“He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mark 6:6).
Sometimes, when I pray, I pray like such a human it is a wonder that God does not merely laugh at my efforts.
There is a story told about Saint Padre Pio that there was a man who was blind in his parish. This man came to Saint Padre Pio and asked him to pray for the miracle. The Saint asked what miracle the man would like and the man replied that he would like to have the vision restored in one of his eyes. The Saint asked if the man was sure of this request and he replied, in tears, that he was so sad at having lost his vision that even receiving half of his vision back would be a miracle beyond imagining.
Saint Padre Pio asked the man to return the next day and promised to pray for him.
The next day, the man returned having been miraculously cured of his blindness in one eye overnight. When he approached the Saint, Saint Padre Pio only said, “Let this be a lesson to you – to believe that God can do ANYTHING!” (Emphasis added). You see, the problem with the man was that he did not believe that God could do the whole thing, so instead he just asked for HALF of it… And God gave according to the faith of the man…
And when there is NO faith, there is NO miracle…
“Jesus left there and went to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed. ‘Where did this man get these things?’ they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given Him? What are these remarkable miracles He is performing? Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s Son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honour except in His own town, among His relatives and in His own home.’ He could not do any miracles there, except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mark 6:1-6).
And faith can be diluted through so many things. Education, fear, jealousy, pride. All of these emotions get in the way of faith and cause people to regard their own tiny minds as somehow superior to everyone else’s…
There is a story told about a university student who mocked a man praying the rosary. The student said, “I do not believe in such silly things. Take my advice: Learn what science has to say about religion.”
The man who was praying was Louis Pasteur, Director of the Institute of Scientific Research, Paris – the most famous French scientist of 19th century, who discovered vaccines for rabies and anthrax. Pasteur is popularly known as the father of microbiology…
But he had faith that was bigger than himself…
And when I think about that today – I think that such faith makes all the difference.
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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