I had been taught that God gave us the strength to live in a world filled with pain, struggle, and uncertainty. Rather than seek to change circumstances, we were to change ourselves so we could overcome obstacles in our path.

When I expressed my concerns, my new friends shook their heads and said, in a pitying manner, "Christianity is a religion of faith, while Judaism is a religion of works. All you need is faith. Believe and you will be cured."

I was told about many cures—headaches relieved, backaches abolished, digestive problems overcome. (No mention was made of a girl we knew with MS). "All depends on your faith," my friends concluded.

I was facing cancer. I was facing the possibility of death. If I died, did that mean I lacked faith? Was I an improper Christian? Is Christian faith a guarantee against suffering and death, or is it a victory that turns suffering into a triumph of trust, and death to an entrance into eternal life?

So I went to Catherine Doherty. When I mentioned miracles, her eyes sparkled and she settled herself down for a wondrous teaching. Miracles were one of her favorite topics—a delight of her faith.

"In one way," she stated, "your friends are correct. We are surrounded by miracles. Their problem is they don’t see the total reality. Did they mention the miracle of Banting and Best—insulin? Did they allude to the miracle of Marie Curie? Probably not. The x-ray is commonplace. We just take it for granted.

"All the great discoveries of science, physics, medicine get ignored. We forget that God inspired special people to struggle, seek, and discover hidden secrets of his creation. Healing is a miracle, even when done by a doctor. God gives him the skill and foresight to use his skills.

"What about the proficiency, concern, and kindness of a nurse? Her kindness and service aren’t miracles, but they come from God, who uses her hands in his service of love. Go into any hospital and see God at work. Go and encounter the creativity of all who put their skills, knowledge, and efforts to give healing, comfort, and hope to all who are sick. Is this not all the work of God?

"Imagine living two hundred years ago," Catherine continued. "Radio, TV, airplanes, telephones would all seem like miracles or magic.

"Pneumonia could be a sentence of death before penicillin. When I was a nurse during the war in Russia, I saw so many die from pneumonia. If I could have given penicillin, it would have been seen as a miracle.

"Does a miracle cease to be a miracle with the passage of time? No. Our sense of wonder, our ability to recognize God’s hand in the world gets distorted. We are spoiled. We have too much. God surrounds us with love and healing, and we are dull to his actions and concerns.

"So we demand the spectacular. ‘God’, our actions say, ‘give us the sensational so we can believe. Take away all struggle, suffering, and conflicts. We want to be at ease. Spoil us. God, we want you to do what we say.’ What kind of faith is that?"

Catherine paused, her strong look showing me her concern. "Certain people, saints, live with struggle and suffering. They follow a magnificent vision. That is the miracle of their lives—they transform the ordinary in an amazing way. But we don’t see their greatness, for it’s hidden in the ordinary.

"So what does God do? He selects certain saints, at special times, because he wants us to see their actions, hear their teachings, and follow their example. He suspends his laws and works miracles through them so that we can see the reality of their lives.

"Miracles are not an end in themselves. They are signs that point to the reality of God.

"They point us to the greatest miracle of all—the Resurrection. Miracle of miracles, Christ’s resurrection gives us victory over all that defeats us right now—this instant!

"See how it works: by seeing their miracles, we turn our eyes to the saints, and they, in turn, point us to Christ, the source of their power.

"When God does something extraordinary," she continued, "he’s showing us that he is the Creator, that everything is under his rule. But often the greatest miracles are hidden.

"A man is blind. He is healed by a miraculous faith. Wonderful. We all see it and rejoice.

"But suppose a man prays to be healed from blindness, but isn’t. He gets instead the faith to live closely with God, to serve God in his blindness. His heart becomes open to others, and he lives with an incredible love that touches all he meets.

"Then he dies and goes to God. ‘Look,’ he will shout, ‘the love that you gave me is still with me. That love is forever.

" ‘My earthly vision, if I had been given it, would not have come with me to heaven. I would not need it anymore because I have received heavenly vision. But the love and faith I had on earth are now my richness here in heaven. They remain and grow.’

"You see how we are surrounded with miracles. But we need the faith in God and in his wisdom to recognize them. When you embrace the miracle of the Resurrection—each day, each hour, each minute—then you enter into the life of Christ, and that life is the greatest of all miracles.

"It gives us eternal life, and that life can help transform the entire world. Look for the reality of God’s salvation, and you become part of the powerful miracle that God uses to call the world to his love. Take the miracle of God’s love and be transformed, so that you can show the love and power of God! And then rejoice, for God is with you."