Welcome to the final day of Amelia's Novena! Thank you so much for sticking with it.
On this day, we once again contemplate the Joyful Mysteries (text, video).
Yesterday, I quoted the book of Job: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" Recently, I had a bracelet made with this inscription, to remind myself to be humble when questioning God. But on the other side, I had inscribed:
He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”
We have to have faith that this is possible. Not just belief, which is relatively easy. We need the virtue of faith, as CS Lewis describes it:
I was assuming that if the human mind once accepts a thing as true it will automatically go on regarding it as true, until some real reason for reconsidering it turns up. In fact, I was assuming that the human mind is completely ruled by reason. But that is not so. For example, my reason is perfectly convinced by good evidence that anaesthetics do not smother me and that properly trained surgeons do not start operating until I am unconscious. But that does not alter the fact that when they have me down on the table and clap their horrible mask over my face, a mere childish panic begins inside me. . . . In other words, I lose my faith in anaesthetics. It is not reason that is taking away my faith: on the contrary, my faith is based on reason. It is my imagination and emotions. The battle is between faith and reason on one side and emotion and imagination on the other. . . .
It's an emotional time for us. We're devastated to hear about Amelia's diagnosis. These are natural reactions. But that doesn't mean we should lose our faith that God answers our prayers.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.
Lord God, we thank You for all the ways You have blessed and assisted us in our lives. We humbly ask You today to bring healing to all who are sick.
You have blessed us in many ways, and You always answer our prayers in some way. You have brought about many good things for us and for others, but we do not always remember to thank You or praise You as we ought to for the great good You have worked.
We ask You to heal all the sick, and we particularly ask You today to help us grow in gratitude to You for the many ways You assist us. Help us to grow in the virtues we need most for holiness, at every opportunity. Help us to grow in intimacy with You each day.
And we especially ask in this novena to cure Amelia of her metachromatic leukodystrophy.
Lord, hear our prayers!