Generational healing?

[moedom]

Blessings to all,

A priest told us yesterday that generational healing is a protestant device and should not be accepted by Catholics. And that in fact the Church teaches the opposite. He says that these bonds are broken at baptism. What makes this harder to believe is that my wife and even my spiritual director believe that there is such a thing and that certain prayers can heal us. She qualifies it by saying that the generational prayer is more against close relatives like fathers and grandfathers. If anyone out there can give me an answer on this subject that would be great.

Thanking you ahead,
Moe

 

[thistle]

moedom:

Blessings to all,

A priest told us yesterday that generational healing is a protestant device and should not be accepted by Catholics. And that in fact the Church teaches the opposite. He says that these bonds are broken at baptism. What makes this harder to believe is that my wife and even my spiritual director believe that there is such a thing and that certain prayers can heal us. She qualifies it by saying that the generational prayer is more against close relatives like fathers and grandfathers. If anyone out there can give me an answer on this subject that would be great.

Thanking you ahead,
Moe

What is generational healing?

 

[MonkeyTape]

thistle:

What is generational healing?

generationalhealing.com/default.htm

Generational Healing is a process of energetic healing that delves into the deepest part of our humanity, our unconscious memories of the past — generations of belief systems that influence and condition the way we think and feel — and liberates us to tap freely into our divine nature.

where recurring problems such as divorce, alcoholism, financial problems, accidents, run in families. When a person dies, it is believed that his/her spirits who caused such problems or natural spiritual tendencies or inclinations are passed on to the descendants. In other words, **it is believed that children are adversely affected who were also affected by the sins of their ancestors.
**
This alone makes me think the Church would be against this. Jesus was asked in John 9:2-3
His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. Jesus taught that the sins of the parents are not held against us. In fact “Jesus **never **drew a one-to-one connection between sin and suffering.” (NAB note on John 5:14)

catholicdoors.com/isit/isit12.htm

To accept “Generational Healing” as being truthful, it is a claim that man does not enjoy a free will. If a person is possessed by vil spirits because of the sins of his ancestors, logically, he cannot be held accountable for the actions of his sinful nature. In other words, “the devil made him do it.”

I don’t know how reliable Catholic Doors is, but their few points against it do make sense. There is a lot more on that page, read it if you are curious…

 

[Eireann]

moedom:

Blessings to all,

A priest told us yesterday that generational healing is a protestant device and should not be accepted by Catholics.

I agree 100% with your Priest, if generational healing were true, then it would render Baptism useless. Generational Healing

John 9:1 And Jesus passing by, saw a man, who was blind from his birth: 2 And his disciples asked him: Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind? 3 Jesus answered: Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

From the above it seems the man had an affliction that could not be said to be a curse.

Where did the Jews get this notion? Partly from the provisional Revelation given them by God. In the book of Exodus, God says, “I am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me” (20:5; 34:7). But is this meant to apply for all time unto the end of the world, like the Ten Commandments? No; many things in the Jewish Revelation were for the Jews only, such as circumcision, animal sacrifices, and other ritual and judicial laws. St John Chrysostom says explicitly that the declaration of punishment unto later generations “is not to be universally applied, but was made with regard to those going out of Egypt” (Homily 56 on St John).
**
Even within the Old Testament itself, God changed this arrangement. See all of chapter 18 in Ezekiel. God says, “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel.” Further on, God says, "Yet you [Jews] say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is lawful and right, he shall surely live. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself" (18:19-20). Jeremiah 31:29-30 says the same.**
Fr Peter Joseph

Sorry Monkey Tape, we seem to have clashed, but I’ll leave it.

Anyway even Reiki believe in generational healing ummm.

 

[LRThunder]

If this is of Protestant origin, it’s not something I’ve ever heard of.

 

[setter]

thistle:

What is generational healing?

