“Peter said, ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise and] walk.’” In the early Church, we see many miracles worked by Jesus and the Apostles. But what about now? Christ’s healing is still made present in many ways, including through the intercession of the saints. Before her death, St. Therese of Lisieux referenced how she would intercede for us, saying, “I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth.” With this in mind, who are some other saints who are particularly known to pray for our healing?
St. Charbel was born in 1828 in Lebanon and lived 23 years as a hermit. After his death, the Superior of his monastery said, “Because of what he…is going to accomplish after his death, I excuse myself from giving details of his life…his obedience was angelic and not human.” Miracles immediately occurred after his death, with his tomb emanating light and a holy oil, and his body being found incorruptible for 67 years.
In 2016, a young mother with a condition that caused her to lose her vision was venerating his relics (https://www.ncregister.com/blog/arizona-womans-blindness-miraculously-cured-through-st-charbel). Within 48 hours of being blessed with the relics, her sight was restored. After her miraculous healing, she said, “God gave me my vision back for a reason…it’s important for people to know that God does exist, and he does hear us.”
Another saint, St. Gemma Galgani , was born in 1878 in Italy. From a young age, St. Gemma had great devotion and received mystical experiences, including her own miraculous healing of meningitis through the intercession of Venerable Gabriel Possenti. Gemma also received the stigmata, and similar to St. Paul in the Acts of the Apostles, she was known to send her guardian angel to deliver messages to her confessor in Rome.
A miracle attributed to her intercession involved a 10-year-old with cancerous ulcers. When a photo of St. Gemma was placed on the young girl’s neck, she asked for St. Gemma’s intercession. The girl was immediately cured. St. Gemma is a powerful intercessor, seeking healing for many types of infirmities. While she is the patron of those suffering from tuberculosis and those with back pain, I have personally seen her desire to aid those having troubles with infertility as well.
One final saint, St. Jane Frances de Chantal , has a special love for mothers, widows, and wives. After seven years of a beautiful marriage, her husband was tragically killed. Mourning this loss, she struggled with anxiety and doubt, being “full of faith, yet…tormented by thoughts against it.”St. Jane developed a close relationship with St. Francis de Sales, and his spiritual guidance helped her find healing and peace. Numerous healings have been attributed to her both during and after her life.
Let us pray to these saints, asking their intercession especially for the healing of our wounds.
Saints Charbel, Gemma, and Jane, ora pro nobis.