Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature. ~ Augustine of Hippo
It is in the nature of human life to believe that, that which appears beyond rational belief can be believed, when nature's laws appear to be challenged by what we may understand to be a miracle.
Yesterday an acquaintance asked me why two deceased high ranking clerics John Henry Newman, and Fulton Sheen are being beatified when so many ordinary, nameless people have also contributed so much to serving the common good. I replied that the divine mystery remains silent when honours are being distributed as if to say, that those who are worthy are as likely to remain unknown, as are those who appear in the news headlines would prefer to remain anonymous in their eternal rest. Here Fulton Sheen, and John Henry Newman would surely agree with me.
Way back in the late 1950s I became fascinated with Padre Pio's gifts, and the campaign by many at the top of our institutional church to isolate the friar, fearing that his interventions were contrary to the well being of the faithful. To imagine that three consecutive popes refused to accept Padre Pio's charisma, and others on the clerical chain of command worked ceaselessly to paint the Capuchin friar as a fraud.
Here's an article that briefly discusses Padre Pio's life, and tribulations:
https://www.scross.co.za/2018/09/padre-pio-holy-and-controversial/
Padre Pio was a down to earth person with a simple approach to living; with an easy understanding that the more we attempt to intellectualise miracles, the more we drift away from our loving relationship with Our Father. It could be said that Padre Pio believed that what we would determine to be a miracle is the natural order of things.
There are no miracles for those that have no faith in them. ~ French Proverb
Then we need to ask, why do miracles provide the faithful person with an easy willingness to believe that their prayers have been answered, when they recover from a terminal illness, the result of their, or their family's prayers asking for God's healing intervention.
For the so called rationalist, faith is not born out of miracles, but miracles from faith evidenced by the every day results that answer their/our requests.
The person who does not believe in miracles surely makes it certain that he or she will never take part in one. ~William Blake
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