PREAMBLE

Old (already failed or demonically inspired) prophecies continue to be recycled; more and more individuals claim to have new visions and messages; meanwhile, the Ecclesiastical authorities continue to "prudently" look the other way. Once again, the rank-and-file faithful are left to fend for themselves; the little faith they have left continues to be eroded by the seemingly never ending spiritual ineptitude of their religious leaders.

This brief essay is written for those who believe in God and seek support for their faith. Nonetheless, the agnostic, the unbeliever and those who believe themselves enemies of God are also cordially invited to review the information. After all, Judas Iscariot was an Apostle, yet, he betrayed Jesus Christ (1); and Saul of Tarsus was the fiercest enemy of the Christians of the early Church, yet, he became the most prolific Apostle, Paul.

Life is indeed full of unsuspected surprises. Read on and you might be pleasantly surprised.


BACKGROUND

There are seemingly never ending arguments among many theologians, mystics, parapsychologists, religious leaders and the faithful regarding Supernatural Manifestations, Psychic Powers, Prophecies, etc. Some claim: "Miracle!", while others claim: "Fraud!" while still others claim: "Let me explain the miracle to you scientifically!" While others claim to have a prophetic window to the future.

Who then is right? Probably all of them!

We will attempt to present to you relevant information in a manner which will help you draw your own conclusion regarding this matter. Please keep in mind that the true pieces of any jigsaw puzzle are only those which will perfectly interlock with each other. Remember also that we are dealing with the manifestation of the ancient "creature vs. God" syndrome (when a creature wants to be equal to God). [First Lucifer wanted to be equal to God; then he tricked Eve into falling into the same trap. He has not stopped ever since, because man keeps falling for the same old trick.].

The pieces that must be forced to fit are counterfeit and should be discarded so as not to distort reality.

First, let us review the individual components that have a direct relation to this particular


DETAILS - Part I

The Power of Faith

What did Jesus Christ teach and demonstrate about Faith?


A coherent confirmation of the truth of the above pronouncement may found in Matthew 14:22-32. In this passage we read that Jesus is walking on water toward a boat in which His disciples are. He calls Peter to come to Him. Peter leaves the boat and starts walking on water toward his Master. Peter becomes scared by the wind, doubts and starts to sink. The miracle achieved through faith is broken when Peter lost his faith through fear. (2)

Further confirmation of this may be found in Matthew 13:57-58 - the time when Jesus visited Nazareth:


What could be concluded (*) from all of the above?


(*) For those who do not believe in supernatural events and for those who doubt the truth of the Scriptures: Please consider for now the above Scriptural quotations as a collective hypothesis, then, at the end, re-examine your doubts in the light of the information in here presented.

The above proposed principle-conclusion appears to be confirmed by the fact that even in the presence of Jesus, God incarnate, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, "...He did not work many miracles.... because their lack of faith.", and, obviously, not because He could not, but because His Own Law demands an act of faith.


The Power of the Mind

As an example of how appearances and man's logic can be deceiving let us review what Reverend Oscar Quevedo, S.J., considered by some an expert in the field of Parapsychology, writes:


By intellectually digesting the above within the established framework which follows, the reader will witness how we will utilize Rev. Quevedo's own words to prove our point, which is diametrically opposed to his theory.

By Divine Decree, transmitted to mankind throughout the Sacred Scriptures, man is intimately associated with the workings of God's Creation. God, intrinsically, does not need man, but God chose to "need" man.

The Book of Genesis [1:26] tells us clearly that God, the Creator, placed man as


Its is then quite clear the relationship between Creator and Creature; a true and fully integrated partnership.

To better understand the assignment of responsibilities in this partnership let us also call to mind Matthew 19:25-26:


That is:


Even the parting of the Red Sea required that Moses raise his staff: "...stretch out your hand over the sea..."

Should we then be surprised with the fact that in many miraculous events the human entity is involved as Quevedo points out? Should we be surprised that the frequency and magnitude of the miraculous events are proportional to the level of faith found in the human entity, community, nation? Of course, we should not be!

Precisely, the same logic used to deny the reality of miraculous events by the proponents of Parapsychology, such as Quevedo, proves, and confirms without doubt, the very truth of miracles and of the factors that foster their occurrence.

