Bringing Healing to the Heart of the City

June 28th, 2009
Bulletin Cover

I appreciate the flexibility and patience of everyone as we accommodate the work
being done on our building exterior and in the chapel space. This is the first weekend we gather for mass on the second floor and, hopefully, we will be back in our familiar worship space by the end of July. Meanwhile, we can experience the uniqueness of gathering in our “upper room” for the celebration of our Sunday mass. I am grateful to all who help with preparation of the room for mass and then arranging the room for Monday morning Hospitality.

One of the additions to the chapel I am eager to see in place is our new icon, Christ the Healer. When I began my assignment as pastor eight years ago, the idea for an icon depicting Christ as healer seemed to be an appropriate image for our worship space and community. When I came as pastor, I learned the pastoral mission of the parish was best articulated as “bringing healing to the heart of the city.” Already, the Anointing of the Sick after Wednesday masses was established as part of our worship. Later, we would add the celebration of the sacrament after masses on the first weekends of the month.

Healing was and continues to be meaningful to our lives, to our sense of what we are
about—agents of Christ’s healing presence at this corner of downtown Portland. It seemed there was a way we could express this mission of healing with an image of Christ as healer. An icon could be a powerful way to show that Christ is found at the center of our lives of faith and service, bringing the grace of his healing resence to others. Touched by his healing in our own lives, we want to affirm in thers their own search for his healing mercy—the homeless, sick, mentally ill, ddicted, the lost and lonely—and somehow be humble servants for Christ’s healing work in their lives.

We serve as his vessels of healing in many ways. So many long for the healing of love’s presence. We stress the value and importance of the relationships we nurture with one another and those we serve. Our service of hospitality is a door opened to mutual kindness, receiving and holding the other as sacred. The love we share begins to heal wounds of hurt, rejection, abuse, and loss.

We visit those who are sick and suffering. We believe God’s healing grace is made real by our laying on of hands, our words of comfort, our faithful presence to those who are alone and afraid in their suffering. Our presence is reassurance for them.
We have formed a network of prayer through our Prayer Tree ministry. We lift our
prayers to God on behalf of those who count on our support, who want to be remembered and not forgotten in their time of struggle.

Today, we reflect on the presence of Christ who brings the power of his healing to a world in need, to the lives of those who are suffering, to the hearts of all elievers. Just as he moved among those who cried out for healing, who longed for his forgiveness, who had no where else to turn, we embrace his healing mission and reach out to those who are searching for Christ the healer in their lives, seeking his presence and his grace to can change and renew and make whole again.