Healing through the Holy Spirit

  • Thread starter Thread starter Lindsey2905
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
L

Lindsey2905

Guest
How does a practicing Catholic know if they have a gift of healing (physical ailments) to ensure it is coming from the Holy Spirit for God’s Glory and not coming from ‘other’ sources?
 
Usually the person praying will invoke Jesus’ name as they pray for healing. If healing results, how would that give the idea it did not come from God?
 
@Sirach2 Satan also gives results, he can do miracles. It needs to be done properly and must be checked. It is always checked inside prayer groups who are under authority of bishop.
There are people who aren’t in Catholic Church nor in protestant community and who work for themselves, these people perform “healings” and it works, they even say that Holy Spirit works through them. That one person I knew “invokes” Holy Spirit but also serves to Sai Baba at the same time and practices many other things. Jesus is for them guru. Satan imitates many things and deceive.
 
Last edited:
It is always checked inside prayer groups who are under authority of bishop.
I would not want to think that the only time one may pray for the healing of another person would be in a prayer group with the bishop’s authority.

There are many times that the prayer of a fervent believer at the bedside of a really ill person may implore God to heal in the name of Jesus. Your way is too restrictive. After all, the intention in one’s heart is what counts and what determines the good result. If Satan responds to the believer’s command to heal, well, does it really fail to give GOD the glory? Wouldn’t the sick person glorify Him in thanksgiving? Satan loses in that case.
 
Last edited:
I would not want to think that the only time one may pray for the healing of another person would be in a prayer group with the bishop’s authority.
I did not say that it has to be done in prayer group. I said that it has to be done properly and checked. How can you check if you are your own authority.
Just to ask, are you protestant?

I wrote this as example how someone can “invoke” God but not work with God and not heal by God’s power and still look like God’s healer to many people.You are pulling things out of context
There are people who aren’t in Catholic Church nor in protestant community and who work for themselves, these people perform “healings” and it works, they even say that Holy Spirit works through them. That one person I knew “invokes” Holy Spirit but also serves to Sai Baba at the same time and practices many other things. Jesus is for them guru.
Not all but many sick persons are looking for healing anywhere, healing is only what matters for many of them and they don’t make diferences between “healers” and that is why they end up in deeper bondage. Satan can give you health but takes something from you and you don’t even notice that until it becomes deeper. That is why I mentioned importance of authority of Church, in this case Catholic Church- OP is catholic as I can see.
It is not the same to be under authority of Church and obedience, under those who check you and lead you and those who perform miracles on their own. Tell me how do they know that they are cooperating with Holy Spirit? Who is authority to determine?
 
Last edited:
My question wasnt intended to cause any discord. Thankyou for your replies and for reference to book. Peace
 
Don’t worry @Lindsey2905 it is not you, it’s because of two different streams on same theme.
 
Last edited:
I did not say that it has to be done in prayer group. I said that it has to be done properly and checked. How can you check if you are your own authority.
Just to ask, are you protestant?

I wrote this as example how someone can “invoke” God but not work with God and not heal by God’s power and still look like God’s healer to many people.You are pulling things out of context.
Apples/oranges - I am speaking about a person who receives a divine inspiration to pray that a sick person be healed and invokes Jesus’ name in the prayer. You are speaking about someone ministering healing to a larger gathering, and yes, this should be verified by authority before they hang out their shingle, so to speak.
 
Just to ask, are you protestant?
No, I am a devout Roman Catholic, and a secular Carmelite.

It may help to review the Church’s teaching in the CCC, lest your response cause confusion about a very authentic gift of healing. Note well #1507.

"Heal the sick . . ."

[1506]
Christ invites his disciples to follow him by taking up their cross in their turn. By following him they acquire a new outlook on illness and the sick. Jesus associates them with his own life of poverty and service. He makes them share in his ministry of compassion and healing: “So they went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.”

[1507] The risen Lord renews this mission “In my name . . . they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover” and confirms it through the signs that the Church performs by invoking his name. These signs demonstrate in a special way that Jesus is truly “God who saves.”

[1508] The Holy Spirit gives to some a special charism of healing so as to make manifest the power of the grace of the risen Lord. But even the most intense prayers do not always obtain the healing of all illnesses. Thus St. Paul must learn from the Lord that “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,” and that the sufferings to be endured can mean that “in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his Body, that is, the Church.”
 
Last edited:
Anyone can ask God to be healed if you are pointing to personal prayer and that isn’t problem here. OP obviously asked question refering to ministry healing. Because Holy Spirit’s gift of healing isn’t the same as divine inspiration to pray for someones healing in personal prayer, and laying hands isn’t for anyone to do it just out of their inspiration if they are not given permission from authority to do it.
You actually mixed different fruits in same basket.
 
