Miracles. Many people have different views on what a miracle really is. For example, David Hume, an 18th century philosopher identified a 'miracle' as "a transgression of a law of nature

The woman who suffered from bleeding (Luke 8:42) is a story about a woman who had suffered from bleeding for a very long time. The woman came with a crowd behind Jesus and she touched the edge of his cloak and was healed instantly. Jesus knew power had left him and he asked “Who touched me?” the woman came forward and explained why she had touched him. Jesus said “My daughter, your faith has healed you.”

     The woman in this story showed great faith in Jesus; she believed that she only had to be around him to be healed. She was not only healed physically but Jesus also healed her emotionally and he changed her whole life because she would have been an outcast and she would not have been able to take part in Jewish ceremonies. The Jews believed that is she touched another person she would pass her uncleanness onto them. Also when Jesus healed the woman he showed the love of God reaching out to people and changing lives of those who were suffering. It was because of her great faith that she was healed. Also the woman was healed by touching just the tip of his cloak and Jesus instantly felt power leave him, this shows how much power Jesus has and that he has control of it.

Jesus heals many people (Luke 4-38-41) is about when Jesus healed many people inflicted with various diseases; he placed his hands on every one of them and healed them. Demons went out from various people screaming “You are the Son of God!” Jesus gave the demons an order and would not let them speak for they knew he was the Messiah.

     In this story Jesus showed great power by healing many people and being able to order demons to leave a number of people, this shows how great his power was and that the demons feared him. The friends of the diseased people showed great faith and believed that Jesus could heal their friends. Jesus also showed that the Kingdom of God was stronger than the kingdom of Satan and that Satan was being defeated. However he also silenced the demons as they knew he was the Messiah. Jesus never showed off his powers and he didn’t want anyone to know or anyone telling them who he really was as he wanted everyone to decide for themselves who they thought he was and whether they would accept him or not.

Jairus’ Daughter, (Luke 8:40-42 and 49-50) this story is about an official in the local synagogue called Jairus who threw himself down at Jesus’ feet and begged him to go to his home because his twelve year old daughter was dying. While on the was to his house a messenger arrived from his house and told Jairus his daughter had died, however Jesus said to Jairus “Do not be afraid; only believe and she will be well.” When he arrived at the house Jesus said to the mourners “Don’t cry; the child is not dead-she is only sleeping.” The people laughed at him but Jesus took the childs hand and called out “Get up my child!” She got up at once and he parents were amazed but Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone.

     In this story Jairus showed faith as he asked Jesus to help his daughter so he believed that he could heal her. Jesus also told him to have faith and his daughter would be well. This story is similar to when ‘Jesus heals many people’ because un this story Jesus commands the girl’s parents not to tell anyone what happened, this shows again he didn’t want to publicise his miracles and didn’t want to show off his powers. He showed that the power of God was stronger than death and nothing could stand in God’s way. This miracle was also an act of love and shows that God can give back what seemed to have been lost forever.

        

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.

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.

Miracles Coursework: Section C

‘Healing Miracles do not happen today’

People today hold different views on whether healing miracles happen or not and it comes back to what people define as a miracle. Many people today believe miracles do not take place anymore and one reason to this is because the perception of what a miracle is has changed.

Some people would agree with that statement. Scientists today seem to have an explanation for everything and this has altered people opinion of what a miracle really is. An Atheist today may feel that a miracle is nothing more then good luck or a coincidence. Some people need proof that a healing miracle has taken place or they can’t see the possibility of miracles happening as they do not believe in God.

Another reason why people today do not believe in healing miracles is because of all the advances in medicine, so someone who believes miracles might have happened in the Bible may say that there are explanations for the miraculous events that took place in the Bible. For example in the Bible there have been accounts of where a person is believed to have demons in them however today we know that the person was probably suffering from epilepsy however they didn’t know it at the time.

Another reason why many people today would agree with that statement is because it is well known that there are hundreds of places where a miracle is deserved, yet it does not happen. Innocent people die young of diseases like cancer which strike many people and it is in no way their fault, however God doesn’t seem to help them very often. Therefore people will start to believe that healing miracles do not happen

Many Christians would disagree with this statement as they believe in God and they believe that he still performs miracles. The Bible contains accounts of miracles taking place and so many Christians believe they still occur today. As mentioned in section B healing miracles have occurred in places such as Lourdes and there have been people who have claimed to have healing powers and these signs show that God is still amongst his followers and support many Christian beliefs that miracles happen today.

For Christians, one of the ways to keep believing miracles still take place is to have an open mind, and not limit what God can do to what we feel comfortable with. The other is to believe only what has credible witnesses to back it, and fits what we know of God. We can more readily accept reports of things like healing the sick than tales of 'wonders' that bring no-one any real benefit.

---