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- WHAT IS HEALING?
Healing is being in touch with reality. It is a process that involves our entire being. To
be healed we need to trust our reality, not be afraid of who we are. Healing involves
being spiritual allowing ourselves and others to be the persons we are, the persons
God intended us to be.
Healing is like GRIEF. It is a PROCESS.
I can IMPEDE SUPPRESS OVERCOME ABANDON the process. Someone else can
STAND IN THE WAY of the process. We have to KNOW what we REALLY WANT. We
have to RECOGNIZE the healing when it comes. We have to know WHAT REALLY
MATTERS.
- Bartimeas, the beggar in the gospel went through a PROCESS. He had to want to
better his life. He was sitting there doing a very difficult thing begging, asking others to
take care of him. At any time he could give up ABANDON the process, SUPPRESS
his begging, be OVERCOME with despair, doubt, and in other ways IMPEDE the
process.
Others STOOD IN HIS WAY. Many REBUKED HIM. TOLD HIM TO BE QUIET. But he
did not allow his own or other’s impediments to impede the Process.
He KNEW WHAT HE WANTED. But that can change! Once he SAW he saw even more
clearly. He saw what he REALLY WANTED. He could have been satisfied with
material sight but now he had an even deeper sight . He even went the final step
KNEW WHAT REALLY MATTERED. Once he received his sight he
followed Jesus.
- HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?
The movie PASSION FISH gives a marvelous example of how healing happens. A young TV
soap opera star is hurt in an auto accident and will be unable to walk the rest of her life. She
is ANGRY, does not want to go through any PROCESS OF HEALING. She just thinks she
will able to stand up and walk if only the doctor and therapist will allow her. She IMPEDES
SUPPRESSES OVERCOMES and ABANDONS the process all in one act.
Her nurses STAND IN THE WAY. One is domineering, the others are plagued with their own
personal problems and these seem more important than the woman they are to help. The
final one to come is the least likely to help her. She has more real problems than all the
other together but somehow the two manage to connect.
An interesting PROCESS occurs. She never completely loses her anger. In this life we are
never completely healed. But gradually her sense of humor emerges. She begins taking an
interest in taking pictures and developing them. Her feeling sorry for self fades but is never
completely gone. She Realizes she is not living in a real world. Eventually she realizes the
world she had been living in before the accident was not real.
As a final step she REALIZES SHE WILL NOT BE HEALED AS SHE
WOULD LIKE TO BE BUT HAS TO MAKE THE BEST OF HER LIFE
AS IT REALLY IS.
THAT WAS HER HEALING: REALIZING SHE HAD TO MAKE THE BEST OF HER LIFE AS IT
REALLY IS AND ONLY SHE CAN DO THAT.
THE UNHEALABLE
We need to take part in our own healing. The medical profession cannot take responsibility
for our healing. We need a frame of mind which supports healing. At any stage of the
process any one can impede the process or stop it completely. If we do that we render
ourselves unable to be healed.
I IMPEDE the process by feeling sorry for myself.
I SUPPRESS the process by being unwilling to forgive.
I OVERCOME the process when I become so involved with problem that I see no solution.
I ABANDON the process when I give up, lose hope.
Someone else can STAND IN THE WAY of the process. (S)he can feed my fears and urge
me to seek revenge or tell me many reasons I won’t be healed and lead me to give up, lose
hope. I have to KNOW what I REALLY WANT. I have to RECOGNIZE the healing when it
comes. I have to know WHAT REALLY MATTERS.
HEALING IS MORE THAN JUST PHYSICAL IT IS SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONAL
If we are not willing to stop feeling sorry for ourself, forgive those at whom we are angry, or
become so overwhelmed with a problem that we can see no solution, or if we give up and
lose all hope, then we cannot be healed.
The process of healing was expressed beautifully in the movie "Awakenings", a movie
based on a real story. A New York doctor worked with a group of patients who were
comatose. They had been that way for several years. In the meantime dramatic
changes had occurred in American society. Doctor Sayer (name of doctor in movie)
discovered that they reacted to certain stimuli. In his research he discovered that many
suffered from encephalitis caused by mosquito bites. He found a drug that brought a
miraculous awakening to one of his patients. Eventually it had the same effect on all of
the patients. Then almost as miraculously they all returned one day to a state almost
as comatose as their original state.
