With a heart full of gratitude, I glorify the mighty name of Jesus for all he has done in my life.  5 years ago I began to suffer severe headaches, so intense that they caused me to become deeply worried. Before long, I realized that anxiety had become a constant companion. I ended up in the hospital several times, convinced I was on the verge of a heart attack. (Those who have suffered from anxiety can understand that fear and all-consuming desperation.)

Soon, depression took hold of me too. It was difficult for me to understand how and when all this had started. I felt confused as I looked around and saw so many blessings in my life, wondering how I could feel this way; since God had been so generous to me.

My nervous system began to become affected; I had involuntary movements (almost like convulsions) but I never lost consciousness. My biggest fear was that the convulsions I suffered as a teenager would return (which had left behind a sort of trauma), or worse yet, that I would have a brain tumor. A few days before I was scheduled to have a CT scan, after Mass on a Tuesday, I asked Father Philip to pray for me. He invited me into the confessional for a special prayer, and I ended up opening my heart and releasing all the pain I was carrying. I felt the mercy, love and comfort of Jesus embracing me. Without knowing it, I discovered that true healing begins from within, like a wound that heals from the inside out. Father Philip’s prayer encouraged me to ask God for His will to be done, just as Jesus did in Luke 22:42. At first, I must admit that I was afraid to ask because I felt I didn’t have enough faith that His will was not going to be my will. In my heart, what I wanted most was immediate relief. I could say the words, but they didn't come from deep within me. It was not until the third day, being in front of the Blessed Sacrament, that I managed to say with faith and from the depths of my soul, “Lord, if something is wrong with me, I pray for You to lead and accompany me and be my strength.” To the glory of God, the result of the tests were completely normal. Isaiah 43:2 He says “I will be with you.” And so it was. I surrendered to His will because I trusted that He is bigger than any illness and that He would never forsake me. I then felt His grace and favor in every moment of my life. My husband, my son and my entire family prayed for me, showing me love and compassion. In my friends, in my co-workers and in so many people, I could see the reflection of God's love. Even people from the Prayer Group, who barely knew me, offered to pray for me and invited me to join the ministry.  There I discovered a family in Christ. I realized that prayer has power, and the power of God manifested itself in my life. I thank God and every person He used to bless my life. Blessed is that illness that brought me to the feet of Jesus.  

I remember that I received a call to serve, and I said to our Lord - “Here I am, but how can I serve you if I cannot even carry my own bones?” One morning, God spoke to me through his Word in Mark 5:41 "ARISE!"  That day I said to myself “in the name of Jesus, I rise.” Jesus resurrected me. 

Since then, every time I had experienced any anxiety attacks, I would call upon the Holy Spirit and ask Him to take control of everything my body and mind was feeling and to give me His peace—that peace that surpasses all understanding, as it says in Philippians 4:6-7. 

During visits to the Blessed Sacrament, I left everything I felt at the feet of the Lord, and was filled with that source of life. Other divine medicines that have healed me are The Word of God, the Sacrament of Confession and the receiving the Holy Eucharist, which restores both body and soul. Thank God, the headaches began to disappear, and the anxiety fled by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Today, for the glory and honor of God, I serve in several ministries of my parish, one being the Prayer Group. There, we participate in retreats, pray for each other, and witness the wonders of our Lord. I serve with joy and a grateful heart for all that God has done in my life. 

I praise and glorify God, and I give thanks in all circumstances as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. I know that I need God in every moment of my life, and I ask Him to never allow me to walk away from Him. 

Don't try to fight with your own strength.  Surrender to God, trust in his will. 

God is mercy, God is love, God is faithful!