I believe in Miracles by Damian Stayne
I believe in miracles. Do you?
Do miracles still happen? Have they ever happened in the past? Two thousand years ago many believe that the person of Jesus Christ performed them. But did he really or were they just clever tricks used to wow the crowds? Intrigued? To help you decide, see below.
What do Catholics believe about miracles?
Historically there has always been a real openness to the miraculous in the Catholic Church both at the grass roots level and in its official teaching. In my experience there is a growing appreciation of the reality of miracles today, both inside and outside of the Church. We have passed the stage when, in the Western world, miracles were generally rejected as mythical or fraudulent by a large percentage of ‘educated’ people. A large proportion of Catholics have always believed that miracles do happen, in particular healing miracles of which there are increasing reports both in England and across the world. This enduring grass roots faith in miracles is expressed at the highest levels of the Church in her official teaching documents. One of these states: ‘…in order that the obedience of our faith might be in harmony with reason, God willed that to the interior help of the Holy Spirit there should be joined exterior proofs of His revelation, to wit, divine facts, and especially miracles and prophecies, which as they manifestly display the omnipotence and infinite knowledge of God, are most certain proofs of His divine revelation, adapted to the intelligence of all people.’ (Vatican I, Chapter on Faith 3)
What part did they play in the life and mission of Jesus?
They played a significant part. In Jesus’ ministry, as described in the Bible. Miracles express His divine compassion. The miracles also confirm the identity of Jesus as the Son of God and the divine origin of His message as found in the Gospels.
What part do they play in the Catholic Faith today?
Miracles reveal something important about the person of Jesus Christ, but they also challenge the narrow modern scientific and atheistic view about the supernatural. Miracles teach us that all things are possible if we have faith in Christ. They give encouragement to those in the Church and often help lead others to put their trust in Jesus and follow Him as their Lord. The miracles tell us that Jesus is alive and active in His people through the power of His Spirit today.
Should faith rely on miracles? Do we need to witness a miracle to believe?
Yes. At the centre of our faith is the reality of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. If the resurrection didn’t happen, then everything else loses its power. The resurrection signifies the victory of Jesus over sin, death and evil. You can’t be a Christian without believing in the resurrection. To be a Christian, I also need to recognize the miracle of lives being changed through the action of God’s Spirit in the human heart and soul. In this sense, belief in the miraculous is foundational to Christian belief. But do I have to witness a miracle like, for example, a healing to put my trust in Jesus as my Lord? No, although it can help.
What miracles have you seen happen in your lifetime?
I have seen more than twenty six thousand people proclaim that they were healed at our services over the last five years. Having been a skeptic in the past, I decided to film all these events to keep a record of the miracles to back up our claims and build up the faith of others. One lady called Shirley, for example, was totally blind in one eye for forty six years because of three diseases in childhood. We prayed the prayer of command (‘Eyes. In the name of Jesus, see.’), and instantly she could read. We have seen many blind, deaf, lame people and those with incurable diseases healed and for this give Jesus Christ the glory, as it is all His wonderful work.
I believe in miracles! Do you?
This was written by Damian Stayne who is founder of Cor et Lumen Christi Community; Damian has a preaching, teaching and healing ministry. You can Google Damian Stayne or go to one of these websites for more information on the author. http://www.ur1tv.com/Damian%20Stayne.html http://www.ccr.org.uk/archive/gn0503/g01.htm http://www.coretlumenchristi.org/