Father Daniel Sedlacek
Pastor of Holy Ghost and Notre Dame parishes in Chippewa Falls and St. Bridget Parish in Springfield
“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Although the purpose of this well-known phrase is to help children avoid being emotionally derailed by hurtful words, it nevertheless remains true that some words can—and—do hurt us. Each of us, I would wager, has a memory of someone saying words that hurt us deeply. For many of us, words spoken to us many years ago still hurt today.
The corollary of this truth is that words can also heal. We profess this truth every time we attend Mass before we approach the altar to receive holy Communion. “Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”
A Centurion Speaks
A Roman centurion first spoke nearly this exact phrase when begging Jesus to miraculously heal his servant. We speak this phrase before receiving holy Communion because it is a declaration of faith in Jesus’ ability to heal us at the moment when He truly comes under the “roofs” of our bodies as we receive the holy Eucharist. But what word are we asking the Lord Jesus to speak so that we may be healed?
This past spring, I was blessed to attend the annual diocesan retreat for priests, which focused on our relationship with Mary, our Blessed Mother. During the retreat, we had an evening time for adoration and an opportunity for others to pray for us. We were invited to ask Mary for something that we needed. In my heart, I knew that I needed someone to say that they loved me. This is a need that all of us have, and I needed it at that time.
And so, I asked one of the prayer teams to pray for me, and one of them spoke words which struck me. He prayed that Mary and Joseph would search for me and find me, just as they had searched for and found Jesus in the Temple.
With this image in my mind during the time of quiet adoration, I recalled a memory from years ago during my second year of seminary. After a long night of prayer alone in the chapel, I finally felt moved to declare my love for Jesus. It was the first time I ever articulated the words, “Jesus, I love You.” My speaking those words changed and healed a part of my heart. I look back on this prayer as one of the most pivotal points of my relationship with God and my vocation as a priest.
As I recalled that previous time of prayer, I realized I had never told Mary I loved her. And so, I did. “Mary, I love you.” Almost immediately, as if she were right at my side, I sensed the words in my heart, “I love you too, Daniel.” I then asked Mary to be with me in the places of my life where I most needed her love. It was an incredible experience of peace, comfort and love.
The Power of His Word
When we ask Jesus to “only say the word and my soul shall be healed,” I believe the word we are asking Him to speak is a word of love. Love is what heals our souls. The love of God heals all hurts, brokenness, sins, neglects and failures. It fills our every lack and weakness. This word, which is nothing other than the Eternal Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, brought healing to those afflicted “with every disease and infirmity.” (Mt 4:23)
The Father spoke all creation into existence through the Son, the Word, and that same Word, incarnate of the Virgin Mary, has redeemed us. Recall the power of Jesus’ words. He said, “Be healed,” and the person was healed. “Rise, take up your mat, and go home.” And it happened. He commanded the demons to come out, and they came out. He said, “Be quiet” to the storm on the Sea of Galilee, and the winds died down. He said to the dead body of Lazarus, “Come out!” and the dead man came back to life and walked out of his grave. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” And God the Father forgave them.
On the day of His resurrection, Jesus entered under the roof of the Upper Room, although the doors were locked, and said to His apostles, “Peace be with you.” And peace came back into their hearts. After Jesus’ ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit, through the Church, when we come to the sacrament of reconciliation, the priest says, “I absolve you from your sins,” and our sins are absolved. This is because Jesus said the word first, “Whoever’s sins you forgive are forgiven them,” and “Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” When the priest says at Mass “This is my body” to a piece of bread, it becomes the body of Jesus, because Jesus first said, “Do this in memory of Me.” All these words of Jesus, I propose, are variations of a single phrase: “I love you.”
You Are Not Alone
The words that we speak can wound or carry Jesus’ healing love to others. Our actions also can “speak” and bring healing. During the same session of prayer during the priest retreat this spring, right after I heard Mary say, “I love you too, Daniel,” a brother priest came and sat beside me. He put his arm around my shoulders and simply asked how I was doing. I answered truthfully, “Good.” We sat there in quiet prayer for a short time. During that time, through the actions of this brother priest, I “heard” the Word of God say over and over, “You are not alone. You are not alone. You are not alone.” These were words that my heart also needed to hear.
Jesus is the Word that heals us. The greatest act of Jesus’ love for us, His Passion, Death and Resurrection, which are made present to us at every Mass, heals us. In this life, Jesus’ gift of Himself in holy Communion—given out of love for us—is His greatest healing word.
What “word” do you need Jesus to speak to you? That is a great question to ask ourselves each time we go to Mass and, like the centurion, beg Jesus, “But only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.” Perhaps it is “You are not alone,” “I love you,” “I will never abandon you,” “You are worthy,” “Be set free,” “Do not be afraid,” “You are good,” “I forgive you” or something else.
Jesus is the Word of God. He is the Love of God made flesh. He desires to dwell in us, to “enter under our roof,” so that our whole heart may be healed by His love. Healed by Him, He can speak through each of us, both in voice and in action, and bring healing to many souls who are begging Him to only say the word.