So you tell me why are you answering apples to OP when she is asking about bananas?
You are mixing gift of healing with divine inspiration as part of personal prayer.
 
Last edited:
You don’t understand, it seems. Read the OP’s post once more, please.

How does a practicing Catholic know if they have a gift of healing. I’m out.
 
Last edited:
So you tell me. Obviously, to know who has gift of healing it is wise and needed to be determined by person who is authority of Church as I wrote in previous posts.
And the parts of Cathecism you are refering to are under “Sacrament of Antointing of the Sick”. It is the THIRD thing we are mentioning in this discussion but these 3 things aren’t in one basket even though they are connected because the main theme of every of them is HEALING and are simmilar in some parts.
And what OP asked I answered by correcting your statements.
I don’t even understand why you cite CCC when Sacrament of Antointing of the Sick can only give a priest and part of it can be gift of healing if priest has that gift and it doesn’t change sacrament at all. Even if he doesn’t have a gift of healing Christ heals person through that Sacrament (if it is His will) because Sacrament does not depend on gifts of priest, Christ alone comes in Sacrament and heals. CHRIST, not gift of healing nor priest.
And again, OP asked this
How does a practicing Catholic know if they have a gift of healing (physical ailments) to ensure it is coming from the Holy Spirit for God’s Glory and not coming from ‘other’ sources?
Obviously to know if someone has something it has to be checked through some process. Doesn’t that seem logical? For gift of healing “procedure” of checking leads authority of Church and that is priest/spiritual director/bishop.
Your way is too restrictive.
I am sorry if that is too strict for you but we don’t want to be frivolous. And Church is always careful with people who say they have gifts of healing as well as everything that is not ordinary and can also be result of Satans games.
And to be clear, again, ANYONE can pray for themselves or for others to be healed but that is not what OP asked. Praying for others is one thing and praying for healing through gift of healing is another thing but can give same results. Rosary gives result as well as laying hands over sick person.
I hope you understand what I am saying.
 
Last edited:
The person needs to be under very careful spiritual direction by a non-Charismatic priest. The sacraments of healing are given to the clergy.

These “healing ministries” can well intentionally go so far off the rails. As my priest-friend says “every Mass is a healing mass”.
 
@TheLittleLady I agree with that “Every Mass is healing Mass.”
 
Last edited:
How does a practicing Catholic know if they have a gift of healing (physical ailments) to ensure it is coming from the Holy Spirit for God’s Glory and not coming from ‘other’ sources?
If you look at the CCC articles I referenced, on this website, you’ll see some numbers next to the wording. Scroll down to the bottom of that page - these numbers will refer you to the pertinent scriptures that encourage prayer for healing. My opponent wrongly said these quotes from the CCC are referencing the sacrament of the sick, but the CCC does not address this until later in its own section beginning at #1511.

The best advice I can offer is that unless you attempt to pray for healing for others, and are successful, how would you even recognize that you may have been given this gift? One just does not go to the authority and ask if they have the gift unless they have had a measure of success in praying for healing. As the scriptures teach, the Holy Spirit is pleased to bestow gifts as He wills, and once you determine that you have been blessed in achieving healing through prayer, then THAT is the time to seek advice.

You may be edified by the Church’s teaching in Lumen Gentium from Vatican II.
The Church, which the Spirit guides in way of all truth and which He unified in communion and in works of ministry, He both equips and directs with hierarchical and charismatic gifts and adorns with His fruits. By the power of the Gospel He makes the Church keep the freshness of youth. Uninterruptedly He renews it and leads it to perfect union with its Spouse.

It is not only through the sacraments and the ministries of the Church that the Holy Spirit sanctifies and leads the people of God and enriches it with virtues, but, "allotting his gifts to everyone according as He wills, He distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts He makes them fit and ready to undertake the various tasks and offices which contribute toward the renewal and building up of the Church, according to the words of the Apostle: “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit”. These charisms, whether they be the more outstanding or the more simple and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation for they are perfectly suited to and useful for the needs of the Church. Extraordinary gifts are not to be sought after, nor are the fruits of apostolic labor to be presumptuously expected from their use; but judgment as to their genuinity and proper use belongs to those who are appointed leaders in the Church, to whose special competence it belongs, not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to that which is good.
The last part of this quote advises to seek appointed leaders in the Church, but I submit to you that first you need to ascertain whether or not your prayers for healing are producing fruit and THEN seek their advice.
 
Last edited:
I suppose the specific situation would have to be discerned. If someone is healed, and that leads to the person’s conversion and glorifying God and even other people’s conversions, and knowing that anything supernatural that is not of God is of the Devil, then one would ask: what has the Devil gained here? can the Devil work against himself?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top