WE need to do a little adjustment in our understanding of miracles.
The common idea is that miracles are only those astounding cases of
cures and healings performed by Christ in the course of his ministry
in the distant past, as recorded in the gospels.
That conception, I believe, is unfairly restrictive as it blinds us to
what really is most important that can happen in the life of a person.
And that is none other than the resurrection of a soul moribund or
even dead in sin. Plus the fact that within our midst is God and his
power to bring us back to him regardless of our miseries.
This kind of miracles takes place every time one approaches Christ in
faith, and either in a personal, intimate way or in the sacrament of
confession, he expresses his contrition and his resolution to do
better.
Remember that episode of Christ curing the man sick of the palsy lying
in bed (cfr. Mt 9). He told the sick man that his sins were forgiven.
And when the scribes and the Pharisees were questioning why Christ
dared to forgive sins, that was when he proceeded to cure the man of
his palsy.
That miracle was made to highlight the event that was greater than
just the cure of the palsy. It was made to show that Christ had the
power to forgive sins and that the forgiveness of sins is of a higher
importance than the cure of the palsy.
We should not lose sight of these fundamental realities as we also
long for and enjoy the very amazing physical and external effects of
the miracles involved in cases of cures and healing.
We need to learn to see the spiritual and supernatural causes and
effects of the miracles that happened in the gospel and may happen
even up to now. We need to learn to discipline our feelings and
emotions so that they do not hinder us in appreciating the more
important aspects of the miracles.
Today, miracles continue to happen, and even big, very dramatic ones,
for as long as we have faith in Christ who continues to be with us in
a living way in the sacraments, in the doctrine of our faith, in the
Church, etc.
Let’s remember that only those with faith in Christ received the
miracles. Thus, to the woman sick with hemorrhage who exerted great
effort just to touch his clothes, Christ said it was her faith that
cured her.
Miracles are a matter of faith, faith that is shown with deeds and
that musters all the human powers we have to pursue and live it. That
is the problem that we have at the moment. Our faith is wavering and
must not even be as big as a mustard seed because it’s a faith that
cannot move mountains.
We don’t have that kind of faith of that woman with hemorrhage, nor
that of the paralytic brought by friends who had to cut a hole in the
roof to bring the paralytic right in front of Christ.
In our days, we have simple people who because of their overflowing
faith light candles and dance before sacred images and do many other
things just to ask for a favor. Many of them receive what they ask.
They often get ridiculed by the supposedly more “educated” and
“enlightened” people. But they actually live out what St. Paul
considers as God’s fools and God’s weaklings who actually confound the
so-called wise and strong of this world.
Those who did not have faith, Christ withdrew from them. Thus, even to
his townspeople who questioned his credibility, Christ did not perform
any miracles nor did many good things, giving substance to the claim
that God resists the proud but gives grace
We need to work on our faith, but a faith purified of ulterior motives
and fringe benefits. It has to be a faith pure and earnest that, while
immersed in the flesh and the world, also knows how to transcend them.
One clear occasion where great miracles can happen would be in the
sacrament of confession. That’s where we go to Christ to ask for
forgiveness for our sins, many times precisely the very sickness and
human misery that we need to be cured and relieved of by God’s mercy.
We become a new man every time we emerge from confession. That’s
because God’s grace heals us of our sins which truly separate us from
our true joy. That’s infinitely better than just being healed of our
physical illnesses.
The common idea is that miracles are only those astounding cases of
cures and healings performed by Christ in the course of his ministry
in the distant past, as recorded in the gospels.
That conception, I believe, is unfairly restrictive as it blinds us to
what really is most important that can happen in the life of a person.
And that is none other than the resurrection of a soul moribund or
even dead in sin. Plus the fact that within our midst is God and his
power to bring us back to him regardless of our miseries.
This kind of miracles takes place every time one approaches Christ in
faith, and either in a personal, intimate way or in the sacrament of
confession, he expresses his contrition and his resolution to do
better.
Remember that episode of Christ curing the man sick of the palsy lying
in bed (cfr. Mt 9). He told the sick man that his sins were forgiven.
And when the scribes and the Pharisees were questioning why Christ
dared to forgive sins, that was when he proceeded to cure the man of
his palsy.
That miracle was made to highlight the event that was greater than
just the cure of the palsy. It was made to show that Christ had the
power to forgive sins and that the forgiveness of sins is of a higher
importance than the cure of the palsy.
We should not lose sight of these fundamental realities as we also
long for and enjoy the very amazing physical and external effects of
the miracles involved in cases of cures and healing.
We need to learn to see the spiritual and supernatural causes and
effects of the miracles that happened in the gospel and may happen
even up to now. We need to learn to discipline our feelings and
emotions so that they do not hinder us in appreciating the more
important aspects of the miracles.
Today, miracles continue to happen, and even big, very dramatic ones,
for as long as we have faith in Christ who continues to be with us in
a living way in the sacraments, in the doctrine of our faith, in the
Church, etc.
Let’s remember that only those with faith in Christ received the
miracles. Thus, to the woman sick with hemorrhage who exerted great
effort just to touch his clothes, Christ said it was her faith that
cured her.
Miracles are a matter of faith, faith that is shown with deeds and
that musters all the human powers we have to pursue and live it. That
is the problem that we have at the moment. Our faith is wavering and
must not even be as big as a mustard seed because it’s a faith that
cannot move mountains.
We don’t have that kind of faith of that woman with hemorrhage, nor
that of the paralytic brought by friends who had to cut a hole in the
roof to bring the paralytic right in front of Christ.
In our days, we have simple people who because of their overflowing
faith light candles and dance before sacred images and do many other
things just to ask for a favor. Many of them receive what they ask.
They often get ridiculed by the supposedly more “educated” and
“enlightened” people. But they actually live out what St. Paul
considers as God’s fools and God’s weaklings who actually confound the
so-called wise and strong of this world.
Those who did not have faith, Christ withdrew from them. Thus, even to
his townspeople who questioned his credibility, Christ did not perform
any miracles nor did many good things, giving substance to the claim
that God resists the proud but gives grace
We need to work on our faith, but a faith purified of ulterior motives
and fringe benefits. It has to be a faith pure and earnest that, while
immersed in the flesh and the world, also knows how to transcend them.
One clear occasion where great miracles can happen would be in the
sacrament of confession. That’s where we go to Christ to ask for
forgiveness for our sins, many times precisely the very sickness and
human misery that we need to be cured and relieved of by God’s mercy.
We become a new man every time we emerge from confession. That’s
because God’s grace heals us of our sins which truly separate us from
our true joy. That’s infinitely better than just being healed of our
physical illnesses.
No comments:
Post a Comment