Lourdes visit frees ALS victim from wheelchair

Catholic News Agency

Turin, Italy, Aug 25, 2009 / 12:03 am (CNA).- A woman who suffered from a severe nerve disease now no longer uses her wheelchair and has even gone for a run, after she visited to Lourdes earlier in August. The woman credits the baths at Lourdes for the ‘gift’ of her improved health.

Antonia Raco, 50, had been in a wheelchair for four years because of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. She made a trip to the shrine at Lourdes on August 5.

''Ever since I came back I have been walking, doing everything normally, and I've even run,'' Raco told ANSA.
Raco, who is from a village near the southern Italian city of Potenza, said she would rather talk about the change as “a gift, an act of mercy, rather than a miracle.”

She reported to ANSA that when she was in the healing bath at Lourdes, “I felt a voice encouraging me and a strong pain in my legs.”

I fully believe that miracles like this can happen.
The evidence is pretty clear that it does.

- Why do some people get cured but most others are left to suffer?
- Why is it that during these cures most people feel intense pain as the cure happens?
- Can't an all powerful God cure without the pain happening?
- Why does a loving-Father God say 'no' to those who humbly request healing?
- Why does He seem to play favorites?

Anyone claim to know the Mind of God and want to give me some answers to these questions that are bugging me?

Anyone think that these miracles are self induced?
I don't think so, but if you do ... please tell me why you think so and how.

I'm happy for the woman who was cured. I'm sad for all the thousands who humbly and prayerfully seek cures but who are left without a postive answer to their prayers.

[edit on 8/25/2009 by FlyersFan]

1- Why do some people get cured but most others are left to suffer?
2- Why is it that during these cures most people feel intense pain as the cure happens?
3- Can't an all powerful God cure without the pain happening?
4- Why does a loving-Father God say 'no' to those who humbly request healing?
5- Why does He seem to play favorites?


Well if there is a miracle working all healing God, I do not claim to no the mind of him/her/it. But I will have a bash. Lets be reminded that this came from the Catholic Church and they to tell the odd fib.

1- Maybe they do not believe strong enough, maybe they do not deserve it in Gods eyes, maybe it has nothing to do with God.

2-Maybe the pain has always been there, or if by the power of their own mind, or the placebo effect, they bring themselves out of 'it' and cure themselves. The pain is coming form the muscles that they have either never used or have not used for a long time.

3-I am sure if he can do all the things claimed, then yes im sure he can cure without causing pain, maybe its a reminder of the magnitude of what has just happened. Could be that the power of God is too much for our flesh to handle.

4- Same as the first question I think.

5- Another take on the same question for me, but is he not supposed to take favorites in the ones who believe in him blindly or follow his gospel and commandments.

There is much to be said about the power of healing yourself if your mind is focused on it. If you truly believe then it will come, a lot of religions and philosophy have this view.

If it is true then its amazing that people can be cured and for whatever reason I would be happy for them.


Peace

reply to post by FlyersFan


-

Why do some people get cured but most others are left to suffer?

Because there is no evidence of "a cure" merely hearsay and certainly no evidence of anything supernatural.

- Why is it that during these cures most people feel intense pain as the cure happens?

As above

- Can't an all powerful God cure without the pain happening?

No because no cure took place and god is imaginary

- Why does a loving-Father God say 'no' to those who humbly request healing?

Because god is imaginary

- Why does He seem to play favorites?

Because god is imaginary

reply to post by LestatG


In reference to the Catholic Church telling a fib thing ...

Scientific evidence

The Medical committee at Lourdes is totally independent of the Church. They use skeptics on the committees, the rules are geared to control for remission. They screen our remission. They are required to use only the best medical evidence, to consult the doctors of the patients and they cannot make decisions without obtaining the medical records of those doctors. They do examine the patients. It does have to be proven that the people were sick beforehand! they will only choose a case when they cannot find a naturalistic explaination.

There are rules that Lourdes has to follow in order for a person who is healed to be declared a miracle.

I have no doubt that many miracles happen there.

What I wonder is .... 'why them'. Why not everyone who asks God their Father for a miracle? They ask with faith and love ... but get rejected. Seems like a dad playing favorites or something to me. Of course we can't see the big picture and all. But still ..

reply to post by FlyersFan


I did not know that, I will check it out. Thank you. However, I do believe that the Catholic Church does have a wide reach and possible corruption. (Abuses by Catholic priests on children in the UK and the states). So I will have to take that into consideration.

Honestly I am undecided on miracles, obviously scientifically they do not happen, but there are many cases that are amazing and I have 'seen' a few from Lourdes.

I too wonder the same as you. What makes the person 'special' to receive that miracle? Maybe there is none and no God either. Maybe its the power of our own minds that has the ability to heal and its 'activated' by the emotions attached to visiting a place such as Lourdes.

I wish to believe it to be true but the more I grow and learn the less likely 'God' seems to exist.

I am not coming from a completely ignorant place, I had a Catholic up bringing and schooling, I have served on the alter and have been to the Vatican for masses and ceremonies. (Beatification and canonization ceremonies).


Interesting non the less.

Peace