As you may have heard, the exhumed body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster has shown no signs of decay. At age 70, Sister Wilhelmina was the founder of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles in Missouri. The Catholic News Agency notes that the order produced an album of Catholic hymns and Gregorian chants that shot straight up the charts. Sister Wilhelmina was a traditional Catholic who was moved to embark on a religious life after receiving a vision of Christ at the age of 13. She was black and came of age in the era of segregation but refused to harbor resentment for the abuse she endured. She was a staunch supporter of wearing a habit, and hers may have protected her when a student tried to stab her in the neck. She passed away four years ago and was buried in a wooden coffin. Her body was exhumed by the sisters in order to give her a final resting place in the monastery chapel. It was then that they discovered that her body was still very much intact and that her habit had not decayed at all. The CNA reports:
According to Catholic tradition, incorruptible saints give witness to the truth of the resurrection of the body and the life that is to come. The lack of decay is also seen as a sign of holiness: a life of grace lived so closely to Christ that sin with its corruption does not proceed in typical fashion but is miraculously held at bay.
Since the exhumation, hundreds have made a pilgrimage to the monastery to see Sister Wilhelmina’s body and pray. The Church has yet to issue a decision on whether or not this is a miracle. But in the age of bald-faced corruption, the threat of another world war, escalating violence, an economy on the verge of collapse, and the sexualization of everything and everyone, a miracle of any kind is long overdue. We need more Sister Wilhelminas in an OnlyFans world.
Related: Sunday Thoughts: Tim Keller, 1950-2023
So if miracles are so faith-promoting, why don’t we see more of them? That seems like a no-brainer marketing plan for God. It stands to reason that the more miracles, the more believers, right? Not necessarily. In the Old Testament, we see the Children of Israel, disgruntled and depressed and making a golden calf in the wilderness despite the massive miracles that they had seen with their own eyes. A landslide of miracles does not necessarily mean an increase in faith, even if the miracles in question cannot be debunked. In John 6, we read about Jesus feeding the 5,000. Later in the chapter, the same people go looking for him and Jesus says:
Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him, God the Father has placed his seal of approval.
In other words, focusing on miracles puts us at risk of looking for a god of goodies and not the author of salvation. A miracle sustains us for a week, month, or maybe a year. But faith must sustain us for a lifetime. And faith is built, not dispensed.
When I was studying for the priesthood, the priest who was mentoring me once commented that often, faith is like hiking with blisters and that it gives you the strength to go on when you would really rather just sit down and open a cold one. The miracle of Sister Wilhelmina may in part be the incorruption of her body. But the greater miracle is what she achieved during the marathon that is life. Her faith is the sustaining miracle. Miracles may boost faith, but they don’t carry faith.
The same priest who made the comment about hiking with blisters once told a story during a sermon:
Years ago, a tiny Chicago parish had either a statue or picture of the Virgin Mary. It either moved or shed a tear. I don’t remember which. But the word got out that a miracle had occurred at this church, and people began arriving by the thousands. There were long lines and congested traffic and the church was going broke from hiring around-the-clock security to handle the crowds. As expected, a TV news crew showed up and the reporter asked the priest, “Father, does this qualify as a miracle?” The priest looked at the long line of people outside of the church. He looked back at the reporter and said, “The real miracle is faith.”
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