Are there any Christians out there that believe unexplainable miracles can still happen, like the kind Jesus performed in the Gospels?

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I’ve always been interested in stories about miracles. Those were always some of my favorite stories from the Gospels. The Catholic Church has recognized many thousands of amazing miracles that Saints of the Church have performed over the years, from the time of the Apostles, all the way up to the present day. I’ve read a lot of books about the lives of the Saints, and I love to read about all of their miracles. But, in more modern times, it seems that most Christians (even most Catholics) don’t really believe that those kinds of miracles can still happen. Many people call very ordinary things ‘miracles’, that I would never consider to be miracles, at all. I might call some of them special graces received from God, but not real miracles. I think the word itself has lost a lot of it’s real meaning and impact, because of that. (i.e. “It’s a miracle! I got the job I really wanted after I prayed for it!” No, that’s probably a special grace received through prayer, but not really a miracle.)

So, what do you believe about real, unexplainable miracles? Can they still happen, today, like they did in the Gospels? Or, are they just those ordinary graces that we sometimes call miracles, and give more credit than they deserve, now? Do non-Catholic churches have any examples of holy people (saints) in their church history, that really could perform these types of miracles, just like the Apostles did in the Gospels?

I know there are some televangelists that make claims of performing miracles, but are they really true? I have serious doubts about most people that claim to perform miracles, no matter what church they belong to. It’s way too easy for people to fake that kind of thing, at least these days. Isn’t it? On the other hand, I’m pretty sure it’s still possible. I think it can still happen, but I just don’t think there are too many people out there that have the kind of faith necessary to be able to do it. Sad but true. 😦
 
Telstar said:
I’ve always been interested in stories about miracles. Those were always some of my favorite stories from the Gospels. The Catholic Church has recognized many thousands of amazing miracles that Saints of the Church have performed over the years, from the time of the Apostles, all the way up to the present day. I’ve read a lot of books about the lives of the Saints, and I love to read about all of their miracles. But, in more modern times, it seems that most Christians (even most Catholics) don’t really believe that those kinds of miracles can still happen. Many people call very ordinary things ‘miracles’, that I would never consider to be miracles, at all. I might call some of them special graces received from God, but not real miracles. I think the word itself has lost a lot of it’s real meaning and impact, because of that. (i.e. “It’s a miracle! I got the job I really wanted after I prayed for it!” No, that’s probably a special grace received through prayer, but not really a miracle.)

So, what do you believe about real, unexplainable miracles? Can they still happen, today, like they did in the Gospels? Or, are they just those ordinary graces that we sometimes call miracles, and give more credit than they deserve, now? Do non-Catholic churches have any examples of holy people (saints) in their church history, that really could perform these types of miracles, just like the Apostles did in the Gospels?

I know there are some televangelists that make claims of performing miracles, but are they really true? I have serious doubts about most people that claim to perform miracles, no matter what church they belong to. It’s way too easy for people to fake that kind of thing, at least these days. Isn’t it? On the other hand, I’m pretty sure it’s still possible. I think it can still happen, but I just don’t think there are too many people out there that have the kind of faith necessary to be able to do it. Sad but true. 😦
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I believe that real miracles can and do still happen. However, from what I know about the saints, people who are able to perform miracles are so humble that they do not want people to know about it. I think that’s why we don’t hear about miracles until a person’s cause for canonization is happening.

God bless
 
Oh, I wouldn’t say they can’t still happen. It’s just that they don’t happen - not often, anyway. That’s the nature of a miracle; a thing that is unlikely to happen.

But I believe in a number of miracles myself. There is the tilma of St. Juan Diego. There was the miracle of the Sun at Fatima. The Shroud of Turin is miraculous. And while Lanciano cannot be proved, in the same way the Resurrection cannot be proved, I believe in it, too, for why would someone put blood in a chalice, or flesh in a monstrance?
 
Yes of course miracles can and do still happen, all the time.
 
TarkanAttila said:
Oh, I wouldn’t say they can’t still happen. It’s just that they don’t happen - not often, anyway. That’s the nature of a miracle; a thing that is unlikely to happen.

