Your cry ascends with the voice of the Canaanite woman: "Lord, have mercy on me." You feel the affliction in your very flesh, the bleeding, the weakness, the shadow of disease, and so you plead not for another but for yourself, for you are conscious of the pain. This is no small thing; God receives such prayers when they come from a broken heart. Yet consider why God permits the body to suffer. It is often because, when the soul is sick, we feel no pain, but when the body is hurt, we seek healing with urgency. And so God in His mercy may use bodily infirmity as a remedy for the soul, that by tending to the lesser part, the better part may be cured. Recall our Lord’s word to the paralytic: “Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” Not every sickness springs from some particular sin, but every sickness is a call to examine the heart. Therefore, while you grope for health, search out anything that offends Him. If there be any root of bitterness, cast it out. Turn away from whatever might have opened a door to the enemy, for though you fear the curse of others, no curse has power unless our own sins give it welcome. Rather, fear sin itself; it is a fearful thing, and the ruin of body and soul alike.
But do not let fear overwhelm you. Mercy triumphs over judgment. You ask for healing, and rightly so, but stretch out your hands also to give mercy, for mercy is the oil that brings light and quenches the fire of affliction. Alms deliver from death, the Scripture says. If you desire God to have mercy on you, show mercy to your neighbor. Give of your substance, however little, to the poor. Visit the sick, even in your own weakness, with a word of comfort. For the merciful shall obtain mercy. If we are pitiless, how can we expect pity? This is the true character of a Christian, to be merciful even as our heavenly Father is merciful. Let there be no delay: begin today, and you will see how this heavenly oil sustains your lamp.
Rely not on your own strength, but on the superabundant grace of God. He does not merely release us from punishment; He makes us sons, heirs, joint-heirs with Christ. Yet this requires something of us: faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Believe that He is able to save you, and love Him by keeping His commandments. The body is but earthenware, soon damaged by disease and weakness, but the potter can restore what is broken. Therefore, do not faint. We who have obtained mercy in such great measure ought not to despair under the weight of trials. Rather, let your present suffering be an occasion to cling more tightly to the Physician of our souls and bodies. Call upon the intercessions of the church, for the prayer of the righteous avails much, and we shall pray with you. But you also, when you hear the priest say, “The Lord will have mercy on you,” add works worthy of that mercy. Fast according to your strength, not loading the body to excess but giving it what is sufficient, for a sufficiency is nourishment, health, and pleasure; excess brings disease. So in all things, seek the middle path of moderation.
Finally, do not fix your hope entirely on the health of the body. Should it please the Lord to try you yet longer, know that His grace is sufficient. The flame of trial, when mingled with the oil of mercy and the tears of repentance, becomes a light that guides you to the kingdom. Many who seemed beyond recovery were suddenly restored when they turned wholly to God. Even at the gates of death, there is hope. Rise up then, cry out without ceasing, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” He who raised the paralytic, who restored the bleeding woman, who healed all manner of sickness, is the same yesterday and today. He hears you; He sees your blood and your tears. Only do not let this hour pass without fruit. Let your sickness become a door to a deeper repentance, a more fervent charity, and a faith that can move mountains. Then, whether you are delivered from this infirmity or given strength to endure it, you will find that the mercy of God has swallowed up every curse, and that even this light affliction is working for you an eternal weight of glory.