 The
Gift of Miracles,
Fr. Robert DeGrandis (with Linda Schubert), a book that finally addresses the
miracles available to us, that have happened to others, with testimonies and
pointers on unleashing the power of God. What are miracles? What are their
characteristics? What are the "action steps"? Have miracles occurred
in places like Medjugorje? How do we pray for them?
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THERE MAY BE DIGITAL 'ARTIFACTS,' BUT NOT WHEN YOU ALSO SEE A 'RAINBOW' WITH NAKED EYE
To the left, note a "rainbow" that appeared the other day (third week, March 2012) in a kindergarten class at St. Joseph's Elementary in Wakefield, Massachusetts.
Noted the teachers, Lorraine DiBenedetto and Christine Casale, on their website, "Last week, as we were getting ready to start singing our Reading song, a rainbow appeared coming from Mary to the Crucifix.
"It lasted about an hour. When we saw this 'miracle,' we immediately did the Rosary. This rainbow was visible for over an hour in the classroom. I believe Mary heard our daily intentions and wanted us to know that she is always here for us. Whatever you may thinK, a miracle happened in kindergarten."
We believe you, Lorraine and Christine. It is impressive when what you saw also shows up in a photograph.
That's no digital effect.
The sun through a prism-like window?
Or is it also in the timing?
When we were in Austin, one of the (many) good holy souls we met gave us the photos you see, right and below. These were reputedly weeping statues in her home (she lives in Houston), and she gave us a typed version of their story, which said,
"The Ayoub family consists of the father, Tharwat Ayoub, the mother, Nahed Ayoub, and their two children, Nermen and Isaac Ayoub. On Sunday, November 10, 1991, Nahed went to Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox church where she and her family worship. Nahed met with the priest Father Ishak Soliman to explain to him how depressed she and her family were over their son Isaac’s continuing battle with leukemia. Isaac is 12 years old and has been receiving treatment for almost three years. However, his response to treatment has been very poor and the physicians at Texas Children’s Hospital told them that Isaac had, at the most, three more months to live. Nahed was crying and begging God for mercy. She wrote a note to God telling Him that the only hope she had left for Isaac to be cured was a miracle from Heaven. She asked Father Ishak to place her note in the alter under the chalice.
"On Monday, November 11, 1991, Isaac became very sick. While lying in his parent’s bed, about 2:30 p.m., mumbling some prayers and looking to a portrait of Jesus Christ hanging on the Eastern wall of the bedroom, he saw the eyes of Jesus in the picture moving and the figure of Jesus protruding out. He screamed, calling for his mother. Nahed came running and examined the picture. There was an oily liquid shedding like tears from the eyes of Jesus. Father Ishak was called to verify this unusual occurrence. What Father Ishak saw was no different than what the Ayoub family had seen. They all thought that this was a sign of a miracle that could have been happening to Isaac.
"On Tuesday, November 12, 1991, Isaac was checked by Dr. Atef Rizkalah, a family physician at San Jacinto Methodist Hospital in Baytown and was diagnosed as having no signs of leukemia.
"Two weeks later, Isaac was checked by his doctor at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston (this was a previously set date for on-a-regular-basis check up) and again was diagnosed as having no sign of leukemia."
"Since November 11, the icon has been shedding oily tears and sweat continuously. Soon this was known all over Houston. The media announced it on television and in the daily newspaper. Thousands of pilgrims from all over Houston, Texas and many other states have visited the Ayoub’s home to see the miracle, pray and repent, receive the blessing and anointment from the Holy Oil."
Isn't it a shame how many folks doubt such things (consider them "out there") -- and thus live trapped in the small confines of a material, mechanistic world (including so many practicing Christians)?
If Jesus was about anything, He was about the existence of the supernatural (and love).
[resources: new from Michael Brown: A Life of Blessings and Omaha retreat]
[Also there in Texas near Austin is a
little private shrine constructed by Robert Morales (see
archives), who was also at our retreat and who was nearly
electrocuted many years back during work as a power lineman; he lost an
arm and a leg, but found his survival to be miraculous and has seen
miracles occur since. As he recounted about the live wire that struck him,
"The next thing I knew there was like an explosion. It threw me backwards
and my feet went into the braces that make like a cross up there on the
post. Despite how I was living, I always wore some kind of religious
medal, and I had one of St. Martin de Porres. It came out of my shirt and
hit me in the forehead. You can picture me upside-down with this hitting
me in the forehead!” The backward motion and Morale’s new position, with a
piece of the tower brace now between his feet, broke the surge.]