December 3 — On the Miracles of Christ our Lord

Consider, first, that Christ our Lord did not only teach us his heavenly truths by his preaching, by his parables, and by his maxims laid down in the Gospel; but his whole life, and all his actions, were designed to be an instruction to us; and that his miracles, in particular, were not only wrought to confirm our faith and our hope in him, and to be so many evidences of his goodness and charity to poor mortals; but to give us also great lessons for our practice, if we would take care to look well into them, and to learn the mysterious meaning of them. Especially, we must ever remember, that, as the diseases and corporal infirmities w'e are liable to in this life, mystically represent the spiritual maladies of our vices and passions; so we are to learn, from the miracles wrought by our Redeemer, in healing all manner of diseases of the body, to apply continually to him for the cure of the like diseases in the soul, which are indeed the far more grievous evils of the two, and, if not healed, are attended with far more dreadful consequences. But, alas! how seldom do the children of this world take to heart the seeking a cure of these spiritual diseases! or apply, in a proper manner, to this great Physician for his aid, who, when he was here upon earth, never cast off any that applied to him! So much more are worldlings concerned for the body than for the soul, for time than for eternity. O my soul, let us at least learn to be more wise.

Consider, secondly, what were the miracles which our Saviour more frequently wrought from the time of his first beginning to preach his gospel. He went about all Galilee, says St. Matthew, healing all manner of sickness, and every infirmity among the people: and his fame went throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all sick people, c,, and such as were possess-- ed by devils, and lunatics, and paralytics, and he healed them. Matt. iv. 23. And there came to him great multitudes, having with them the dumb, the blind, the lame, the maimed, and many others; and they cast them down at his feet, and he healed them, Matt. XV. 30. And whithersoever he entered into toums, or into villages or cities, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch but the hem of his garment, and as many as touched him were made whole, Mark vi. 56. And all the multitude sought to touch him, for virtue went out from him and healed all, Luke vi. 19. See, Christians, how ready your Lord was, during his mortal life, to cure all kind of bodily diseases, and how wholesome it was to come near him, or to touch either him or his garments, by reason of the virtue that went out from him, to heal all. O, assure yourselves he is no less ready or willing, now, to heal your souls, for his power, his mercy, his goodness, his charity, and love for you, knows no bounds. It is no ways diminished, since he shed his blood for the love of you, and carried it in with him into the sanctuary of heaven, there to present it to his Father in your l)ehalf. Examine, then, and see what your diseases are; and run with c/mfidencc to him, for your cure. You need not go far to seek him; lor though he is gone to heaven, he will still be with you even to the, end of the world. You may find him in the eucharist, where a virtue continually goes out from him, for the healing of all: you may -find him at any time, and in any place, in his divine j)erson, especially in his temple in the centre of your souls; for there is no place, in which he either more willingly resides, or more frequently works his wonders, than in the interior of such Christians as duly seek him, by a spirit of recollection, and an internal life.

Consider, thirdly, that Christ our Lord continually went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the devil,, Acts X. 3S. As he came to deliver men from the tyranny and slavery of the devil, so his miracles were most frequently wrought in casting out devils, in destroying the works of the devil, and in forcing Satan out of his usurped dominions. See, Christians, what occasion your souls may have for this sort of miracles. Are they not spiritually possessed, or obsessed, by this wicked spirit, by the means of some or other of the capital sins; for where any of these are predominant, there Satan reigns. Does not this wicked one render you spiritually deaf and dumb, with regard to the voice of God, and the confession of your sins? Does he not bend you down to the earth by worldly affections, like the crooked woman, in the Gospel? Luke xiii. 16. Does he not make you blind, by obstructing your interior sight, with regard to the light of tru, dc.? In dl these oases, you must run to Christ our Lord, to be dispossessed, or to be delivered from this mortal enemy of your souls. Christ’s hand is not shortened; he will cast out this wicked one, at your humble request; but Q, take care not to be of the number of those, who, by wholly giving themselves up to their carnal passions, are rather swine than Christians; for of such as these the devil has so great a hold, that he will not easily he east out. Our Lord himself gave a license to a whole legion of devils to enter into swine; and whither did they hurry them, but down a precipice, into the deep, where they all perished! Take care this never be your case.

Conclude to consider, henceforward, the miracles of our Lord, not only as confirmations of the truth of the Christian faith, and evidences of the power, mercy, and goodness of the Author of it, and consequently as strong inducements to believe in him, hope in him, and love him above all things; but also to study well the practical lessons which are to be learnt from these miracles; inasmuch as they point out to us the sovereign means of ridding ourselves of all our evils, by having recourse, with a lively faith and humble prayer, to the great Source of all our good.