The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Jimmy Sales SVD – University of San Carlos, Cebu City
Monday 7th Week of Easter
Among the Adgawan-Manobo of Agusan del Sur, illness is more of a moral than a medical issue. This can be seen in the ritual of healing called pangandila – the ritual of reconciliation between the ill person and the community. The belief is that the illness is caused by the person offending the community for violating a social taboo. After the reconciliation, the community would intercede for the ill person to the spirits whom, they believe, have inflicted the illness on the person.
In our Gospel for today, Jesus admonished the community for their lack of faith which hindered the healing power of God to work for the boy who had been ill since childhood. This shows us how important the collective faith of the community is to bring holistic healing to the ill members of the society.
With the advancements in medical science, the medical needs of the ill persons might be addressed by the professional health workers, but the moral component of illness, especially on a highly stigmatized illness (Das, Veena. 2002. Stigma, Contagion, Defect: Issues in Anthropology in Public Health.), is a responsibility of the community.
If the community shows mercy and compassion, instead of judgment and condemnation, to the physically and spiritually ill members of the society, the power of healing and forgiveness will be experienced by those who need it most.
