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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
miraculous healings	Omar	Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Question: Hello, Brother: How would we explain the fact that we don't have tremendous miraculous healings today, such as: someone suddenly regaining a lost limb, for example. There are reports of people's cancer disappearing at approved sites such as Lourdes or Fatima, but nothing so obvious as the kind of miracle I cited above. We know from scripture that Christ did perform those kinds of miracles, like restoring the ear of the man whom Peter slashed with his sword, etc. So how come things like that don't take place today? Thanks as always for your response, and God bless you and your ministry.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC Dear Omar: The greatest number of such "tremendous" miracles was in the First Century. Such miracles have happen throughout history, though rarely. The gifts of Healing, Miracles, as well as that of Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues, were all "sign" gifts, or more precisely authenticating gifts. Jesus, and the Apostles, had these gifts to authenticate their ministry as coming from God. Of course, Jesus and the Apostles performed healings and miracles out of compassion for the afflicted and infirmed, but the primary reason for these gifts was to authenticate their ministries. As the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia states in the article Gift of Miracles: Christ imparts this gift to chosen servants as He did to the Apostles and disciples, that His doctrine may become credible and that [the early] Christians may be confirmed in their faith. Such gifts are no longer needed to authenticate the the ministries of Christ and His Church, since authentication is now complete. Such gifts are also not needed for our faith, as we now have the Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Church to confirm our faith. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary P.S. Also see CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Charismata and our own Charism Gifts Building Up the Church Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

miraculous healings

Omar

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Question:

Hello, Brother:

How would we explain the fact that we don't have tremendous miraculous healings today, such as: someone suddenly regaining a lost limb, for example. There are reports of people's cancer disappearing at approved sites such as Lourdes or Fatima, but nothing so obvious as the kind of miracle I cited above. We know from scripture that Christ did perform those kinds of miracles, like restoring the ear of the man whom Peter slashed with his sword, etc. So how come things like that don't take place today? Thanks as always for your response, and God bless you and your ministry.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), CCL, LTh, DD, LNDC

Dear Omar:

The greatest number of such "tremendous" miracles was in the First Century. Such miracles have happen throughout history, though rarely. The gifts of Healing, Miracles, as well as that of Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues, were all "sign" gifts, or more precisely authenticating gifts.

Jesus, and the Apostles, had these gifts to authenticate their ministry as coming from God. Of course, Jesus and the Apostles performed healings and miracles out of compassion for the afflicted and infirmed, but the primary reason for these gifts was to authenticate their ministries.

As the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia states in the article Gift of Miracles:

Christ imparts this gift to chosen servants as He did to the Apostles and disciples, that His doctrine may become credible and that [the early] Christians may be confirmed in their faith.

Such gifts are no longer needed to authenticate the the ministries of Christ and His Church, since authentication is now complete. Such gifts are also not needed for our faith, as we now have the Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Church to confirm our faith.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

P.S. Also see CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Charismata and our own Charism Gifts Building Up the Church

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum