FAVORS GRANTED
A miracle is a very special event. Some miracles are miracles of timing. Just as Moses and the Hebrew people were cornered with the Red Sea on one side and Pharaoh's army on the other, the strong East Wind blew up in answer to Moses' prayer to God. That hurricane force wind was a natural event. The miracle of it was the timing. Because the people obeyed and followed Moses, they were saved. Other miracles speed up the forces of nature. Crippled arms and legs very often get strong once again. But, to be healed on the spot? That's something altogether different! Jesus creating bread and fish where there was none- making nerves to see and hear... These are miracles way outside the normal course of nature. What we will be looking at each month on this page will not be strictly speaking 'miracles'. Only the Church can judge that this or that event is officially a miracle. But, there are a lot of answers to prayer that make you pop your eyes and look around... You just know for yourself that the healing and strengthening presence of God is close by you. This is what I call the wonders and favors department...A grandmother living in Florida wrote about her daughter and grand daughter. They went to visit another daughter. Since it was Jan. 5th, she brought along her relic of the 'Little Bishop'. 'As we arrived, my little granddaughter ran in the house and slipped on a wet tile floor. Her feet went out from under her and she landed on her back with her head hitting the floor with a terrible crack. She screamed and appeared incoherent as my daughter rushed to pick her up. Her piercing screams were so terrible. My daughter started running to the bathroom with her, not knowing what to do. It was almost as if she was injured so badly that she would die. We were all so helpless. I suddenly remembered the relic and ran to put it on her head. As soon as I touched the relic to her head, she stopped screaming immediately and appeared to be all right. After that she was fine with no pain or anything...'
Then, there's the gentleman from Philadelphia who received bad news that turned around. 'During a recent medical test it was found that I had a potentially serious illness. From the time of the initial diagnosis, to the results of a more specific procedure, I carried a relic of St. John Neumann. The final results showed no signs of the disease. In thanks for St. John Neumann's help, I am enclosing a donation for his shrine.
A Redemptorist wrote in early February about a parishioner at his chapel in Esopus, N.Y. He had cancer in the abdomen and esophagus. Usually, you are looking at some very serious trouble. 'He has gained weight and is back to normal living once again. He attributes his cure to prayer, especially to St. John Neumann. We have a small shrine to St. John Neumann. Many people are devoted to him...'
If you or someone you know
has received a blessing from the Lord through
the intercession of Bishop Neumann, please let us know. We would like to make that
blessing known. Many of those blessings might be spiritual and emotional. Of
course, we will not mention your name to protect your privacy. When God blesses
us in special ways we should let it be known. The world in which we live is hungry
to see the loving mercy of God alive and well. So much in daily living pushes us
away from the Lord. These blessings can draw us back. Just drop a note to me at
the Shrine and we can pass the word along to others that God loves us and truly
wishes to heal us in heart and soul.
God bless!
Father Mike Hopkins, CSSR
National Shrine of St. John Neumann
1019 North Fifth Street
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19123, USA