INTRODUCTION
Catholic Church recommends moderate prosperity for all people (Docat 164). Moderate prosperity is only a byproduct of our intimacy with Jesus. At the same time Church teaches that prosperity is not the external sign of intimacy with Jesus or good relationship with God. Bible says about three riches such as we all shall be rich in material things, rich in the knowledge of Jesus and rich in the word of God (1 Cor 1:5). We all are in need of wealth and finances to fulfill all our responsibilities connected with our family, church, society and state. Our effort, work and talents may not be sufficient enough to have required resources; hence we are in need of God’s blessings. It is our effort and God’s blessings that will make us financially sound and rich. God blessed Abraham spiritually and financially. The blessings of the Lord helped him to multiply in number and become immensely rich (Gen 12:1-3). This Abrahamic blessing will be shared and inherited by all those who believe in Jesus (Galatians 3:14).
What is Financial Healing?
There are 7 manifestations, if you and I are financially healed. Let us analyze all these seven manifestations.
1. Earning, keeping and spending does not affect our eternal life (Mt 6:26). Catechism of the Catholic Church 517 (ccc) says that through the poverty of Jesus, we all as His followers share in his prosperity. The poverty of Jesus makes us rich (2Cor 8:9). People who are religious who take vow of poverty shares the poverty of Jesus and they make others rich through their prayers and blessings as Jesus did.
2. Always having enough and more to enjoy and to fulfill all our responsibilities, even to share our resources with the needy and invest for future development. 2 Cor 9:8 says, our God will provide all our needs abundantly. So, we are called to inherit prosperity and not poverty or scarcity. Docat 164 advocates moderate prosperity for all believers. Proverb 30:8 & 9 describes about moderate prosperity and there is given a prayer like this ‘do not make me a poor man or a rich man. Provide only what I need. If I am poor, I would curse you. If I am rich, I will forget you’.
3. Wealth does not affect the intimacy or relationship with Jesus. In Lk. 12:15 Jesus says that one’s life does not depend upon the abundance of their wealth. So, try to be rich in the knowledge of Jesus and His Father. In Lk. 12:19, Jesus says luxurious life is a sin and it will affect our life negatively. This man said to himself ‘I have enough and more even for four generations. So, relax, eat, drink and make merry’. But Jesus said this man “…today I will ask for your soul” and this man died that very night. After the death of that rich man who is going to be enjoying his possessions? So do not be like this rich fool.
4. Wealth is not the end but it is only a means to attain eternal life and heavenly favour. In Lk. 15:11 Jesus appreciated a cunning Steward, why? This Steward used to sublet the possessions of his Master and he had been mismanaging his Master’s wealth. When this mismanagement was revealed to the Master, he terminated the Steward from his responsibilities. But the Steward quickly collected the disbursed actual amount with normal interest from the clients and modified the documents and forfeited his commission. The Steward then handed over the collected amount to the Master. By this act, the Steward won the appreciation and favour of his Master and became his friend. In the same manner, we have to spend our wealth and the wealth of others entrusted to us to please our heavenly Master Jesus and earn friends in this world through charity.
5. All our needs are providentially taken care off. Dt 2:7 says ‘when God was guiding the Israelites to the Promised Land through the leadership of Moses, they did not lack anything for 40 years. God had provided them with everything. Is. 55:1-3 says about the providential supply of everything by God Almighty to eat delicious food, drink milk and honey without payment. So, Prophet Isaiah invited all the poor people to the providence of God.
6. Non-existence of poverty among the believers. Acts 4:34 says there were no poor people in the early Church. The Ministry of the Church makes the people rich and the people make their nation and church rich by their tax and their tithe and offerings. Even today, this is the Ministry of the Church that is to make the people rich through prayers and blessings in the Church.
