Why don’t we see more miracles these days? In particular, why don’t we see more miraculous physical healings these days? Some friends of mine and I have been asking ourselves this question lately. If you’re like us, you pray constantly for miracles: miracles of healing, conversions, reconciliations, finances, etc. And we hardly ever seem to get presto chango results. Why don’t we instantly get what we’re asking for? Didn’t Jesus say: “If two of you agree about anything to pray for…it shall be granted”? I feel like I already have the necessary “faith to move mountains,” because I really believe God can do anything. In fact, I’m actually shocked each time my prayers don’t manifest miracles for myself or others. So why don’t my (and my friends’) prayers “work”?

First of all, every prayer is heard by God. Second of all, He always answers every prayer. Third of all, He might not answer in the way we like. Fourth of all, we may be too dull to perceive His answer. And fifth of all, what we want may not be His will (meaning, it would not be for one’s ultimate sanctification and salvation). One of my friends in this questioning group is a member of the famous St. Mary’s Parish in Ottawa, and does street evangelization with other parishioners. She often prays with people who are open to it. In a recent email, she commented to me: “Why can’t I have instant healings? I want people to be healed and believe in Jesus. I mean, Jesus just said the word and boom, done.” I share her frustration, and even though we might think: well, of course “boom” because Jesus is God—we are calling on Jesus as He told us to.

As usual, the answers are found in the Bible. If we look through the New Testament accounts of healings, especially the Gospels, we’ll get lots of clues. There are patterns in Jesus’ healings. It was essential that people had faith. (“Do you believe I can do this for you?” “Jesus couldn’t perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” “Go in peace, your faith has saved you.”) Do we have to be deserving of a miracle? (Like, holy?). I’m not so sure that when Jesus “healed all who were brought to him,” all the sick folks of that village were angels. They were probably a bunch of chumps, a bunch of struggling sinners like us. So, the “secret” to healing must be something else.

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Why don’t we see more miracles of physical healings these days? Just stop and think of the miracles of all kinds you have received, witnessed or heard about from people close to you all throughout your life. It can wind up being a pretty long list. For example, a friend of mine was immediately cured of MS (she was already in a wheelchair) during a healing service at Holy Rosary Church on St. Clair in Toronto, to be specific. A priest in Thunder Bay was healed of a club foot (from birth) when Sr. Briege McKenna prayed with him. Maybe we need to trumpet these favours of God more, in order to encourage others to believe, trust, hope, pray, ask.

Just what does it mean that Jesus “couldn’t” heal when people didn’t have faith? Is God’s power limited by us? Evidently, in this case, yes (only because He set it up that way). Healing is a two-way street, like grace. We must cooperate. Healing is about faith and trust, for sure, but also about our disposition of heart.

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We need to just keep praying, just keep asking, just keep knocking, keep stepping out in faith and…be a fool for Christ. Another way to think about it is to become childlike in our relationship with God and in our prayer (we have to do this anyway or we won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven!) Simplicity is a beautiful thing. If we overthink how and when God’s healing power works, we will be doing the opposite of faith. In the end it’s just not up to us. Sr. Briege McKenna (a Sister with a specific gift of healing, especially for priests) was asked: “Don’t you feel responsible for giving people false hope when you pray with them. She answered, “Is it wrong to pray?”

Sr. Helena Raphael Burns, fsp, is a Daughter of St. Paul. She holds a Masters in Media Literacy Education and studied screenwriting at UCLA. HellBurns.com  Twitter/X: @srhelenaburns  #medianuns  Instagram: @medianunscanada