< <  

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

  > >

St. Irenaeus


Genesis 19:15-29
Psalm 26
Matthew 8:23-27

View Readings
Similar Reflections

tour guides

Jesus "got into the boat and his disciples followed Him." —Matthew 8:23

After the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus decided to take the disciples on a tour with Him. It was a healing, miracle, and deliverance tour. The disciples saw a leper cleansed, the centurion's servant healed of paralysis, Peter's mother-in-law healed of a fever, a storm stopped, two men delivered from demons, a paralytic cured, the daughter of Jairus raised from the dead, a woman having hemorrhaged for twelve years cured, two blind men given sight, and a mute delivered of a demon and enabled to speak (Mt 8-9). What a tour!

The disciples were sightseers on this tour. At its conclusion, Jesus asked His disciples to pray for tour guides, that is, workers for the harvest (Mt 9:38). They became the answer to their own prayers and were given the authority to do what they had just seen Jesus do.

Jesus has given us "authority to expel unclean spirits and to cure sickness and disease of every kind" (Mt 10:1). Yet most Christians don't believe Him. We should first go on tour with Jesus and see His mighty works. Then we will believe His promises. Jesus is arranging a miracle, healing, and deliverance tour. Obey Him. Come, see, conquer.

Prayer:  Jesus, give me a series of personal experiences of Your almighty power and love.

Promise:  "You have already thought enough of Your servant to do me the great kindness of intervening to save my life." —Gn 19:19

Praise:  St. Irenaeus was one of the first Doctors of the Church and vigorously refuted heresy in the early Church.

Reference:  (For a related teaching, order our tape I Believe in Miracles on audio AV 63-3 or video V-63.)

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 20, 2004

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.