When I was in Mumbai, one poor fish selling woman met me at the Mumbai University gate where I was a student and was staying in the University Hostel. She told me that somebody had done a black magic against her business and that she had no sale for her fishes for the past 3 days. She even mentioned that she had been starving. On hearing her pathetic situation, I wanted to help her by giving Rs.500/- that I had in my pocket at that time. When I took out the money from my pocket and about to give it to her, Holy Spirit told me; ‘how long, you will feed her with Rs.500/ and also told me to put it back into your pocket as it was meant for Ministry work and not for social work. Holy Spirit again told me that I have something more precious than silver and gold and I should give it to her. I understood the message that is from Acts 3:6. Then I did bind the spirit of black magic and cast it out from her and sent it to the feet of Jesus. I did the Binding and Casting out prayer and I blessed her with the blessing of Elijah (1 Kings 17:14) and the Messianic blessing as in Mathew 14:19-21 and 17:27. Elijah’s blessing is for multiplication of existing resources. And Messianic blessing is for multiplication of resources and skills which are given in the hands of Jesus through an act of Surrender.
After the prayer, that fish selling woman left for her home. The following month by the same time she met me at the University gate and told me this…… ‘Father after you had prayed and blessed me, all the people started coming to my Sales Counter to buy the fishes and within 1 hour my stock of fish was sold out. On the 2nd day I took 2 baskets full of fishes and that too got sold out within 1 hour. So, I have employed 6 ladies to help me to sell my increased stock of fishes and within 1 month I got enough finances to open a rented Cold Storage. Please come and bless my Cold Storage’. I went and blessed her Business Centre.
Three months after, on the same day and the same time, she was waiting at the University Gate for me. She then told me that she purchased that rented Cold Storage and requested me to come once again and bless the Cold Storage. I went and blessed the place.
In the following 4th month too, this woman was standing at the same place and at the same time to meet me. On seeing her, this time I got a little annoyed and troubled as I thought, after borrowing the money and opening up her new Business Centre and she might have lost everything. As I was thinking, all the debtors must be pressurizing her to return the money borrowed. Then she handed over a cover to me and said ‘this is Rs.10,000/- for you. It is part of my tithe’ for your ministry. I asked her whether she was able to afford it. She then replied “I am able to give you even more. Now I am rich”. At this juncture, my thoughts were about 4 months back when I was not able to give her Rs.500/- but now she is able to provide me Rs.10,000/- as tithe.
It is evident that through the prayers of the Pastors God, restores prosperity to His people and sets them free from bondages and black magics. The blessings of the Pastors will make people rich and also set them free from spell and curse so that they may be able to make their church and state rich.
7. Vow of Poverty is something noble but the real material poverty is a social evil which is to be eliminated. Mk 10:21 says about the Vow of Poverty. Jesus lovingly looked upon this man as he had vocation to religious life. So, Jesus asked the man to go and sell all his possessions, give it to the poor and then come and follow Him. But this man did not accept this invitation and it made him very sad. St. Peter had taken vow of poverty and Jesus promised him that 100-fold of remuneration for his renunciation and also eternal life is guaranteed. Those who have vow of poverty should make others rich by their prayers. Jesus has vow of poverty and he makes others rich (CCC 517 and 2 Cor 8:9). There is no meaning of vow of poverty if religious do not make others rich as Jesus did through his poverty.
All people do not have this kind of divine call. Those who have a call to religious life must undertake this Vow of Poverty and make the poor as rich persons. The best example is St. Francis Assisi. He had everything and he renounced it and made people rich by his prayer and blessings. In return, people made his congregation rich with their tithe and love offerings. The Franciscan community became rich but the members remained poor in the imitation of Christ. If you do not have a religious vocation, please try to enjoy moderate prosperity according to the magisterial teaching of the Catholic Church (Docat 164).
CONCLUSION
The blessings from the Lord makes you rich and sorrows will not be added to it (Pro 10:22). Isaac prospered as in Gen. 26:12, that God had blessed not the seed but the person who saw the seed. Yes, God had blessed Isaac and the blessings of the Lord made him the richest of his time (Genesis 26:13). Those who trust in gold or wealth will not enter into heaven. But those who trust in God and have enough wealth will enter into heaven (Mk 10:24).