The Nature and Theological Status of Private Revelation
Private revelations and miracles can be utilized to lead non-Christian believers in God to Jesus. But we must understand these things correctly, especially private revelation. According to Church teaching,
Throughout the ages, there have been so-called “private” revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium [the spiritual intuition of the faithful] knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.
Christian faith cannot accept “revelations” that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such “revelations” (CCC 67).
Nothing Short of a Miracle
So there Carlos was, minding his own business while waiting to catch his flight at the airport. He was reading a book by Drs. Scott Hahn and Benjamin Wiker, Dismantling Dawkins’ Case Against God. This book served as an unintentional conversation starter. A man sitting across from Carlos politely interrupted, “Excuse me. The title of the book you’re reading seems really interesting. May I ask what it’s about?” Carlos returned his politeness by handing the book to the gentleman so he could read the back cover and then briefly summarized for him what he had read up to that point.
As the conversation continued, the gentleman explained that he was at a crossroads in his life. He had just abandoned his atheistic lifestyle and was in search of something greater than himself, something that made sense.
This declaration piqued Carlos’ interest, and he asked the gentleman what led to his newfound theistic worldview. He replied that his sister had recently started to attend Alcoholics Anonymous and that, “For lack of better terms, the change in her was nothing short of a miracle.”
The Joy of the Gospel
Tears began to well up in the gentleman’s eyes, followed by coughs and “umms” that disrupted his speech and which kept him from completely breaking down in public. He said that after years of worrying for his sister’s life, she seemed to have recovered. The man went on to share that during one particular conversation with his sister, she recited the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
The man then continued to explain that he and his sister never believed in God or had any sort of faith background growing up. While looking into his sister’s eyes, though, the joy and excitement in her voice and the complete turnaround in her life struck such a chord with him that he began to completely change his outlook on life.
When he saw Carlos’ book, the gentleman was hoping that perhaps Carlos was in a similar situation, leaving atheism in favor of something that “made sense.” Carlos shared with him a quote from Saint Augustine: “If you understood him, it would not be God.”
The gentleman’s uncertainty and wonder resonated with Carlos. It takes a lot of humility for a person to realize that he doesn’t have all the answers and at the same time to believe that there exists something (or in this case Someone) greater than himself. Not only is this a great first step towards embracing the Catholic faith, but even after someone’s conversion, having humility and a sense of awe should accompany his or her every step.
The conversation turned to the subject of miracles, where things make just enough sense to feel comfortable but leave much more to be understood. Here, it is imperative to listen, befriend, proclaim, and invite. Let’s see how it looks in dialogue format:
Example Dialogue
Traveller (T): I was only speaking figuratively when I mentioned that my sister’s recovery was nothing short of a miracle. The jury is still out on that one.
Carlos (C): I don’t doubt that you were speaking figuratively, but I think there might be something deeper there.
T: I get what you’re saying. Maybe there is, or maybe there isn’t. But just because I can’t explain it, that doesn’t mean there isn’t another logical explanation out there. It doesn’t have to be a miracle from God. I’m not even Catholic, much less a believer of any sort!
C: Miracles don’t have to be completely inexplicable, and miracles certainly aren’t only for card-carrying Catholics. I’ll give you the famous example of the miracle at Fátima. Have you heard of it?
T: No, I’m not really familiar. The name sounds familiar, but that’s about it.
C: Fátima is probably one of the most, if not the most, notable interventions of God during modern times. From May to October, 1917, God willed that the Virgin Mary appear to three shepherd children. These appearances took place at a time when Europe was embroiled in the throes of World War I and society was distancing itself from God.
T: Wait, I thought we were going to talk about Jesus. Why are we talking about the Virgin Mary?
C: Good question. The short answer is that Mary appeared in order to draw our attention to her Son, Jesus.
T: So, kind of like she was God’s messenger?
C: Exactly.
T: I see. What happened in Fátima then?
C: The Virgin Mary promised that a miracle would be given in October, 1917. This miracle took place exactly as predicted. It took the form of the sun moving in inexplicable ways in the sky, as well as a previously drenched crowd and ground from rainfall becoming dry instantaneously. Many people were even healed of illnesses and converted!
T: Ok, but how do we know that it wasn’t some kind of hallucination or suggestion?
C: Well, consider the fact that the miracle was witnessed by some 70,000 people, including atheists and skeptics. That makes it much harder to claim it was an hallucination. Also, it is beyond ridiculous to claim that many people were lying about their clothes and the ground becoming dry instantaneously.
T: Ok, good points.
C: Now, let me ask you a question, what do you think is the point of miracles?
T: That’s what I’d like to know.
C: I think the best way to answer the question is to speak in terms of family.
T: What do you mean?
C: When someone is baptized, he or she becomes a member of God’s family. As with any family, there is an order: father, mother, children, not to mention family life. God is our Father and we have the Blessed Virgin as our spiritual mother. Christ first is our brother, and the saints through him, are our brothers and sisters.
T: Ok, and how does this relate to miracles?
C: Have you ever received a gift from your parents?
T: Um, yeah….
C: Miracles are kind of like that, a gift from our parents that remind us of their love for us, their children.
T: I see.
C: Yes, and so when Jesus sends His mother, she always points back to her Son. The saints do likewise. Thus, the focus of Our Lady or the saints is upon Christ, not themselves. Miracles, then, give us hope, direction, and meaning in God!
T: Ok, I see the general direction here, but can you explain that last part more clearly?
C: Sure. When we experience miracles, we’re reminded of how we’re not alone. No matter how lonely we may feel in our life, we are made into one family in Jesus Christ, and this family includes the angels and saints that are always cheering us on and praying for us. That’s hope. Also, because the saints are in heaven, they’re more alive than we can imagine, and that points to a great sense of purpose—that we’re made to love and know God in this life and the next—that we’re called to help each other in this mission. The bond between you and your sister is just a taste of the love and communion that I’m talking about in the Catholic Church.
T: So what you’re saying is what sets Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church apart from all these other religions is true communion – true family?
C: Yes! True and everlasting communion, a divine family. As you go along in your journey of faith, if you haven’t already asked yourself, you’re going to come across the question of “what’s the point of all this?” You’ve already moved beyond the atheistic view that “I’m going to die and become wormfood,” and now you’re wondering why your sister left her old life for a new one with God.
T: OK, this definitely gives me something to think about. I don’t know if I’m “convinced”, but I’m willing to think more about this. Thanks for the conversation.
C: You’re welcome! And since I opened up with a quote from Saint Augustine earlier, I’ll end with one too. He also said that, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”[1] And I’ve been so glad to talk to you! Before we part ways, would you mind if I recommended some further reading?
T: Sure, what do you have? [E hands out material]
Concluding Thoughts
After all is said and done, the point to send home is that faith in Jesus Christ establishes family relationships, and no matter where one is in life, no matter how lonely life gets, we are family—in this life and the next. No other religion can make as true a claim to this. Communicating this can engage someone’s humanity and desire for love and meaning — and need not engage in argument.
[1] Augustine, Confessions, Book 1, Chapter 1.