The saintly individuals profiled by Sr. Janice McGrane were convinced in their bones that Jesus accompanied them always whether behind the walls of a Carmelite cloister, or in the collapsed towers of New York City, or amid the slums of Calcutta. A deep relationship with Jesus was the saints' secret way of coping with their particular hardships.
Using "healing" in a broad sense that includes physical healing as well as other types of healing experiences, Sister McGrane invites us to all to be "a healing presence in any and all situations." A smile, an expression of affection, a conversation, or simply "being there" for another person, she writes, can all be healing experiences.
With grace and insight, Sister McGrane tells us also about healing that occurs on a larger scale: Joan of Arc healed the morale of France in its most dire hour, Edith Stein and Maximilian Kolbe offered comfort and consolation in the midst of the horror of Auschwitz, Henriette DeLille transcended the insidious racism of her time to minister with slaves, Hildegard of Bingen shared her knowledge of herbs to heal others, Catherine of Siena helped repair a divided and corrupt church, Damien ministered to the lepers of Molokai. These stories and those about Teresa of Avila, Dorothy Day, Mother Teresa, Archbishop Oscar Romero, and Father Mychal Judge lead us to these healing saints for companionship and inspiration when we, too, hurt.
