April 2021

“Unless you people see signs and wonders,

you will never believe.”

(John 4:48)

Dear Friends –
 
There is a subtle note of exasperation and disappointment in Christ’s voice as He utters those words above… it’s as if He were saying: “Couldn’t you just believe My Words and reason with your minds that what I say is logical and true… must I perform Divine magic in order to get your attention?”  From The Bible’s opening pages onward, God Almighty lavishly demonstrates His magnificent powers to intercede time after time for the salvation of His creation.  His greatest act of salvation offered to us we celebrate yearly at Easter, so as to honor Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven.  The life of Jesus is well documented and has been testified to repeatedly by a multitude of saints, martyrs, and religious leaders over the centuries. So, why aren’t we growing more towards God rather than further and further away from Him than we have ever been?  Our culture is ripe with disbelief in God, so much so that religion is openly criticized, and Christians are persecuted greater than ever!  Is it time for “signs and wonders,” aka miracles, to reverse this downward spiral?
 
At the time of miracles, instant belief was inculcated to any witness of the event.  On 13 May 1917, Our Lady of Fatima appeared to three young children tending their sheep and She shared with them the need for prayer to facilitate conversions; She showed them the reality of hell, and on Her last appearance She made the sun dance around in the sky, “The Miracle of the Sun,” while up to a hundred thousand onlookers watched in amazement. Portugal was converted, and a pilgrimage site was established where eight million people travel yearly with the hope that the miraculous waters of Lourdes will cure their ailments, physical and spiritual, and it has, miracles, with documented proofs. Our Blessed Lady has made many other apparitions no less spectacular than this, but they dwindle in recollection with time as does shallow faith that never really takes strong root. Saint Francis of Assisi was the first of hundreds to receive the stigmata, a manifestation of the bleeding and painful bodily wounds Jesus received on the cross. Again, these are witnessed, documented, and certified miracles to repeat for recollection, that the original crucifixion of Jesus took place and is once again being borne by this holy person, a stigmatic. All these many miraculous “signs and wonders” through the centuries, can only point to the Creator, God Almighty, and as Jesus said, are done to instill faith in those, like doubting Thomas, who need to see to believe.
 
Devil-driven pop-culture does everything possible to keep God’s wonders far removed from recollection by a self-absorbed majority, who hasn’t got the time to study God while listening to risqué music, dressing immodestly, and participating in egotistical social media, playing idiotic to violent games, and watching crass videos.  Evangelizing such stupid and worthless existence requires not only pointing out the reality of God but also emphasizing those “signs and wonders” beginning with God’s powers displayed and authenticated in the Old Testament.  Let Christ’s work in the New Testament speak for itself pointing out those physical acts of Divine magic also had an underlying spiritual meaning, like the curing of physical blindness was to also give vision to those spiritually blind to His truths.  God’s Word is really not all that hard to understand, even if for some it may take some study help; The Bible should always be the starting point to nurture faith. The “signs and wonders” of Biblical days, to the present-day manifestations of Divine Power… MUST BE REMEMBERED… MUST BE LOOKED AT… MUST BE SEEN BY THE MIND AND HEART… to grow faith in a Godless culture that will know with certainty, the reality and magnificence of Almighty God.