Your Faith Has Made You Well

Parched, dry and weigh down, this is the desert experience that we all face sometimes in our lives.

 

Pope Benedict XVI, in his homily at the Mass for the Beginning of his Petrine Ministy, spoke of the desert experience. He said that there are many kinds of deserts,

the desert of poverty,

the desert of hunger and thirst,

the desert of abandonment,

of loneliness…..

and of darkness…

Also, there are the desert experiences of people with long suffering illness, and we must never forget the caretakers that tend to them.

It is in the desert that we recognize our need for God, for the living water that is Christ, and ask Him to water our souls.1

In the desert people of faith are needed who, with their own lives, point out the way to the Promised Land and keep hope alive.2

Rita Klaus is such a person. Through a long suffering illness of Multiple Sclerosis and a miraculous cure, she has reached out to others in need. Her faith filled story, and willingness to share the grace she received from God, gives a spring of hope to others.

Rita had suffered from MS for many years. Eventually, her illness became so bad that she was force to use a wheelchair or sometimes crutches.

In 1986, Rita had heard about Medjugore and the events that were taking place there. Unable to go there, Rita began to pray to the Virgin Mary and to fast just like the visionaries did.

One night, Rita claimed to hear a voice that said “Why don’t you ask?” and she began praying. The next morning, Rita began to feel movement in her feet and toes and realized she could move her legs and that she was healed.3

I had the brief opportunity to meet Rita Klaus at the Medjugorje Peace Conference in Irvine California, around 1999. I had made mention of this meeting in the comment boxes of a couple fellow bloggers, never to think about it again.

This past week, much to my surprise, I received a moving email from a woman from England regarding my meeting with Rita . I asked her permission to share our correspondence on my blog, to which she replied yes, but asked that I not mention her by name.

Dear Daily Grace,

Tonight I was guided to your interesting blog after looking for information on Rita Klaus and Medjugorje.
I too have had MS for a long time, but have never given up hope that God will heal me one day.
I was very impressed that you met Rita Klaus personally and am amazed about the complete
reversal of her illness through prayer.

Every day I am praying to God for healing of MS, but maybe I am
not using the right prayers to be granted a healing?
Unfortunately I cannot afford to travel to Medjugorje, but I often visualize being there and being healed
by Mother Maria and being able to walk again....that would be the most
wonderful thing for me, so I can walk to our church again.
Is it good if I pray using my own words or are there specific prayers Rita Klaus used?

I hope you have a few minutes time to write to me

Kind regards,

S

Dear S,

Rita followed Our Lady's messages just as she was told.

She said the Joyous, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries every single day. She fasted on bread and water on Wednesday, yet ate a small dinner with her husband on that night. Friday was a complete bread and water fast. She went to confession regularly as our Lady asked her. She loved Holy Mass.

This was the formula she used, given to her, and to all of us, by our Lady. 

It is simple, yet we resist. We want it to be more, we are lazy sometimes too, such is our human nature. 

One thing I remember now as I am writing to you was that Rita was a woman of great inner strength and that she was so grateful to God for the mercy that He bestowed upon her with this healing that she wanted to share it with the world.

Remember the story of Jesus healing the 10 lepers? Out of the ten lepers, only one came back to share the news. Jesus told him "rise and go your faith has made you well". Such faith as this was Rita's faith!

I only met her that one weekend, but I am blessed to be able to share her story.

Thank you for taking the time to write me. I will keep you in prayer.

God bless,

Daily Grace

In this “Year of Faith” it is important for us all to continue to pray for an increase in faith for us, for our families and for all that God sends our way.

And please remember "S" in your prayers.

Notes 1 and 2

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