GRACE NOTES: Why is the Catholic Church cautious about miracles?

Stories of apparitions, healings, and other extraordinary events have always stirred the imagination of believers and non-believers alike. Many people feel both drawn to these accounts and unsure how to respond. Why does the church seem so careful — sometimes even skeptical — about such things, if she truly believes in miracles?
 
The church’s caution is not a denial of God’s power. It stems from a conviction that faith is grounded in Jesus Christ and the revelation already given, not in a constant stream of spectacular signs. Miracles have a real place in Catholic life, but it is limited and specific.
 
The foundation of faith is God’s self‑revelation in Christ, which comes to us through Scripture, tradition, and the sacramental life of the church. Miracles as “signs” point to God, confirm the truth of the Gospel, and sometimes strengthen believers, but they are not the center of Christian life.
 
If we build our faith primarily on signs and wonders, it becomes fragile. Whenever the extraordinary is absent — or later questioned — we risk discouragement or even collapse of belief. We want instead to be rooted not in experiences we can see and feel, but in the person of Christ himself.
 
It is interesting to note here that perhaps the greatest miracle which we can experience every day of our lives, if we choose to, is the miracle of the Eucharist.  There are no visible signs that would indicate this piece of bread is really Jesus, yet we have Jesus’ word for it, especially as spoken by the priest, in Persona Christi at Consecration, that indeed this is his body given up for us.  
Notice that Jesus gives us this ultimate wonder but demands faith at the same time, since we cannot “see” the mystery we believe.  In fact, as Jesus said to Thomas:  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.
 
Jesus points out the danger of chasing signs. In the Gospels, he performs many miracles, yet Jesus also warns against a mentality that constantly demands signs. People who seek him only for multiplied loaves or spectacular displays miss the deeper call to conversion, intimacy, and communion with him. There are those who, like Herod, and even the Scribes and Pharisees, give the impression that they are only looking to test the Lord or be entertained by signs and wonders, but not really open to believing in Jesus himself.

 The real lesson is to seek God himself, not just his gifts. A spirituality that always says, “Lord, show me something, or I can’t believe,” quickly becomes a way of testing God rather than trusting him in all things. Mature faith holds fast to God even when no visible sign appears.
Because claims of miracles can involve deception, misunderstanding, emotional pressure, exaggeration, fraud, or even demonic activity, the church does not recognize miracles lightly. She investigates carefully:
 
Are there natural explanations?
Is the teaching around the event consistent with the Catholic faith?
What are the fruits—humility and conversion, or division and confusion?
This caution protects us from being misled and preserves the credibility of genuine miracles. The church does believe God still acts in extraordinary ways, but she is slow to publicly say, “This is from God,” because such a statement carries real weight for consciences and communities.
 
Finding God in the ordinary
Perhaps the most important message behind the church’s caution is this: ordinary grace is more than enough to make saints. God ordinarily sanctifies us through prayer, the sacraments, Scripture, our vocations and daily acts of love and sacrifice.
 
The story is told of St. Teresa of Avila visiting one of her convents and dialoguing with each sister about their prayer life.  She found that the holiest sister in this particular convent was an extern sister.  (Extern sisters cared for the outside needs of the sisters.) This sister was assigned to take care of the chickens, and St. Teresa found she was more advanced in prayer and holiness than the sisters who were more exclusively devoted to prayer. 
 
When we understand that holiness generally comes through faithfulness in the ordinary demands of life, we can be grateful and open if God grants extraordinary signs — but we do not need them to trust Him. Perhaps this is another reason Jesus spent 30 years in the hidden life at Nazareth, living the normal life of a carpenter.  To show us that exceptional holiness develops, generally speaking, in the circumstances of everyday, ordinary life.  
 
We are always free to welcome miracles when they are real, but, at the same time, to remain steady and faithful in all the mundane realities of everyday life.  This is what truly pleases God and where intimacy with him is more readily found, as he says to us in Scripture: I will espouse thee to me in faith, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. - Hosea 2:22
 
Reflection questions
 
What is your understanding of genuine miracles?
 
Do you ever find yourself thinking, “God, if you do X, then I’ll really believe or follow you”? What does that tell you about your own level of faith?
 
Why is it good for the Church to be slow and cautious in approving reported miracles or apparitions? 
 
Think of a time when God seemed absent or silent. How does the church’s emphasis on ordinary grace help you reinterpret that experience?
 
Where do you most clearly encounter God in the “ordinary” of your own life — prayer, sacraments, relationships, service, or something else? How could you deepen that encounter?
 
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