Gift of Miracles
The gift of miracles is one of those mentioned by St. Paul in his
First Epistle to the Corinthians (xii, 9, 10), among the
extraordinary graces of the Holy Ghost. These have to be
distinguished from the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost enumerated by
the Prophet Isaias (xi, 2 sq.) and from the fruits of the Spirit
given by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians (v, 22). The
seven gifts and the twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost are always
infused with sanctifying grace into the souls of the just. They
belong to ordinary sanctity and are within the reach of every
Christian. The gifts mentioned in the Epistle to the Corinthians
are not necessarily connected with sanctity of life. They are
special and extraordinary powers vouchsafed by God only to a few,
and primarily for the spiritual good of others rather than of the
recipient. In Greek they are called charismata, which name has
been adopted by Latin authors- they are also designated in
theological technical language as gratiae gratis datae (graces
gratuitously given) to distinguish them from gratiae gratum
facientes, which means sanctifying grace or any actual grace
granted for the salvation of the recipient.
The gift of miracles, as one of these charismata, was expressly
promised by Christ to His disciples (John, xiv, 12- Mark, xvi, 17,
18), and St. Paul mentions it as abiding in the Church." To
another [is given] the grace of healing . . . To another, the
working of miracles"- (I Cor., xii, 9, 10). Christ imparts this
rift to chosen servants as He did to the Apostles and disciples,
that His doctrine may become credible and that Christians may be
confirmed in their faith, and this the Vatican Council has
declared in chapter iii "De Fide". This gift is not given to any
created being as a permanent habit or quality of the soul. The
power of effecting supernatural works such as miracles is the
Divine Omnipotence, which cannot be communicated to either men or
angels. The greatest thaumaturgus that ever appeared in this world
could not work miracles at will, neither had he any permanent gift
of the kind abiding in his soul. The Apostles once asked
concerning a cure of demoniacal possession: "Why could we not cast
him out? Christ replied, this kind is not cast out but by prayer
and fasting (Matt. xvii, 18 sqq.). Eliseus could not raise to life
the son of the Sunamitess with his staff.
The grace of miracles is therefore only a transient gift by which
God moves a person to do something which issues in a wonderful
work. Sometimes God makes use instrumentally of contact with the
relics of the saints, or visits to sacred shrines for this
purpose. The miraculous work is always the effect of Omnipotence,
nevertheless, men and angels may be said to work miracles in a
threefold way
� by their prayers invoking a miraculous effect;
� by disposing or accommodating the materials, as it is said of
the angels that they will in the resurrection collect the dust of
the dead bodies that these may be re-animated by the Divine power,
� by performing some other act in co-operation with the Divine
agency, as in the case of the application of relics, or of visits
to holy places which God has marked out for special and
extraordinary favours of this kind.
To Christ even as man, or to His humanity, was granted a perpetual
and constant power of miracles. He was able of His free will to
work them as often as He judged it expedient For this He had the
ever-ready concurrence of His Divinity, although there was in His
Humanity no permanent quality which could be the physical cause of
miracles.
Benedict XIV tells us sufficient with regard to miracles in their
relation to sanctity of life when explaining their estimate in the
cause of the beatification and canonization of the saints. He
says: It is the common opinion of theologians that the grace of
miracles is a grace gratis data, and therefore that it is given,
not only to the just but also to sinners (though only rarely).
Christ says that He knows not those who have done evil, though
they may have prophesied in His name, cast out devils in His name,
and done many wonderful works. And the Apostle said that without
charity he was nothing, though he might have faith to remove
mountains. On this passage of the Apostle, Estius remarks: For as
it offers no contradiction to the Apostle that a man should have
the gift of tongues or prophecy, or knowledge of mysteries, and
excel in knowledge, which are first spoken of; or be liberal to
the poor, or give his body to be burned for the name of Christ,
which are afterwards spoken of and yet not have charity =07 so
also there is no contradiction in a man having faith to remove
mountains, and being without charity (Treatise on Heroic Virtue,
III, 130).
These graces manifest themselves in two ways. One way as dwelling
in the Church, teaching and sanctifying her, as, for example, when
even a sinner in whom the Holy Ghost does not abide works miracles
to show that the faith of the Church which he preaches is true.
Hence the Apostle writes: God also bearing them witness by signs,
and wonders, and divers miracles, and distributions of the Holy
Ghost, according to his own will (Heb., ii, 4). In another way,
the manifestation is made by the graces of the Holy Ghost as
belonging to him who performs the works. Hence in Acts it is said
that St. Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders
and signs among the people (Acts, vi, 8). Here we have a
distinction clearly drawn out as to the manner in which gratiae
gratis datae may be to the advantage of the person receiving them
as well as to the utility of others, and how it is that by these
graces persons without sanctifying grace may perform signs and
wonders for the good of others. But these are rare and exceptional
cases and real miracles can never be performed by a sinner in
proof of his own personal sanctity or in proof of error, because
that would be a deception and derogatory to the sanctity of God
Who alone can perform miracles.
A. DEVINE
Transcribed by Tomas Hancil
From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright � 1913 by the
Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright � 1996 by
New Advent, Inc.
Taken from the New Advent Web Page (www.knight.org/advent).
This article is part of the Catholic Encyclopedia Project, an
effort aimed at placing the entire Catholic Encyclopedia 1913
edition on the World Wide Web. The coordinator is Kevin Knight,
editor of the New Advent Catholic Website. If you would like to
contribute to this worthwhile project, you can contact him by e-
mail at (knight.org/advent). For more information please download
the file cathen.txt/.zip.
-------------------------------------------------------
Provided courtesy of:
Eternal Word Television Network
PO Box 3610
Manassas, VA 22110
Voice: 703-791-2576
Fax: 703-791-4250
Web:
http://www.ewtn.com
Email address:
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
