Last night, I had a horrible reaction to my second vaccine shot and it came upon me quite suddenly. I’ve been told that this is normal and a sign that the vaccine is working, fortifying my body to fight COVID. It certainly didn’t feel as though I was getting stronger!!!
Vaccines are wonderful medical advances that help us to overcome some of the worst diseases imaginable. But why isn’t there a “psychological” or “spiritual” vaccine that could fortify our minds and hearts against emotional diseases? These are just as threatening to our well being and the intertwining fabric of our culture.
For us who follow Christ, there IS such a vaccine called GRACE!!! We call this “vaccine” a gift from God to transform our minds and hearts. ALL IS GRACE... if only we truly and deeply believe this, not as a doctrine of faith but a divine energy that wants to inoculate us from horrible effects of sin. But we have to surrender to this powerful energy, allowing it to burn away our selfishness, willfulness, egos and arrogance. This makes us feel much worse, spiritually, than I felt physically last night.
We emerge, however, from this purifying force, healed and strengthened, closer to God, more Christlike. The prayer of St Ignatius is warranted here: “Take Lord receive, all I have and possess, give me only your love and your GRACE... that’s enough for me.”
Peace,
Fr. Frank