In the movie Doctor Sayer summarizes his experience:
"We have to adjust to the reality of miracles. We can hide behind the veil of science
and say the drug failed or the patients simply couldn't cope. The truth is we don't know
what went wrong any more than we know what went right! We've forgotten the simplest
things. As the chemical window closed another awakening took place.
The human spirit is more powerful than any drug. THAT is what needs to be nourished.
Work, play, friendship, family these are the things that matter.
That is what we have forgotten, the simplest things.
DOCTOR PECOT
Doctor LOUIS OCTAVE PECOT standing in front of his doctor's office/pharmacy in Charenton
Doctor Pecot was the only child of ALEXANDRE PECOT. He Worked in his father’s general
store until he went to Tulane Medical School. After finishing medical school first practiced
medicine at THE WATER CURE, a spa like healing center in New Orleans.
When Doctor Pecot first began his practice it was believed that BATHS GOOD FOOD
REST EXERCISE and PLANNED CARE would work miracles. We have come a long way
from that belief. Today we rely on man made drugs.
(Editor aside: On the internet there are several places today with the name “The water
Cure” which use water in a spa like setting to cure)
After his work at THE WATER CURE Dr. Pecot moved back to Charenton. In addition to his
work among the people in the area Dr. Pecot taught his son the basics of health care: how
to take care of cuts, coughs, stomach aches, and minor illnesses. When his son became a
teacher in Labadieville High School these skills became most useful. The form a very small
bit of what we today call Over The Counter (OTC) drugs
BISODOL was used for stomach ache IODINE for cuts
RUBBING ALCOHOL ARESTERPIN for coughs ASPIRIN
DOCTOR TICHENORS for mosquito bites UNGENTINE for burns
Doctor Pecot died a poor man. After his death his books were audited. It was discovered
that about $40,000 was owed him in unpaid medical bills. He practiced medicine for the
sake of helping people not to become rich.
Material on Doctor Pecot supplied by Mary Ann Pecot deBoisblanc
Mary Ann Pecot deBoisblanc and friends in front of Doctor Pecot's old office January 2006
INDIAN HEALING
Two separate stories give some idea of how Indian healing took place. The first is a story of
an Indian woman who healed Union officer of snake bite. The officer was so grateful that he
remained in the area and continued to take care of the woman for several years.
The second story relates that one day 2 Chitimacha women observed two poisonous
snakes biting each other. Each woman followed one of the snakes and observed what each
of the snakes ate in order to counteract the poison from the bite of the other snake. They
began cultivating each of these plants and began using them in them in their practice in
order to heal snake bite. Story told to Whitney Vilcan by his parents.
Ma Faye Stouffe was an Osage Indian who was born in Texas. She married a Chitimacha
and settled in Charenton. She was a very talented woman. She was a school teacher. She
knew many of the legends and practise of the Chitimacha Tribe. Many of these she passed
on in writing.
She was also gifted as a healer. She grew her own herbs which assisted her in healing. An
important part of her healing was the gift of touch. She lay hands on those she wished to
heal. She was so successful in healing that she became a treat to the medical community
and they threatened to prosecute her and tried to shut her down.
Whether because of fear of prosecution or because everyone seemed to have adopted
modern, drug intensive medical practise Ma Faye was unable to get anyone to whom she
could pass on her skills. This was a matter of immense sadness to Ma Faye.
TRAITEURS
They were even more basic than doctors like Dr. Pecot. Instead of the very simple healing
elements the traiteur would use natural elements. Usually traiteurs were healers from very
young age. Usually they treated specific ailments.
Warm hands was a necessary part of their skill. They relied on prayer and laying on of
hands the same elements used in the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Healing was
as much a spiritual exercise as a physical one. A person must want (ask) to be healed.
JESUS CHRIST
If we look in the Gospels we will see that Jesus was probably a traiteur. He certainly used
the same elements as a traiteur. He would pray over a person. On one occasion he said that
the person could be cured only by prayer and fasting. He laid hands on people. He used
natural elements like mud. All the ingredients traiteurs use today.
BROTHER ANDRE
Alfred Bissette was born in Vermont in the 19th century. He wanted to join a religious
community as a brother. Several turned him down because they did not believe he was well
enough. He
ended up in a Holy Cross community in Montreal and worked as a porter at a college. Now
known as Brother Andre people began coming to him for cures. He used the same “cures”
as a traiteur. His most common remedy: rub them with the “Oil of St. Joseph” and send
them to confession. He became a problem for the local priests who taught at the college.