But I believe in a number of miracles myself. There is the tilma of St. Juan Diego. There was the miracle of the Sun at Fatima. The Shroud of Turin is miraculous. And while Lanciano cannot be proved, in the same way the Resurrection cannot be proved, I believe in it, too, for why would someone put blood in a chalice, or flesh in a monstrance?
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absolutely…I was fortunate, while on a pilgrimage, to visit Lanciano…and there is scientific evidence substantiating cardiac tissue and human blood…faith…
 
SeekerofTruth27 said:
I believe that real miracles can and do still happen. However, from what I know about the saints, people who are able to perform miracles are so humble that they do not want people to know about it. I think that’s why we don’t hear about miracles until a person’s cause for canonization is happening.

God bless
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That is an excellent point. That’s also why I’m extremely skeptical of anyone that gets up in front of a group of people, with cameras rolling, and claims to perform ‘miracles’ for the crowd watching them. To me, they don’t seem to be very humble at all, especially with all of the melodramatic gesturing that goes along with it.
 
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awsiukiewicz:
YOU are a miracle. TIME is a miracle. BE a miracle/angel for others. An angel is a ‘messenger from God’; Be a messenger of God’s truth and goodness to others. Let food and drink be thy medicine (not your downfall). Your body miraculously heals itself continually if given the proper nutrition; many food and pharmaceutical companies want your bucks and not your good health. Pharmakaia is Greek for ‘sorcery’. Watch the documentary “Forks Over Knives”. AMDG
 
TarkanAttila said:
Oh, I wouldn’t say they can’t still happen. It’s just that they don’t happen - not often, anyway. That’s the nature of a miracle; a thing that is unlikely to happen.

But I believe in a number of miracles myself. There is the tilma of St. Juan Diego. There was the miracle of the Sun at Fatima. The Shroud of Turin is miraculous. And while Lanciano cannot be proved, in the same way the Resurrection cannot be proved, I believe in it, too, for why would someone put blood in a chalice, or flesh in a monstrance?
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All of the miracles you mentioned are the kinds of things that truly boggle my mind. They’re so astonishing and dramatic, that you can’t help but wonder how they could have happened. There is no earthly explanation that makes any sense of them. And, not only are they all miracles in themselves, but they also spawn so many other miracles through people observing, venerating and studying them, that it’s nearly impossible to pass them all off as a natural phenomena.
 
When our Lord returned to his home town, “he wrought not many miracles there, because of their unbelief.” (Mt. 13:58). Bishop Challoner’s note on the corresponding passage in Mark (6:5) states: * … [H]e would not work miracles in favour of obstinate and incredulous people, who were unworthy of such favours.* Maybe we don’t see as many miracles today partly for similar reasons.
 
awsiukiewicz said:
absolutely…I was fortunate, while on a pilgrimage, to visit Lanciano…and there is scientific evidence substantiating cardiac tissue and human blood…faith…
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That is one of my favorite kinds of miracle, because it confirms our belief in the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The scientific studies certainly seem to confirm it’s authenticity. The scientists have no way to explain why it still seems to be like living tissue, especially after so many years since the miracle first occurred. It’s truly amazing.
 
I think there are several reasons for this perception these days. One, is an interesting concept called “hypernaturalism”, which is that God does miraculous things through natural means, even apparently “supernatural” things. (there’s a good article of that here: reasons.org/articles/hypernaturalism-integrating-the-bible-and-science-to-explain-god-s-miracles ) I think this is very likely the way in which God has done things throughout time- using the laws of nature in improbable, but not impossible ways, to do his will. These days, these things would just be written off as a “fluke of nature”, but would be just as “supernatural” as when the mechanics of the miracle was unexplained.

Another- and this is purely my own thinking here- is that God doesn’t really need to provide miracles with all the abundance and technology we have in first-world countries. Maybe people wouldn’t even accept a genuine supernatural miracle even if they saw one- could a high-tech magic trick. Maybe the mind is too full and the heart too empty and suspecting for miracles to do any good here. Maybe its the small things people need here. I would bet that more miracles happen more often in less to well-to-do places.

And what if real, supernatural miracles do happen everyday? The media fails to report most of the important things happening in the world while they seek their own sensationalist and control agenda. Why would they report miracles? For all we know they are fairly common, but just don’t get believed or reported.