It is referred to as intergenerational healing. It is authentic, fully Catholic and Holy Spirit inspired, guided and empowered to set believers free from the negative spiritual influences that gained entry point from prior family generations. Here is a brief article excerpt that explains this particular ministry:

Healing Mass:
Special emphasis
on healing the family tree
By Fr. Rick Heilman
FOR THE CATHOLIC HERALD

Spiritual inheritance
What is intergenerational healing? We all understand the concept of a material inheritance. After people die, they often leave money, property, and possessions to members of their family.

We also are aware of a physical inheritance. Doctors always ask for the family history of a new patient.

There is also a spiritual inheritance. We can thank God and our family for the benefit from our virtuous ancestors going back a thousand generations (see Sir 44:10-12). We are also adversely affected by the sins of parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents and by the sins of the ancestors who adversely affected them, with consequences that may extend to what is inherited materially, emotionally, and physically.

Family influences
In his book entitled, Intergenerational Healing, Fr. Robert DeGrandis writes: "To give the reader an introductory glimpse into this aspect of the healing ministry, I will borrow a poignant lament from an unknown source: ‘I have Jesus in my heart, but grandpa in my bones.’ Having ‘grandpa in my bones’ is a common struggle.

“Intergenerational healing is, for the Christian, an opportunity to recognize and bring healing to family influences from the past, with implications for the future. Intergenerational healing suggests the possibility that negative acts and deeds of our ancestors can somehow enter our ‘bloodstream’ and take a toll on future generations. Transforming the connection with these troublesome roots is what intergenerational healing is all about. It’s an exciting, fascinating area of the healing ministry.”

Scripture references
Included here are just a few brief Scripture passages that speak of the transmission of effects of parental sins onto their children:

“Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment" (Lamentations 5:7). The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”(Ezekiel 18:2).

“For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness on the children of those who hate Me, down to the third and fourth generation . . .” (Exodus 20:5).

As well, included here are Scripture references to holy influences of parents:

" . . . *but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation, on the children of those who love Me and keep My commandments" (Exodus 20:5). “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands. His children will be mighty in the land; each generation of the upright will be blessed * . . .” (Psalm 112:1-2).

madisoncatholicherald.org/2004-02-26/local-state.html

 

[moedom]

setter:

It is referred to as intergenerational healing. It is authentic, fully Catholic and Holy Spirit inspired, guided and empowered to set believers free from the negative spiritual influences that gained entry point from prior family generations. Here is a brief article excerpt that explains this particular ministry:

madisoncatholicherald.org/2004-02-26/local-state.html

Is there any scriptures from the New Testament to back this up?

 

[jax8686]

The bible says that curses and sins can be carried to the third and fourth generations (thats minimum, not maximum). yes, baptism will break all curses, bonds, etc, but what happens after you are baptized… obviously you can sin, and baptism removes all sin… so a curse can be renewed, or placed on someone after baptism, as can sins, and, in suit, so can healing. not everything is perfectly completed at baptism, since as humans we cannot perfectly accept the healing… things take time, and differnet levels and types of prayer.

 

[DeliaBT]

Intergenerational healing has been discussed in the encyclical ‘Memory and Reconciliation’ where Pope John Paul II stated * “It is based on the conviction that because of “the bond which unites us to one another in the Mystical Body, all of us, though not personally responsible and without encroaching on the judgement of God, who alone knows every heart, bear the burden of the errors and faults of those who have gone before us.”*

Therefore though we are NOT responsible for the sins of our ancestors, we are burdened by the effects of their sins perhaps by illness or weakness. Therefore we should pray for our family tree, apologise on their behave for their sins and pray that they be brought into heaven. Hence one would hope we be released from the burden i.e. healing

this can be found here vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000307_memory-reconc-itc_en.html

As for the person looking for biblical reference, praying for the dead is mentioned in 2 Maccabees 12:38-45 where is states that it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead.

Hope this helps!

