Prayer makes a difference

...The Spirit continues to work T voked in Zimbabwe-the his followers attempt to maintain what through human hearts, minds, and former Rhodesia-in an has become a corrupt regime...

...that employ group prayer, laying on Only God can know what will be of hands, and anointing with oil...

...of people and the amount of time spent in parish another intensive prayer vigil To explore this question a massive prayer, another puzzle arises...

...Saints, for instance, have always been is suffering from cancer, and one by one Prayer or rituals that invoke ultimate thought to be so imbued with the Holy we went up to anoint her with oil...

...Since God does not coerce, human efforts and prayers invoking divine aid make a difference in the workings of chance and necessity...

...At times Jesus implies this...

...Intercessory prayer can change the effect of prayer is deemed to be the intensive care unit...

...Many to say that unanswered prayers alternative healing practices include were not energized with enough stripped-down and syncretic spiri- faith...

...The creation has been Can anything be done...

...appear to us to be unanswered Christian prayer services draw on prayers actually are instances of traditional New Testament practices God's refusals for our own good...

...mind/body/spirit calls for a variety One explanatory strategy has been of efforts when illness strikes...

...al power but undermines one of the few African tradition...

...The colonial program that folmain open and subject to chance and creativity on the part of God and humanity...

...The employment of scientific medicine and the complement of alternative modalities of care, are also graced operations of the healing Spirit...

...hands in divinely creative ways that will evident attempt to prolong his person- This follows in a depressing modern not violate the freedom given the world...

...Christians are told "if there that this dynamic also accounts for is anything you need, pray for it" the proliferation of alternative med- (Phil...

...My hunch is prayer...

...placebo effects, a third matched group of six hundred is being prayed for and SIDNEY CALLAHAN knows it...

...how can the experiment control for the I ed for the recovery of a At most, prayer can change the con- quality of an individual person's prayers...

...In God's hu- WILLIAM PFAFF mility, God accepts self-limitation on behalf of human freedom...

...the Congo's immense mineral resources...

...In a test of church clearly believed in the power of church and culture...

...member of the parish who sciousness of the persons who pray...

...In a neighbor- nothing in the material order of nature...

...greater simply by increasing the number ing Westchester County, New York, True...

...God's ultimate victory of love over suffering and death is assured in the coming of the kingdom, but in this "not-yet" time our creative work and prayers for healing count...

...tualities that mix Eastern, Western, The other tack taken is that what and indigenous folk traditions...

...11 Commonweal 8 April 21, 2000...

...Saint Therese's prayers prayer service for a young man who with God's eternal will...

...Why is went on day and night for a young girl double-blind controlled experiment on more better...

...The growth of complemen- ly, the New Testament does not intary and alternative medicine in the clude an exact explanation of what last decade has involved millions of happens in the healings performed Americans (see "Alternative Treat- by Christ and the disciples...

...given its freedom, and both chance and lawful necessity operate in an evolving universe...

...whatever comes...

...The analogy of prayer as a magnifying glass has been used...

...4:6...

...If, on the other hand, the brain and was battling for his life in healed...

...With twelve hundred persons healing the sufferings of the world...

...There is real danger of a new ropeans...

...Only in this may pack more of a wallop than your orhad been struck down with bleeding in sense can persons be said to become dinary Christian's...

...Who knows how many other prayers from family and friends the unwent to my first healing and conclude that it is superstitious to targeted group may be receiving...

...The difficulties I'd bet Iny life on it of interpreting any findings will be daunting...

...Since Mugabe's defeat in a Febru- against Congolese groups in rebellion may be many possible plans for each life, ary referendum on self-serving consti- and intruders from Rwanda and Uganmany ways in which complicated sys- tutional changes, he has played the race da...

...A large part of ZimSince God continuously creates as well as African societies still in possession of babwe's army is committed to the war sustains the world, humans cannot know the structures of constitutional order in the Congo, ruled by Laurent-Desire what potentialities and creative possi- and laying claim to democratic creden- Kabila, supporting him and his allies bilities exist in an open universe...

...This spiritual truths may increase the partic- Spirit that their prayers possess powerful week three hundred people came to a ipants' love and desire to become one healing effects...

...The hypothesis being tested is whether believers praying for patients they know only by their first name will PRAYER MAKES A DIFFERENCE affect health outcomes...

...thinkers retreat from any such claims Lately another theological apCommonweal 7 April 21, 2000 proach is suggested in kenotic theology, or the idea that God gives Godself completely in the Incarnation...

...God has given up divine omnipotence in the created AFRICA FOUNDERS world of time...

...With pearing all over the country and include in the study, one group of postoperative God on your side already, who needs many young people who pray for the patients is receiving intercessory prayer anyone else...

...unbeknownst to them) from volunteers, On the other hand, Christ and the early Is this the Holy Spirit stirring up the and a matched group is not...

...Ethnic rivalry drives many of them, tems can work together for good in his- card against his opponents in the par- but mostly it is a competition to pillage tory...

...The ne- 1, they attacked white participants in a the slave trade's overthrow of the pocessity of physical death for humans is multiracial "march for peace" of some litical and social structures that existed fixed, but the path to it may not be...

...Yet evil, sin, suffering, and death His followers have been encouraged Worse is the social and moral dehave already entered the story in this to occupy white-held farmlands-basic struction that has occurred in parts of creation, and they remain to be strug- to the national economy-and, on April Africa, the result of colonialism and of gled against until the final day...

...best for everyone in the long run...

...Simi- the efficacy of intercessory prayer is in Holy Spirit is always infusing love and lar healing services and vigils are ap- progress...

...ten thousand people in the capital city before Africa was "opened" by the EuPrayer may affect those factors that re- of Harare...

...Whether troubling for believers are quesformally religious or not, Americans tions that arise when the most seem convinced that the unity of heartfelt prayers are not effective...

...Prayers for healing were icine and "spiritual" therapies that particularly valued...

...holding up the glass allows the sun's encompassing rays to be focused and intensified, so that fires can be lit on earth...

...Some religious we can afford...

...God depends on humans-as he violence that President exodus of whites accompanied by reco-creators-to bring Christ's work to Robert Mugabe has pro- pression and struggle, as Mugabe and completion...

...There tials...

...How can ing with all the strength and faith prayer make a difference in physi- "We better go, it's the only health care we can, while trustfully accepting cal health outcomes...

...liamentary elections set for next month...

...More ment," November 5,1999...

...That's why we continue to work, and "pray without ceasing...

...Unfortunatewe see...

...Yet the theological foundation for Since we don't know God's plan these healing Masses and spiritual beforehand, we should keep praytherapies remains shaky...

...recovery of their friends...

...Christians believe that the hovering between life and death...

...We pray- pray for remission of biological disease...

...And Mass last month...

...There is a struggle for wholeness going on as our creation groans in its birth pangs...

...I'd bet my life that prayers and healing Masses make a difference, but they cannot do everything alone...