Thank you, Fr. Costello, for arranging for this special Mass! And thank you and Fr. Chin for concelebrating! We are offering this Mass for all those who are in attendance tonight, as well as for all those who could not join us because of their illnesses. United in prayer, we seek healing and help through the intercession of St. Peregrine Laziosi, patron saint of those afflicted with cancer.
Born in Forli, northern Italy, in 1206 to a wealthy family, Peregrine initially became involved in political circles opposed to the Catholic Church. His life was dramatically changed when he struck a papal representative, Saint Philip Benizi, who, instead of retaliating against Peregrine, offered him peace and forgiveness! Deeply moved by this act of forgiveness, Peregrine repented, converted to Catholicism, and joined the Servite Order. He spent the next 50 years ministering to the sick, the poor, and those on the fringe of society! In his later years, he developed a cancerous ulcer on his leg! Doctors recommended amputation, but the night before the surgery, he prayed before a crucifix! During his prayer, he experienced a trance-like vision where he saw Jesus descend from the cross and touch his leg. The next morning, he woke up to find his leg completely healed!! Peregrine lived for another 20 years and eventually died in 1345. About 400 years later, he was canonized and became the patron saint for those suffering from cancer and other serious illnesses. It wasn’t until my own diagnosis of cancer about 5 years ago that I really discovered St. Peregrine. Now I have become very conscious of asking for his intercession. As soon as I hear of someone who has cancer, I tell them about this saint and give them his prayer card and promise that they will be added to my prayer list.
In times of sickness, we need our faith more than ever. My mantra has become “with faith it remains difficult to accept crosses, but without faith it is almost impossible to deal with the serious problems that come our way.” So with faith and trust in the providence of God, with the power of the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the Divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can face our own struggle with illness and diseases that come our way and to those we love. Illness brings a certain amount of worry, anxiety, and spiritual pain. With God’s help, we get the graces and strength we need to cope! But it doesn’t hurt to have the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary – for who is a better comfort in sickness and pain than a mother! She has her own tenderness and solace to offer us! And it doesn’t hurt to have the intercession of the saints when sickness comes – they were human – they experienced what we experience – and that’s why the Church gives them to us – so we have not only their intercessory prayer but also their “companionship on the journey.” Some of the saints have been designated as intercessors for various illnesses. Saint Peregrine is one of them. Let him become a friend!
One of the greatest blessings in times of illness is having a family member or a few friends to stand by you and help you, very often with some of the practical, everyday, ordinary tasks that become more difficult when you are sick. Please do not make the mistake that I made. I tried to do it myself! I can handle this! I don’t need help! One of the biggest mistakes I made was to pretend that I didn’t need others. When I came to the realization that I couldn’t do this by myself, I eventually reached out to family and friends and was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support. The word of God is the ultimate comfort and consolation for us tonight. The First reading reminds us that the Scriptures are divine tools for spiritual growth, and one of the scripture passages that we find most appealing is “Come to me, all you who labor and are suffering, and I will give you rest.” And the word of God that comes to us in the Gospel passage we heard proclaimed to us tonight, “Your faith has healed you.” Although we want physical healing, sometimes we receive another type of healing – a spiritual healing – an inner peace – a realization that God is with us. What a gift to have- a God who accompanies us on the journey – a God who knows firsthand what it is to suffer pain.
Our prayer tonight is a sincere and faith-filled prayer – “Jesus, son of God – have mercy on us.” Jesus, help us not to turn to despair – but rather to have hope in You and to trust You always – Please deepen our faith in Your love for us. Please help, dear Jesus, all cancer survivors to be grateful for each day and each moment. Not to take things for granted but to be mindful of all of our blessings. Help all who are struggling with cancer, chemo, radiation, and all the side effects to know that you are with them in their need. Help families, especially caregivers, to be mindful of the extremely Christ-like role they play in the healing process! We know that St. Peregrine is a powerful intercessor for us because his life was completely given to God. We know that inasmuch as this saint wants our healing, he wants what God wants most of all – our salvation in Christ! While we pray for our healing tonight – we also pray even more that we might become close to God and never underestimate what closeness to God can do for us. The lesson of St. Peregrine’s life is not that God worked a miracle but that a faithful servant placed himself, without conditions or without reservation, in the hands of God. St. Peregrine’s trust in God serves as a great role model for those dealing with cancer or any serious illnesses. When the Divine Mercy prayer becomes our prayer – we get true peace and healing. “Jesus, I trust in you.”
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