 

[Corki]

 When a person dies, it is believed that his/her spirits who caused such problems or natural spiritual tendencies or inclinations are passed on to the descendants

This one just makes me go ----

But (from Setters post)

“Intergenerational healing is, for the Christian, an opportunity to recognize and bring healing to family influences from the past, with implications for the future. Intergenerational healing suggests the possibility that negative acts and deeds of our ancestors can somehow enter our ‘bloodstream’ and take a toll on future generations. Transforming the connection with these troublesome roots is what intergenerational healing is all about. It’s an exciting, fascinating area of the healing ministry.”

This just sounds like psychoanalysis with a spiritual focus. If were are influenced by our parents and our childhood, it makes sense that we are, by extension influenced by whatever influenced our parents. They don’t really enter our bloodstream, IMO, but rather become part of our personal family culture. This just looks like a way to break out of the negative patterns of that family culture.

But why do they have to make it sound so “new agey”?

 

[CB_Catholic]

The bible says that curses and sins can be carried to the third and fourth generations (thats minimum, not maximum). yes, baptism will break all curses, bonds, etc, but what happens after you are baptized… obviously you can sin, and baptism removes all sin… so a curse can be renewed, or placed on someone after baptism, as can sins, and, in suit, so can healing. not everything is perfectly completed at baptism, since as humans we cannot perfectly accept the healing… things take time, and differnet levels and types of prayer.

I think this is total malarky. Curses have no power over a Christian unless they give them power. You have the Holy Spirit, who is more powerful than any curse, or Satan himself. The evil one wants you to believe that there is power in such things, and he may try to make your life miserable, but he was defeated by the Cross and the Resurrection and you don’t have to buy into his lies. And believing a curse is giving Satan power.

 

[CB_Catholic]

This one just makes me go ----

But (from Setters post)

This just sounds like psychoanalysis with a spiritual focus. If were are influenced by our parents and our childhood, it makes sense that we are, by extension influenced by whatever influenced our parents. They don’t really enter our bloodstream, IMO, but rather become part of our personal family culture. This just looks like a way to break out of the negative patterns of that family culture.

But why do they have to make it sound so “new agey”?

This is about the most sensible post on this subject yet. Most of us learn patterns of behavior from our families, and most of us can unlearn them, once we recognize there is a problem, and if we are willing to put forth the effort. Then we don’t have to pass them on to future generations. But it is easier to maintain the status quo and blame your ancestors. And I am being sarcastic here. I don’t believe in generational curses for one minute, but I do believe that negative family culture can be passed down.

 

[Dimitri_Volpe]

It’s actually quite simple…

The Church teaches us about the fall ; Adam and Eve sinned and their sin had consequences. Later generations were affected by the sin(s) of Adam and Eve. When Jesus redeemed us, our debt was paid in full and Freewill was restored ; yet even after Baptism we suffer from a tendency to sin as a result of this “sting” baggage we have inherited from our ancestors (all the way to Adam and Eve) ; this is because sin damages human nature (and even creation at large) ; genetic problems, compulsive tendencies, unexplainable resentment and anger are examples of such. Substance abuse are even easier to understand ; an alcoholic might overcome his compulsion with strict discipline ; he might be forgiven for that sin through the Sacrament of Baptism and/or Reconciliation ; but the tendency will remain with him for the rest of his life ; he is forgiven but in his lifetime, the consequences remain… ; the sting is particularly heavy on the bloodline when our ancestors end up in hell ; reparation by the descendants might even be needed to put an end to the perpetuation of intergenerational sins. Acceptable penance/reparations to deflect the sting coming from ancestors in hell can be such things as attendance to daily mass, daily devotions offered as reparation, Corporal/Spiritual works of mercy offered as reparation, being ordained or embracing religious life (including third order or lay prayer communities). Some will argue that it is not fair for children to pay the price for their’s parents sin, yet we know from simple down to earth observations that sin always have consequences ; should then the children of neighbors suffer from these consequences ?..