MANILA, Philippines — There's a saying, “God cures; the doctor collects the fee.” That surely applies to those free miraculous healings.

This  Saturday, February 11, is the feast of our Lady of Lourdes designated as “World Day of Prayer of the Sick” by Pope John Paul II in 1992.

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It was to Bernadette Soubirous, a poor, unlettered 14-year-old asthmatic girl that the Blessed Mother appeared. The first of 18 apparitions took place on  February 11, 1858, at a cave in Massabielle, France, while the girl was saying the rosary and gathering firewood.

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On Feb. 24, the Lady asked her to scrape the ground and muddy water trickled out. That became the eternal fountain from which miraculous healings of the sick and incurable are taking place.

Since then,  thousands have been cured. However, to date only about 2,000 are authenticated with the Medical Bureau of Lourdes, certified by a distinguished team of  physicians, who include atheists.

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Majority of those miraculously cured were obviously Europeans. However, there is one Filipino I know who attributes his complete healing of glaucoma to the spring of Lourdes. He is Engr. Romulo Mag-iba of Cubao, Quezon City.

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In his moving testimony as guest in our tele-radio program “Salitang Buhay” on DZMM, Engr. Mag-iba related that in 1969, he started suffering from glaucoma, an eye sickness characterized by the increased pressure in his eyes and hardening of the eyeball, leading to progressive blindness.

When the attack struck, Mag-iba recalled, his eyes would become bloodshot and he would  experience splitting headaches causing sleepless nights.

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High doses of anesthetic eye drops and pain killers could not alleviate the excruciating pain. In 1979, he, his wife, and two children went on a tour of Europe and make a side trip to Lourdes.

Mag-iba reminisced, “I went to the faucets connected to the flowing spring at the grotto, then  cupped the flowing water with my hands and washed my eyes. I didn’t feel anything unusual.

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“When we were back in Manila, I noticed I no longer felt those tormenting attacks. Three years after my visit to Lourdes, I happened to meet my ophthalmologist at the elevator of V. Luna Hospital who asked me why I hadn’t been seeing him.

Mag-iba replied, “The Lady of Lourdes cured me.” Skeptical, the eye doctor invited him to his clinic right there and then. Sure enough, the examinations revealed not a single trace of the sickness.

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Further examinations were made by other eye doctors and they were all amazed at the complete and inexplicable healing.

Because of this special blessing, Mag-iba experienced a spiritual conversion. Whereas before he shied away from the church activities, now he is actively involved.

Further, he has been extending help to the sick, especially those with eye diseases.

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On the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, let us pray for all the sick, especially those with cancer, AIDS, leukemia, renal failure. Let’s include those with emotional, psychological illnesses, like depression, autism, and spiritual, like a tormenting guilt feeling.

Our country sorely needs healing, too.  But to be healed, we have to LET GO of  our divisiveness, hatred, and greed that hinder social and economic progress.

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ST. JUDE. Tomorrow, Thursday,  join our novena to St. Jude, “Saint of the Impossible,” at the Divine Word Shrine, Christ the King Seminary Compound, on E. Rodriguez Boulevard, Quezon City right after the 6:00 p.m. Mass.

A healing prayer will follow.