Explain the improtance of the Miracles of Jesus for Christian life today

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Miracles Coursework: Section B

The miracle stories in the Gospels indicate the power and authority of Jesus over everything in this world, and this also shows that Jesus as the Son of God and his authority came through his father. Accepting Jesus means acknowledging and understanding his teachings and his work. Christian’s faith rests on Jesus and accepting him as the Saviour and Lord, this is one of the reasons the miracles stories are so important for Christians today, and it also indicates Jesus’ presence in the world and in our lives. Christian miracles are closely linked with the faith, and it is through this faith the effect of healing are acknowledged.

As mentioned in aii, the Miracles that Jesus performed were seen as supreme acts of kindness and many Christians today have faith in God and believe that miracles still take place around the world. This is because the Bible has recorded evidence of miracles that took place. Christians believe this as the Bible stands as proof of Miracles taken place. There have also been places in which miracles are believed to have occurred. One of the, most famous places is Lourdes, France.

In 1858, in the grotto of Massabielle, near Lourdes in southern France, it is believed that Our Lady appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous, a young peasant girl. She revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception, and asked the girl that a chapel should be built on the site of the vision. She told Bernadette to drink from a fountain in the grotto. No fountain was to be seen, but when Bernadette dug at a spot designated by the apparition, a spring began to flow. The water from this still flowing spring has shown remarkable healing power, though it contains no curative property that science can identify.

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Lourdes is now an international shrine to Our Lady and many people every year visit Lourdes in France in the belief that they will be healed. Thousands go on a pilgrimage to Lourdes in order to see the Grotto in which Mary appeared. People also go there to have an opportunity to bathe in water from the spring Bernadette found. There have been 67 recorded miracles that have occurred in Lourdes. Not only physical healing takes place but also miracles in the sense of inner healing occur which enables the sick to cope with their physical condition. It is not only Christians who have been healed, but people of all faiths have been healed at Lourdes. Every year HCPT (Handicapped Children’s Pilgrimage Trust) takes almost 2000 children to Lourdes from UK and Ireland. HCPT was founded in 1956 by Dr Michael Strode

Many Christians pray for others when they are unwell; they show faith that Jesus will heal them; there are also special services such as the Anointing of the Sick in the Catholic Church in which healing and forgiveness are the main themes. The priest anoints the sick person's forehead with oil and sign of the cross. The priest then says "Through this Holy anointing, may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the Grace of the Holy Spirit." He then anoints the hands, saying, "May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up." The Sacrament of the sick gives strength to those who are seriously sick and give hope and moral support to families.

At the Pentecost the power of healing was given, as one of the gifts of the Holy Sprit to the disciples. The power of healing as Jesus performed in his time has been transferred or delegated to those who believe in him and gifted, this shows that Jesus is alive and present in this world and is working through those chosen. Maria Esparenza was on November 22, 1928. She is a healer and a prophet who has claimed to have visions on the Virgin Mary several times among other phenomenons. She had her first mystical experience at the age of five with the apparition of Saint Theresa of the Little Lower, who from the waters of the Orinoco River tossed her a red rose.

At twelve she became sick with an acute bronchial-pneumonia; but after having a vision where she saw Our Lady of the Valley, Patroness of Margarita Island, she recovered miraculously. During her adolescence, Maria Esperanza's health was frail and her heart grew weaker and weaker. Later on, the onset of another illness partially paralyzed her. She was told by twenty-two physicians she had no hope of life. Then, she was healed again after the Sacred Heart of Jesus appeared to her, and gave her the first of hundreds of messages. On October 3, 1954, in the Chapel of the Convent, Maria Esperanza had a vision of Saint Theresa of the Little Flower who told her that her vocation was not to be a Religious, but a spouse and a mother; that she would sanctify herself, and would travel the world. That same day, the Sacred Heart of Jesus told her to go to Rome.

Maria Esperanza is considered one of the greatest mystics of these times. God continues to bestow upon her extraordinary gifts and charismata: The stigmata, visions of the future or the gift of prophecy, the gift of healing, appearance of a Holy Host in her mouth, emission of scents of flowers and fruits, apparition of rose petals, levitation, bilocation (be in two places at once). One of her most impressive mystical phenomena: The birth of a rose, or a rose which sprouts out spontaneously from her chest, a phenomenon which now has taken place sixteen times. Some claim to see rose petals fall from the sky around her, not just the smell of roses.

Padre Pio is known as a miracle worker; he was also able to bilocate and read souls. He is also said to have possessed the ability to communicate with guardian angels, often granting favors and healings prior to any written or verbal request. On September 20, 1918, Padre Pio had his first occurrence of stigmata while kneeling before a cross. This happened for fifty until the end of his life. The blood flowing from the stigmata is said to have smelled of perfume or flowers.

From looking at these different examples of people who believe they have the power of healing it is clear that the miracles of Jesus are important to Christians today as they only have to look at these examples to know that God is still performing miracles through other people. Also from looking at the Sacrament of the Sick, Christians believe that the person will be healed by God as others were healed in the past. In the Sacrament the Priest lays his hands on the sick person and this is similar to what Jesus did when healing a person, he would put his hands on them. The purpose of Jesus’ miracles is to let people know of the power of God and that Jesus is the Messiah, this is still believed by Christians today as the examples above show.

http://www.catholic.org/clife/mary/lourdes1.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anointing_of_the_Sick#Roman_Catholic_Church

http://www.crystalinks.com/maria.html