Fr. Abekan: “The Holy Sacrament carried through the crowd, is somehow similar to Jesus Christ who walked through Palestine surrounded by His people, blessing, healing, teaching and proclaiming. There are those among them who are hungry because they have fasted a long time while they stayed with Him. It is a very intense period of prayer. After a while, they couldn't stand any more. There are also people who have fallen to the ground in trance because of their problems — enormous problems, emotional wounds. They want the Lord to heal these wounds. When they think about their problems they get a nervous breakdown. There are cases of people who are truly possessed by the devil, but when Jesus passes by, the devil loses his grip. When the Light appears, darkness recedes; it cannot prevail.”
Father Abekan prays for the people who have come to be healed: “By the wounds on your back, Lord, caused by the lashes of the soldiers' whips, cure their sick backs. Cure their injured spines, and straighten them again. May Your blood purify the problems they have with their kidneys. And I especially commend a man in this group who only has one kidney, Lord, and who is afraid.”
Fr. Abekan: “There are those who say, 'But Father, surely you have talked to these people before you say these things?' I tell them, 'No, that doesn't interest me. I believe in God. I believe in His word. When He says to me that His word is as the rain which does not fall uselessly on me, then I understand very well what the Lord does. And when I speak of healing, I do not necessarily mean physical healing; I mean internal healing, conversion.'”
“Here we see someone who has been touched by the Lord, who can't walk well. I think that he had a warm sensation in his legs. And he asked himself, 'Am I one of those who has been touched by the Lord?' Yes, you are the one, dear man. The Lord is curing your legs. Just try. Stand up and walk. Then we have a woman whose term of pregnancy is full. The contractions will start tomorrow. I tell you that you will come here and show us a beautiful daughter. Lovely. I ask you to come forward because your term is full. Here comes our brother. Praise the Lord. And the sister with a delivery problem. Don't be afraid; just stand there. Praise God and Jesus who will completely heal you; completely heal you. Praise the Lord. Thank Him.”
Fr. Abekan: “When I am praying, I clearly hear a word in my heart that is thrust upon me as a very strong thought and it is usually accurate. You also have to make a leap of faith. It is not easy every time because sometimes you get a clear message with all of the details. For example, the color of the garment that someone is wearing. Or the age or even the name of the person in question. God can't save us without our help. We have to take that personal step to the Lord, so that He can come in us and act in us.
A lady stands before the crowd and testifies to the healing she received: “And she said, 'Great sister, you're having a problem having a baby. Go to Father Abekan. Maybe he can help you.' I said, 'Sister, I am so tired. I have walked the entire length of the Ivory Coast to no avail. They smeared bird's blood on my body, they gave me fresh eggs to drink, and they put 'gris-gris' on my loins. But it didn't help' . She replied, 'No, really, you have to come. You will see.' So, I went and I sat in a corner there. There was a woman who testified that she had had that problem as well and she was healed. I said then, 'Oh Lord, I wish I had been in her place.' Then I was silent. When the Holy Sacrament was carried past, I felt pain in my abdomen. From that day on, I was pregnant for 9 months. And now I have given birth to my child. He is 3 months old. Here he is.” She shows the crowd the baby she is holding in her arms.
In the yard of a large parish in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in West Africa, people get together on the last Saturday of the month. They come from all over the country and even from neighboring countries. Father Abekan, who calls them together, has been appointed by his bishop as the one responsible for the pastoral care of the sick. Many people arrive the day before and sleep there all night. There are more than 6,000 present to sing and to praise God. Before they come, they have often searched for healing in other places: in modern or traditional medicine, charlatanism, or magic.
Fr. Abekan
“The Lord really is the Living God.”
Father Abekan admonishes those receiving a touch from God to come forward and kneel before the altar: “I thank God for this couple, who finally decided to consecrate their marriage in the eyes of God. And I thank God and I want to tell my brother that he should come forward immediately. You made this firm decision today. Okay, there they are. Praise the Lord.
Fr. Abekan
“You also have to make a leap of faith.”
“Once I heard someone say, 'It was 39 years since I put a foot into the church. I happened to pass that way, I was curious and the Lord touched me with His word.' It was a sentence that took my notice. Now I understand that the Lord really is the living God.”
