By TAMI QUIGLEY
Staff writer
“Miracles” were at the heart of the Hesburgh Lecture that took place March 13 at DeSales University, Center Valley.
“A miracle is a wonder that is a sign,” said keynoter Dr. John Cavadini, professor of theology and director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, who presented “Miracles and the Mysteries of the Church.”
“The two orders of signs are sacraments and miracles. A sacrament is a sign that is a wonder because it imparts grace,” Cavadini told the 121 people attending.
“God wanted to get our attention and show us something with a miracle.”
The lecture was sponsored by the Notre Dame Club of the Lehigh Valley and hosted by the Salesian Center for Faith and Culture at DeSales.
Inspired by the late Father Hesburgh’s example of lifelong learning, the Hesburgh Lecture Series has brought university faculty to Notre Dame clubs and their local communities since 1986.
The presentation touched on such questions as: Do miracles still occur? How can we understand the meaning of a miracle? What is the biblical and theological basis for a Catholic understanding of miracles? And how do miracles serve in the process of the canonization of saints?
Cavadini said David Hume’s famous skeptical criteria for belief in a miracle states no miracle should be believed unless it is even more incredible that the witnesses are lying or deceived.
Cavadini said miracles still happen today, and cited two contemporary case studies at Lourdes and Fatima because they feature authentication of witness: the cure of Pierre De Rudder at Lourdes and the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima. Both are chronicled in “Healing Fire of Christ: Reflections on Modern Miracles – Knock, Lourdes, Fatima” by Marist Father Paul Glynn.
Pierre De Rudder no longer needed crutches after his instantaneous cure at Lourdes on April 7, 1875. “It is one of the most dramatic officially accepted miraculous cures,” said Cavadini, who added there have been many dramatic stories of cures at Lourdes that have been medically verified.
Cavadini said Our Lady’s Miracle of the Sun Oct. 13, 1917 at Fatima “was a miracle so widely observed by a huge crowd and by people 42 kilometers away.”
Cavadini said Carlos Mendez went to Fatima that day just over 100 years ago and was one of the people who described the solar events and reaction of the crowd – some people were terrified, and many prayed.
The Miracle of the Sun wasn’t the only miracle there, Cavadini said, explaining everyone was soaked by rain and after the miracle everything instantaneously dried.
“Healing Fire of Christ” also “briefly but very evocatively tells the story of Franz Werfel, the famous Jewish literary figure of early to mid-20th century Germany and author of ‘The Song of Bernadette,”’ Cavadini said.
“A lot of miracles occur extemporaneously in the modern world,” Cavadini said, noting the criteria for miracles attributed to the intercession of saints is very stringent.
Cavadini said many people say if they could see a miracle. they would believe. But that’s not how it works – people need to have faith and believe without seeing a miracle.
“The Bible shows any authentic miracle has room for a person’s free will. God works not by force but by invitation. A true miracle always leaves you free and draws you to true faith,” Cavadini said. “Miracles are an invitation to faith.”
Discussing the biblical theology of the miraculous, Cavadini reflected on the Gospels of John and Mark.
The Gospel of John, he said, is divided into two parts: the Book of Signs and the Book of Glory.
“There are seven carefully selected miracles that are signs of something – physical wonders that serve as signs of something else. Ultimately, they all are signs of Jesus Christ himself – the word made flesh.”
Speaking of The Healing of the Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41), Cavadini said, “The healing of the man born blind points to the even greater miracle of Jesus Christ himself.”
Cavadini said most of those who witnessed the miracle didn’t believe; they challenge the man, who bears witness under hostile circumstances until he is cast out. He ultimately winds up worshipping Christ.
“Evil always wants you to look at it and be dazzled. Genuine miracles of God want you to grow up and be yourself, and see clearer than ever before.”
Cavadini said in The Wedding Feast at Cana (John 2:1-11), “The true bridegroom is Jesus. The Church is the bride, born of Christ’s love.”
The remaining five miracles are The Healing of the Official’s Son (John 4:46-54), The Healing at the Pool of the Sheep Gate (John 5:1-29), The Feeding of the Five Thousand (John 6:1-15), Jesus Walks on Water (John 6:16-21) and The Raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-54).
Cavadini said miracles are not evenly spread out in the Gospel of Mark, as most are in the first third of the Gospel.
The first section, Mark 1:1-8.26, concludes with the first of two healings of a blind man. The second section, Mark 8:27-10:52, contains the three Passion Predictions and only two miracles, including the second healing of a blind man, Bartimaeus. It also contains the Transfiguration in Mark 9:2-10.
The third section, Mark 11:1-16:8, includes The Way of the Cross and the Empty Tomb and contains only one miracle, the cursing of the fig tree, Mark 11:12-26, including the famous saying about the faith that moves mountains.
“In the Garden of Gethsemane, Mark 14:32-42, Jesus prays, perhaps for a miracle, but his prayer is seemingly not granted.”
Cavadini noted Jesus says in Mark 8:18, “Have you eyes and do not see?” And in Mark 5:34 Jesus says, “Your faith has made you well.”
“The one who truly believes is one who follows Jesus, follows the Way of the Cross,” Cavadini said.
“Jesus has divine power but never uses it for himself,” Cavadini said.
“The intention of a miracle in these Gospels is you are seeing something wondrous and are drawn into it … and take up your cross and follow him.
“Every contemporary miracle functions like a biblical miracle – they are signs of something greater than themselves.”
Cavadini said the miracles of healing in the Gospel of Mark are signs of the Eucharist. “In the Eucharist, we receive Jesus himself, that whole gift of love. The Eucharistic life is one of thanksgiving.
“When your vision is attuned Eucharistically, you begin to see everything miraculously.”
Other resources Cavadini suggested are “Miracles” by C.S. Lewis, “Signs and Wonders: A Study of the Miraculous Element in Religion” by Jesuit Father Louis Monden, “Fatima for Today: The Urgent Marian Message of Hope” by Franciscan Friars of the Renewal Father Andrew Apostoli and “Das Lied von Bernadetter” (The Song of Bernadette) by Werfel.
