Beloved Reader, 

You may have noticed that the priest always carries a vial of oil in his pocket to anoint any sick people he may meet.  In fact, this is a Biblical commandment mentioned by St. James in his epistle in which he says: "Is any among you sick? Let him call  for the elders of the church (Presbeteros) and let them pray  over  him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer  of  faith will   save  the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (Jas5:14,15). 

Therefore the church sees to it that its sons are anointed with previously consecrated oil and it prays for them so that the Lord may grant them the grace of healing.  When you look at the previous verse carefully, you will find that it does not only mention physical healing, but it also talks about the healing of the soul, for the apostle says "and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." 
Why, then, does this link exist? 

There is a definite relation between the spirit, the body, and the soul, for man is one unit. The Lord  Jesus Christ is the real physician of all these elements.  Because the Church realized the existence of this relation from the beginning, it has made the priest pray in the prayer for the sick saying: "Remember, O Lord,  the sick among your people; have mercy and compassion on them, heal .... every oppressed or captive soul.  Grant them forgiveness of their sins and iniquities.  And us, too, O Lord, heal our  spiritual  diseases  as  well  as the sickness of our bodies, O Thou  True Physician of our souls and bodies.  O Provider for every body,  undertake our salvation."

We thus perceive the link between the different elements of man.  This was confirmed by the Lord Jesus Christ when He healed the paralytic, for He started by healing his soul first (and it is the more important and the more lasting), then proceeded to heal his body: "Your sins are forgiven" (Mk. 2: 5), and "arise, take up your bed, and go your way to your house" (Mk. 2: 11).

This is a truth that is revealed by modern science, for we now hear of Psycho-Somatic diseases.  There is no doubt that the soul that is wearied by worry will inflict many diseases on the body, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and stomach ulcers, etc.  Likewise, the soul that has lost the path and commits sins defiles the body.  Because of this sin, the body suffers from many diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, AIDS, and other diseases.  That is why the priest listens to the patient's confession and grants him absolution before anointing him with oil.

Some Advice
We, therefore, offer the dear reader some simple advice.  He who leads a life of purity and holiness in Christ is spared the diseases of the spirit (for he lives in Christ's unchanging peace), of the soul (for he has victory over temptation and sin), and of the body (for he enjoys good health).

This does not mean that God does not allow physical diseases for spiritual objectives, such as urging a person to repent, protecting him from pride  (such  as the thorn of which St. Paul  suffered),   or  to cleanse   and purify him (like Job, the righteous).  The important thing is to be with Christ and that Christ be with me; that is perfect healing.

If you or one of your loved ones should become sick, dear reader, do not forget the commandment to call the priest to hear a repentant's confession and to anoint him with oil, and the Lord will grant complete healing.  The Lord Jesus Christ Himself commanded His disciples to anoint the sick with oil, for "they anointed many sick  people with oil and cured them" (Mk. 6: 13).

Beloved brother,
Pray with all your heart,  "Lord Jesus Christ, my physician, heal my body of all diseases, my spirit of all its worries, and my soul of all its sins, for you are the true physician.

My Lord Jesus Christ,
The Church calls You the True Physician, and You are really so.  "True" means: Unlimited power to heal
Total ability to do so also

For no disease can resist You, O Lord,   for  You  heal  man   with   a wonderful comprehensiveness; You heal:
The body..... You remove its illnesses
The spirit..... You have mercy on its misery and groans
The soul.....  You cleanse it from its sins
The intellect... You relieve its perplexity

Indeed, this is total healing which I need every day, and even every moment. So live within me, O True Physician,   to comfort me in all the aspects of my life, for You are Christ, and You are the Comforter!

END

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