Once again it is proved that the key is "faith". Faith that the event will occur somehow.

A study of mystics and saints from India would shed much light on the subject of "faith" disconnected from the Divinity and connected to Autotheism (Self-divinization). It will also illustrate the negative consequences associated with Self-divinization.

Jesus Christ never said that to move a mountain from here to there required the one seeking the miracle to have faith in Him. He said that what was needed was strong faith that the event would take place. However, when our strong faith is coupled with our deference to the Will of God, then the requested miracle will not have any negative consequences.

As a scientist, miguel de Portugal finds complete coherence among the Divine Revelations, found in the Sacred Scriptures, the physical and spiritual worlds and their visible and invisible interactions and legitimate supernatural manifestations.

There is a reason for everything. All has an explanation, we just do not know all the explanations and some of them will never be known to us while we are still in the flesh. There are myriad of marvels of God's Creation that we cannot comprehend and much less explain using our very limited faculties. That is what a "Mystery" is all about.

Even if we would refuse to recognize the Sacred Scriptures as Divine Revelations on their own merits, then, through the very laws proposed by Parapsychology to explain away supernatural manifestations, the reality of the Sacred Scriptures would then be verified and confirmed. Ironic, isn't it? A miracle? Perhaps... but man persists in denial as we shall see next.


DETAILS - Part II

Man's Denial of Supernatural Events

Rational man is quick to discount any supernatural manifestation. Let us explore what may be behind these denials of supernatural manifestations.

The self proclaimed rational man falls prey to his own intellectual, spiritual and material insecurities:


A truly rational man sets out openly, and without preconceived notions and fears, to find the truth, confident and secure that regardless of what the truth may be, he will be able to deal with it and be able to place it at his service.


Supernatural Events of Evil Nature

Let us briefly explore what lies behind the much talked about, and often denied, supernatural events of evil nature.


Biblical Proof of the above:


Obviously, God did not!


Denial Just Will Not Work - It never has and never will

A person does not have to be aware of it and, yet, may be harmed by an individual possessing great inherent spiritual attributes which are used for evil purposes. Only those who live in true communion with God, "under the shadow of His wings" (3), are impervious to those attacks. All others are vulnerable to harm, regardless of what they may believe about the matter.

Metaphorically speaking: The denial of the law of gravity does not prevent its effects from being manifested, thus, the denial of what we have explained above will not prevent it from operating on the unprotected soul.

God also allows false "Prophecies" to be made as He has clearly shown in the times of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, (4) while at the same time He reserves the right to drastically alter legitimate Messages from Heaven when attempts are made to utilize them to manipulate the unsuspecting faithful. (5)

Careful review of, and meditation on, Psalm 91(3) will help the faithful comprehend the pre-eminent importance of Faith as opposed to Divination and/or Astrological "wisdom."

After all ...

... the Three Wise Men, who were considered "wise" because they were the leading Astrologers of the time, came to prostrate themselves before Jesus Christ while He was still a babe. They were thus signaling to the world the vast superiority of what Jesus was going to teach mankind -- much superior to any wisdom that Astrology could possibly provide. (This includes Nostradamus' dark prophecies, which are not of Divine origin.)


FINAL CONCLUSION

To the open eye and observant mind it should be evident that there is a coherent relationship between the original teachings of the Sacred Scriptures and Miracles, which are the legitimate manifestations of the supernatural, to wit:


In addition, by posing two questions, secondary conclusions may be reached by the reader:

Question No. 1: Why is there such an insistent move to secularize and/or deny miracles and other supernatural manifestations to the point of attempting to neutralize the Divinity?

Question No. 2: Do the enemies of the supernatural and, thus, of true mysticism have a vested interest in the worldwide consequences that their theories, philosophies, and theological teachings will have?

You are now invited to reach your own conclusions through those two questions but, if you are having difficulties doing so, write to us and ask.









En Español:  Milagros y Profecías - Exponiendo los errores de las falsas explicaciones

Originally issued only for Worldwide Ecclesiastical Distribution on May 8, 1994. • Reformatted for ease of comprehension on December 17, 2003. • New Links added on May 24, 2006 [Feast of Mary, Help of Christians]