A Reflection on Healing by Stephanie Boccuzzi

You can watch Stephanie's Reflection here.

Our physical bodies are temporary and fleeting. One thing we know for sure is that throughout our lives we will experience sickness and health, seasons of strength and weakness, and as we age we face, in greater retrospect, our human frailties. On this feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, we are invited to examine our bodily existence and consider the lived experiences of those in any type of distress - whether that be in mind, body, or spirit. I share my story with you today, but I also lift it up to be in communion with all who suffer. My physical body was at one time very resilient. I found my peace and purpose through movement and exercise. To know me was to know I was very active, an explorer of the world, and always on the move. My identity was wrapped up in my physical abilities and I knew God through the sweat on my brow. As a collegiate athlete, I found a deep sense of purpose in using my physical form to contribute to a team. God spoke to me through my teammates and I loved every minute I was playing or coaching on a tennis court. I hold onto those memories as I now grieve the loss of those abilities. 

In fall of 2022, I was diagnosed with a very rare neurological autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis (MG for short). I often refer to MG as a sister to multiple sclerosis. I have a wide variety of symptoms that are hard to address. I spent the last several years in and out of the ICU, undergoing surgery, and trying new treatments. All to no avail. My body has been deemed “a bear” or “a mystery” by medical professionals. They just don’t know what to do with me! My story is not unique. As much as we hold onto advancements in medical research and interventions, our bodies persist to surprise and confound experts in the field. Like many, the process of grieving your body, holding the trauma of sickness, and making peace with a life that you did not choose is too much to wrap your head around. And, so, how do you embrace your differently abled body and how do you invite others to accompany you? It has taken me some time to discern what this looks like and I have had to reshape what “independence” and “agency” mean for me because I am 100% dependent on others. One Scripture story that comes to mind and brings me comfort is the story of the woman with the hemorrhage. We learn of a woman who bled for 12 years. No healer at the time could help her. She spent her fortune trying to find an answer to her pain to no avail. And consequently, because she was deemed unclean within the Jewish community, she was forbidden to worship alongside her people. She was alienated, pushed to the peripheries, and “othered.” However, that is just the beginning of the story.  With belief that she could be healed, she pressed through the crowd to touch the cloak of Jesus. Instantly, she was unburdened and made whole. No longer was her physical condition a mystery! Surprisingly, Jesus did not know what happened or who touched him. His disciples assure him he simply felt the crowd pushing in on him, but Jesus knew someone called forth his divinity. Imagine that - Jesus, the Christ, in his humanity, was unaware of who sparked his divinity. This unnamed, sick woman created an opportunity for herself to be healed, and so it was. Jesus restores her and grants her peace.

For me, this woman is an exemplar of faith and resilience. She created her own fount of healing with the courage to say that she in fact did deserve to be healed. We all deserve healing and can share in her confidence that we don’t have to just become our suffering! When we invite others to participate in our healing we also see how God breaks through our broken bodies with love. I think about how my husband who bears witness to my pain and only grows in love for me. My mother who offers her perpetual prayers and administers the Eucharist to me every week, despite facing her own sadness at the loss of her child’s abilities. And friends, who grieve with me, but find new ways to grow closer given my accessibility needs. Chronic illness is a pilgrimage. Many do travel to Our Lady of Lourdes to dip into the fountain seeking a miracle, but we who are limited by our physical abilities, also know that God’s restorative love is always available to us - we need only ask. Let us pray for all those who are sick - that the spark of Jesus’ divine love wash over them, restore them, and give them new life. Amen.

This reflection was shared during Taizé prayer and adoration on February 11, 2026.