St. Joseph's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

Jesus never works wonder for its own sake. Such temptations he vehe­mently resisted throughout His life (Mt. 4:1-11); In. 6:15; Mk. 15:30 etc.). His miracles were only signs of His salvific action (Jn. 2:11) intended to glorify (Jn. 11 :40-42) His Father and save the mankind by bringing them to faith in Him (V. 42). Only to that extent He worked miracle even during His lifetime. He didn't heal all the sick, nor he raised up all the dead. So we cannot expect that all the sick be healed miraculously. After all He is to decide what is better for each one, better for each one's salvation. Even out of a single sign, He could lead many to faith. For instance the childbearing of Lissie (a staff nurse in Kozhikode Medical College) six years after her marriage, as the result of attending a Bible Conven­tion in Kudiyanmala, (in 1991), could lead many doctors and nurses, and people in the locality to faith in Jesus Christ.

Subjectively, healing depends on the faith of the patient (Mt. 9:29; Mk. 5:34) and the faith of those who intercede for him (Mt. 8:10; 9:2; Is. 28). "And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (James 5:15) .In some cases, God may allow the disease to continue so that the patient is given the opportunity to share in the suffering of Christ, for his own purification and conversion of sinners. Great Saints, and blessed people like St. Little Flower and Bl. Alphonsa had to undergo such sufferings. We are not to find a rational explanation for all these things. Nobody can question God's ways. After his long discourses, as Job confessed one may say, "I know that you can do everything, and no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I didn't know" (42:2-3). However, let us have confidence in St. Paul's words, "And we know all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28 Cfr. Phil. 1:29).