By DEBORAH CORRAO / L’Observateur / April 3, 1999

As we prepare for Easter Sunday and the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are reminded symbolically that this is the season of rebirth – moving from death to life, shedding the old and renewing our spirits.

Last week I saw a report on one of the network news magazine programs about a doctor in New York who treated chronic back pain. His patients,including the reporter covering the story, all complained of severe back pain, some of them for many years.

This physician, who claims to be able to cure almost 100 percent of the patients who walk through his doors, subscribes to the theory that most back pain has no physical cause (or no physical cause bad enough to create the intense pain many of his patients say they experience) but is, in a sense, psychsomatic.

The doctor says he believes people store stress and anger in their backs.

He uses psychology to relieve the pain.

Happy patients (including the reporter) claim they’ve been cured by employing psychological techniques the doctor has prescribed.

More and more these days those in the medical field are looking the correlation between mental health and physical well-being in treating their patients. We’ve all heard stories about so-called “miracle cures”-of people who have come back from life-threatening illnesses because of their positive attitudes.

If we examine our own lives, how many of life’s aches and pains might we be able to cure in ourselves by letting go of stored anger, resentment, jealousy and hatred? Each day we waste our energy and spirit by letting these negative emotions eat away at us.

As Jesus Christ was undergoing the most intense physical pain and mental anguish of his life, he asked his Father to forgive those who caused his suffering.

I think the key to making ourselves well is to let go of anger and resentment by forgiving.

Forgiveness is not easy for most of us. Many of us harbor resentment andill will for years and years. Our pride gets in the way of our being able toforgive others for real or imagined slights against us. Our guilt or egodenies us the ability to accept the forgiveness God gave so freely in the life of his son and keeps on giving us today.

As we celebrate Easter, reflect on the ultimate act of forgiveness demonstrated on a cross 2000 years ago.

As we become more able to give and accept forgiveness we, too, will experience a resurrection in our own lives.

Copyright © 1998, Wick Communications, Inc.

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