Too many people fall for pop psychology which basically tells us we should go out and buy chocolate, or even sin in order to find healing. I sometimes think the mad dash for holidays and vacations for which western people spend millions of money each year is a misplaced seeking for healing and refreshment which can happen in one's own home.
Healing of the spiritual life is not a 20th century invention. The Catholic Church, especially in the Thomistic, Scholastic tradition has built upon the Scripture passage, Jeremiah 3:22. When I first read this passage many years ago, I almost jumped out of my seat at university. I realized that I had to cooperate with God as to healing my sins. Return, you rebellious children, and I will heal your rebellions. Behold we come to thee: for thou art the Lord our God.
This is why Confession is such a great sacrament and if possible, we should go weekly. God can heal us then.
So, the purification IS the healing. This concept may be earth-shaking to many people. We think in our modern era that healing is "warm fuzzies". No, healing is like the skinning of the dragon's layers in C. S. Lewis' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (I have read the book, but not seen the new movie). Eustace must be healed of his horrible character defects learned and formed in a liberal family and liberal school environment. Lewis was prophesying future generations of awful kids growing into awful self-centered adults, who cannot see their own sin of pride.
We really hate Eustace and cannot stand his complete insensitivity to the needs of others. He is a dragon inside as well as outside. Without purification, Eustace would have grown up as another Peter Pan man, a theme on this blog. He would have been horribly without courage and self-less-ness. He would have remained a dragon within, only wanting to sit on gold with poisonous breath and deceitful eyes.
Let us hope we can all be so healed and repentant, allowing God to purify us.
