What is God's Name: Reflections on the 'Faces' of God

God IS possibility. The saying: "Nothing is impossible with God" or "With God all things are possible" occurs many times in the Gospels.

In Mark 9, the father of a boy with epilepsy brings the child to Jesus asking: "If you can do anything, help us.” Jesus says: "If you can believe, all things are possible.” The man responds: "I do believe. Help my unbelief.” Of course Jesus heals the boy.

I once had an eye injury, my cornea slit by a fingernail. It healed slowly but not well and each morning the eye was "stuck shut." About two years later, in a chlorinated pool, I felt something happen to my eye. The Sisters took me to a renowned ophthalmologist from Toronto. He said the cornea had a large hole - if it got larger, I could lose my sight. He covered the eye to prevent movement in the hope that the cornea would "grow together." I was to return the next day.

Then he said: "No amount of praying on your knees is going to help this one, Sister." I felt indignant then, like David must have felt hearing Goliath challenge any Israelite to fight him. You know the rest of the story (1 Kings Ch.17). Knowing that nothing is impossible with God, I asked the Sisters to pray over my eye. I knew to do that. The eye was cured instantly and permanently. The next day the doctor took off the bandage and was dumbfounded. All he said was: "It's all healed!” All I said was: "I know.” Not to embarrass him to his face, I wrote him: Your diagnosis was right but you underestimated the power of God!

Goethe wrote these words: "Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness... The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of thing occur to help one... Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it... Begin it now.”

By Mary Alban Bouchard CSJ
Photo by Betty Lou Knox CSJ