That said, I echo TarkanAttila. Miracles by definition don’t happen often.

If we are Christians, we must believe that miracles happened and can still happen today. I fear that those Christians who write off miracles wholesale are in danger of losing their faith and becoming materialists.
 
Ad_Orientem said:
When our Lord returned to his home town, “he wrought not many miracles there, because of their unbelief.” (Mt. 13:58). Bishop Challoner’s note on the corresponding passage in Mark (6:5) states: * … [H]e would not work miracles in favour of obstinate and incredulous people, who were unworthy of such favours.* Maybe we don’t see as many miracles today partly for similar reasons.
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That’s also a very good point. There is so little faith in our time, even among those who might consider themselves to be really good Christians, that miracles are very rare at this point in time. In the time of the Apostles, their faith was so strong because they were eye witnesses to Jesus, and it was only natural that they would have very strong faith. Jesus told us that if we had faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move mountains. That certainly puts our miniscule amount of faith into perspective. :o
 
SecretCatholic said:
I think there are several reasons for this perception these days. One, is an interesting concept called “hypernaturalism”, which is that God does miraculous things through natural means, even apparently “supernatural” things. (there’s a good article of that here: reasons.org/articles/hypernaturalism-integrating-the-bible-and-science-to-explain-god-s-miracles ) I think this is very likely the way in which God has done things throughout time- using the laws of nature in improbable, but not impossible ways, to do his will. These days, these things would just be written off as a “fluke of nature”, but would be just as “supernatural” as when the mechanics of the miracle was unexplained.

Another- and this is purely my own thinking here- is that God doesn’t really need to provide miracles with all the abundance and technology we have in first-world countries. Maybe people wouldn’t even accept a genuine supernatural miracle even if they saw one- could a high-tech magic trick. Maybe the mind is too full and the heart too empty and suspecting for miracles to do any good here. Maybe its the small things people need here. I would bet that more miracles happen more often in less to well-to-do places.

And what if real, supernatural miracles do happen everyday? The media fails to report most of the important things happening in the world while they seek their own sensationalist and control agenda. Why would they report miracles? For all we know they are fairly common, but just don’t get believed or reported.

That said, I echo TarkanAttila. Miracles by definition don’t happen often.

If we are Christians, we must believe that miracles happened and can still happen today. I fear that those Christians who write off miracles wholesale are in danger of losing their faith and becoming materialists.
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That’s an excellent, and thought provoking post. Many people do seem to write off miracles, just because they are so suspicious of anything that could possibly be contrived by charlatans. They’re afraid to believe in them, because they might find out later that they’ve been duped. It’s sad to think that even true miracles can be ignored for those reasons, but in a time like we live in, slight of hand has been elevated to an art form. So, people are less inclined to believe in anything that could easily be produced in a movie studio, or a computer graphics program.
 
Miracles happen all the time but most we never hear about because they aren’t advertised. I have witnessed at least one over the years and although they aren’t advertised, we need to keep praying for our loved ones because miracles happen on different levels. Very often they require seeking medical attention of some sort. I believe God gives our doctors, nurses and first responders special gifts and trainings to help us and it is only through their knowledge that some miracles are possible. There are other cases where some things the medical profession cannot explain. We live in a society that when healings that cannot be explained occur, they call it luck but we know the truth. God is the one who healed that person. Unfortunately not everyone we pray for healing is healed on earth, we never know what happens in heaven.
 
I have had a couple of very impressive miracles in my life. However, to give you a concrete story of a miracle, I will tell you what happened to my uncle when he was a little boy. He and my grandfather went to the river and he fell into a part that had a whirlpool that pulled everything down.

When my grandfather, an excellent swimmer, dove in to try to save him, he couldn’t find him. Then he had to come up for a breath before going back to try to find my uncle again. What he found when he surfaced was my uncle sitting on the river bank. And when he asked him how he got out, my uncle replied that a lady scooped him up in her blue mantle.

The lady was obviously our Blessed Mother to whom my grandmother prayed every day for protection of her family. We recognize that miracle in my family as a special gift from God, and through the prayers of my grandmother and mother, I believe many dangers have been averted or escaped. Sometimes I’m surprised I’m alive.

God bless,
 
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