Eventually priests had to be assigned just to hear confessions generated by Andre. He
lived to be 92 years old. Papers at the time of his death report that a million people came to
view his body.
MADAME FALGOUT
Was a natural healer from Gheens Louisiana (near Raceland). One of her remedies was tea
made out of pumpkin seeds to be used a diuretic.
Today there is a Madame Falgoux Andrea Falgoux Hirt who has Madame Falgoux Oils used
in healing.
MADAME ZALIDE
Her grand daughter told Mary Ann Pecot deBoisblanc that she had the gift of healing and
that it had been given to her by her grandmother. A traiteur could give the gift to one
person.
NATURAL HEALING
CHUCALISSA ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM MEMPHIS
One of their exhibits shows how natives used natural healing. As they began to expand
drug companies began making synthetics of these natural healers. Our bodies need
something more than these synthetics. Some common herbs used in healing and good
health. Most are better for preventing than for curing.
ALOE VERA for burns, rashes, other skin problems and in general for healthy skin. A bit
of the juice taken with several parts of water is helpful in unclogging sinuses and keeping
them clear.
BASIL not only tasty in food but good for headache, high blood pressure
CAMOMILE makes a wonderful tea helpful with heartburn, ulcers, indigestion, insomnia
CORIANDER a very tasty addition to salads helps prevent indigestion, asthma
GARLIC a good addition to food helps to prevent many body disorders and diseases
LEMON BALM makes a nice tea helpful in treating headache insomnia and other
diseases
MINT good for teas and salads good for treating arthritis, backache
ROSEMARY good in food makes a strong but tasty tea helps keep heart healthy
ROSEMARY and MINT are particularly fragrant. Can be kept in rooms of the house to
help them smell fresh and help keep sinuses clear. Just occasionally brush your hands
along the leaves.
CHURCH AND ANOINTING OF SICK
The Apostle James in a letter attributed to him says: Is anyone among you suffering? He
should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praise. Is anyone among you sick?
He should summon the presbyters of the church, they should pray over him and anoint him
with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the
Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. James 5:13-14
The New Testament verse from which we obtain the sacrament of the sick basically
contains the elements used by the traiteurs: prayer laying on of hands and
anointing with oil.
The priest first prays for all those who are present to receive the sacrament. It is a prayer
recognizing the need of all who are present to receive the sacrament. But although a
common bond unites all those present, each one has unique problems and so each is
recognized individually with the hands of the priest placed on his or her head and an
individual prayer offered for that person.
Then each is anointed with the oil of the sick. The oil is made from olive oil or if that is not
readily available the oil of another vegetable plant. This oil is blessed by the Bishop at a
special mass every Holy Thursday.
The quote from James seems to tie together several elements of our lives: our
psychological, our physical and our spiritual. We can be out of order or sick in any of those
ways.
GRIEVING
This is a calendar/diary on the Internet to help you deal with your loss. There are several
elements to this calendar. The calendar is for anyone who is grieving. You can begin at any
point in the year. Choose the date you would like to begin. The calendar can be used over
and over again. Each date contains the same elements.
There are OPENING THOUGHTS which give a general picture of the theme for that time
frame. Each section has a PRAYER. The prayer is short and direct. It calls for us to make
some change in our lives, our way of thinking.
Each section has REFLECTION which help us reflect on our lives. Once we lose someone
and begin to grieve, our lives are never the same. The reflections are aimed at helping us
deal with those lives that have changed.
Our response needs to be more that an intellectual response. We are called to some form of
action. So, each section has suggested ACTION. You do not have to do all of the
recommended actions. You may even come up with some action more suited to your own
situation.
One of the recommended actions is the keeping of a diary based on your actions and
reflections.
Each section ends with a section entitled SPIRITUAL GROWTH. The premise of the
calendar is that no matter how profound our grief may be it is an opportunity for us to grow
and to deepen our spiritual life.
If this is the first time you have visited our calendar you might want to start at the
"beginning" and go through the entire calendar. There is no logical starting point for grief. It
can come at any time. So where do you begin a grieving calendar?
I placed the names of all twelve months in a dish and drew out one. It happened to be
December, the "last" of the months. I next placed the numbers 1 to 31 in a dish and drew
out 7. So, our calendar begins on December 7. But begin the calendar wherever it make
sense for you.
The calendar is accessible on the Internet at Grieving Calendar
There is also a printed copy of the calendar available. If you would like to receive a copy of
the original calendar please email us at EMAIL
