This week in the school with the first and third graders we were talking about miracles. One of the most distinctive and well-known characteristics of Jesus’ ministry was his performing of miracles. And the first and third graders did a great job at listing the different miracles we can read about in the Gospels: Jesus’ changing of water into wine at the wedding feast at cana, Jesus’ calming of the storm while on the sea of Galilee and his walking on the water, Jesus’ multiplication of the loaves and fishes. And of course his many healing miracles: he healed the blind beggar, the ten lepers; He miraculously reattached the soldier’s ear which had been cut off by saint peter in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter, and even raised his friend Lazarus from the dead.
So, I asked the first and third graders, “why did Jesus perform miracles”? They hit the nail on the head, when they answered, one because he loves us and wanted the sick to be healed, and two, because He wanted people to know that He is God. Well done, first and third graders.
People from all around galilee heard that Jesus could perform miracles, and came to him in great crowds. And many came to believe in him when they saw his signs and heard his teaching.
After the ascension, the apostles began their mission of spreading the Gospel. And the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. There are stories of the miracles of the apostles: Saint Thomas the Apostle performing miracles in India, Saint Peter was released from prison by angels, Saint Jude the Apostle has been known throughout the centuries as the patron saint of hopeless causes—his prayerful intercession has brought countless miraculous cures.
And throughout the history of the Church many saints have had miraculous powers: Saint John Bosco, whose feast was on Thursday, performed so many miracles that Pope Pius XI said, “The supernatural almost became natural, and the extraordinary, ordinary”. He too could miraculously heal lethal illnesses. He once raised a young boy from the dead who died in a state of mortal sin so the boy could make a sacramental confession. Saint Padre Pio could read the hearts of those who came into his confessional.
I personally witnessed what I believe to be a miracle from a modern day saint. I was attending world youth day in Toronto and we were all camped out in a field on Saturday night, as we were to celebrate Sunday Mass in the morning with Holy Father Pope John Paul II. At about 5 a.m. it started to rain. Everyone woke up and covered themselves in tarps and umbrellas, but it was pretty miserable. When Mass started it was raining harder than ever, and everyone was totally soaked.
The Rite of Sprinkling can be used as the Penitential Rite, when we are sprinkled with Holy Water as we recall the saving waters of Baptism. Pope John Paul II looked out at the crowd in the pouring rain and declared, "Today we will have the Rite of Sprinkling by natural means!" Then after he said the prayer, the rain stopped and the sun came out as we began singing the Gloria.
Speaking of miracles, February 3rd is the feast of Saint Blaise. And so We will bestow the blessing of throats at the end of Mass today invoking the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr from the 4th century, who miraculously cured a young boy who was choking to death.
In the Gospel this morning, Jesus had come to Nazareth, into the synagogue of his youth, and read from the scroll a passage of how the messiah would come performing miracles: the blind would see, the deaf would hear, and a time of favor from the Lord would be inaugurated.
Jesus explained how this prophecy was being fulfilled in their hearing
The people had already heard of some of the healing miracles Jesus had performed. So what was their response to his radical claim—the claim that he was the long-awaited for Messiah?
Well, initially they were favorable. They thought, hey, this is the son of Joseph, the carpenter. If this guy is really the Messiah, we are his home-town boys, this is going to be favorable for us. He’s been performing miracles, I could definitely use one of those. A miracle-working messiah, and I’m his next door neighbor.
Jesus knew their hearts. They wanted the miracle without discipleship. They wanted the fame without the hard work. They wanted the glory without the responsibility. They wanted resurrection without the cross.
Detecting their selfishness, Jesus tells two stories from the Old testament, one about the
widow of Zarapheth, and the other about Naaman the Syrian. These two people were non-Jews, and God came to them—these foreigners, these outsiders, precisely because of the hard-heartedness of the Jewish people.
In relating these stories Jesus was saying listen, if you think I have come for you to prosper in the eyes of the world, you have another thing coming. I’m not here to bring you worldly fame, worldly wealth, or even miracles.
Incited by this, Jesus’ townsfolk rose up, drove him to the edge of a cliff to kill him, right there and then. A few minutes ago they were saying how great he was, praising the gracious words coming out of his lips, now they were filled with murderous fury?
Why? Because Jesus didn’t give them what they want! Jesus was not here to be glorified as an earthly king. But rather, to help us, once and for all to overcome our selfishness, and to show us that it is the path of self-sacrifice which leads to heaven.
This has everything to do with who we are as members of the Christian Church in this 21st century. We can easily fall into the same trap. Why should I go to Church God, what am i going to get out of it? What have you done for ME lately? Why should I face public ridicule for publically living my faith, God? What have you done for ME lately?
I come to Mass, I put money in the envelope, I say my daily prayers, and so, I should get something good out of that. Where’s my miracle?
That attitude is of course disastrous for the Christian life.
For, in a sense, the entire Christian life is the grateful response of already having received the miracle. The gift of new life through baptism, a second chance at heaven, the gift of faith that Jesus is God, that he is the way to heaven. That’s the miracle that truly changes us.
We can measure our success as Christians not by how comfortable our faith is making us, but by how uncomfortable it is making us. Pope Benedict said, “"...the path of each single Christian, like that of the Church as a whole, leads to new life, to eternal life, through the imitation of Christ and the experience of his cross."
As we prepare for the penitential season of Lent, we can consider what Lenten penances will truly help us grow in imitation of Jesus and the experience of the cross.
For, our question to God, dear Christians, must never be “what have you done for Me lately, Lord?”, but, “what can I do for you, Lord? how can I serve you”? for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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