Latin American Miracles

Miracles are events which seem to defy standard, rational or normal explanations, and tend to be explained by divine intervention. Most of Latin America is predominantly Catholic and miracles have a deep historical tradition in Catholic theology. To some, miracles would be considered fate or a lucky break, but to Catholics “A miracle is a supernaturally (divinely) caused event—an event (ordinarily) different from what would have occurred in the normal (“natural”) course of events.”Levine, Michael, "Miracles", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2005 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2005/entries/miracles/.] The appearance of the Blessed Mother to the three children at Fatima in 1917 is said to be a miracle. It was here that after a horrific rainstorm, Mary brought the sun closer to the earth and dried the humans’ clothes that they were wearing as a demonstration of God’s power through her. This miracle was witnessed by many thousands of people and thought of as a divine intervention. A miracle is believed to be “A discernible, divine act in the world, outside, above, or beyond the natural order of things, which manifests some aspect of God’s power and love.”Brumley, Mark, Catholic Answers, “Why Miracles Can Happen” Catholic Answers, San Diego: 2001. www.catholic.com ] Other miracles are described as “beyond the order commonly observed.” An example of this uncommon occurrence is when the Mother of Jesus is said to have appeared. She sends a message to whomever she visits and requests them to always pray the rosary for the remission of sin and to pray for peace. The rosary is a religious icon and is significant for Catholic Christians because they hope that Mary will intercede with her son and grant their requests or prayers. Many Latin American homes pray for Mary’s intersession. On some occasions these requests are granted in the form of miracles or are given as “miraculous gifts.”

Milagros is the Spanish word for miracle and in Latin America milagros are small charms, usually in an anatomical shape that “symbolize an afflicted person or body part.”Langham, Thomas C., Oktavec, Eileen. Answered Prayers: Miracles and Milagros along the Border,(Review). Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Vol. 36, No. 2 (Jun., 1997), pg.326-328.] In some parts of Latin America people will make pilgrimages to visit the statues of their patron saints and “Leave milagros as tangible symbolic petition or expressions of thanks.” Milagros were originally produced for the rich, but are now made out of tin and other base metals for everyone and usually takes the form of “A leg, head, eye, or arms and hearts, feet or hands (Langham, 326).” These icons are believed to hold significant meaning among Catholics because they represent miraculous events.

In view of the fact that Latin America has such a deep rooted belief in Catholic theology, the belief in miracles is still prevalent today. Miracles have been witnessed, in many different forms throughout the world and are one of the mainstays of the Catholic beliefs. Humans have not been able to explain miracles, but firmly believe in them. Latin American Christians pray, worship, and attend church, with the hopes of receiving a blessing or a miracle from God.

References

*Brumley, Mark, Catholic Answers, “Why Miracles Can Happen” Catholic Answers, San Diego: 2001. www.catholic.com

*Durand, Jorge; Massey, Douglas S., Miracles on the Border; Retablos of Mexican Migrants to the United States. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson and Loudon, 1995 pg. 15-16

*Langham, Thomas C., Oktavec, Eileen. Answered Prayers: Miracles and Milagros along the Border,(Review). Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Vol. 36, No. 2 (Jun., 1997), pg.326-328.

*Levine, Michael, "Miracles", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2005 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2005/entries/miracles/.