Dear Friend,
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on something so simple that it almost feels obvious: Nearly everything that Jesus does in his ministry is to heal broken people.
He did not heal people so they could go to heaven; he healed people so they could live fully in this world now. It’s obvious. How did we miss that?
The healing focus of the gospel became corrupted when we made it about securing a “ticket” for the next world, rather than experiencing aliveness in this one. Many of us are tempted to seek an escape from this moment instead of trusting that God’s healing is possible for us now — that even this moment can be good. We have treated “repentance” as the price of our heavenly ticket, when it actually means “a change of mind” — a transformation for the better.
We are living in a time that is crying out for healing. We see the tears of personal and collective grief flowing. We see the anger over injustice, understandably boiling. We see people tempted toward despair and cynicism. At the same time, we see so many people meeting this moment with courage and compassion, as instruments of God’s universal ministry of love, healing, and peacemaking. Geri, a Daily Meditations reader, shares her own story of healing with us:
I had my world fractured last year after my husband passed away from cancer. I have been grieving his loss and at the same time grieving what’s been going on in our country. Sometimes the sadness and anger I feel are overwhelming. But every day, I pray for healing for myself and the world around me. I want to be an instrument of Christ’s peace, whatever that entails. Thank you, Father Richard Rohr, and staff of CAC, for helping me through these uncertain and painful times!
At the Center for Action and Contemplation, we are committed to sharing Christian contemplative wisdom that heals lives for today and inspires action now. Everything we offer is designed to nurture authentic spirituality that brings divine love, healing, and justice into the present world.
The CAC’s work is primarily funded by the support and participation of people like you who give freely and joyfully to support it. We are deeply grateful for each and every one of you.
Twice per year, we pause our usual Daily Meditations and ask for your financial support. If the CAC’s work has been meaningful to you, including the Daily Meditations, please consider making a gift. Every gift, no matter the amount, helps bring the gospel’s message of healing to a world that desperately needs it.
If you are able, please consider making a monthly gift as a member of the Bonaventure Circle of Support, the CAC’s monthly giving community. Monthly gifts help expand our programs, provide scholarships to students, and carry this transformative wisdom forward for a new generation of seekers.
Tomorrow, the Daily Meditations will continue exploring this week’s topic of “For Love of the Earth.”
Thank you for being part of this community of people who are willing to face the suffering of the world, while trusting that healing is still possible if love remains at the center.
Peace and every good,
Fr. Richard Rohr
Founder, Center for Action and Contemplation
You can donate securely online at cac.org/dm-appeal or send a check (USD only) to CAC, P.O. Box 12464, Albuquerque, NM 87195. Donations are tax-deductible in the United States. EIN # 85-0354965. We invite donations of any size. Learn more about other ways to give, including gifts of stock, qualified distributions from your IRA, gifts from a Donor-Advised Fund or a gift in your will at cac.org/support. Reply to this email if you have any questions or want to discuss making a transformational gift. Thank you for your ongoing support!
