith gives eternal and permanent remedies for all miseries. Therefore, let us follow all the remedies mentioned above and lead a glorious life in this world. In fact we all are called in Christ Jesus to be conquerors (Rom 8: 37). “In Christ Jesus, you and I are called to have a triumphant life” (2Cor 2:14) in this world and at the end we will have eternal life too.
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