Praised be Jesus and Mary. Now and forever.
Today is the memorial of St. André Bessette, who was born in 1845, died in 1937, and almost his whole life was dedicated to the ministry of porter in Montreal, Canada, specifically ministering to those who would come seeking the intercession of St. Joseph.
St. André had a great devotion to St. Joseph, and in fact, he was a great miracle worker, invoking the intercession of this saint.
It's interesting, however, that St. André Bessette, for himself and for his closest friends, never recommended to pray to be freed from suffering. Like all the saints, he realized that suffering is a great gift, a great gift of conformity to our Lord. It's not a bad thing to pray for relief in suffering or for a miracle, not at all. However, St. André Bessette never recommended it to his closest friends, and never sought miracles for himself.
Although the miracles that he did obtain were truly incredible sometimes, including, just as one example, a young man who, in a terrible industrial accident, had his face almost literally burned off so that it was disfigured and one big scar, and he was in danger of losing even his eyesight, comes to St. André, and André as usual, tells him, “Keep doing your medical treatments, but add a little bit, a drop of the oil of St. Joseph,” so this oil was from the lamps that burned in front of the statue, add one drop to the medicines that you have to apply.nOvernight, the scar tissue went away, so that people couldn't believe this was the same young man.
So the miracles, of course, do happen. However, it seems safe to say that St. André knew that these miracles were for people who had a difficult time accepting suffering as a gift from God. And it is difficult for us sometimes to see suffering as a gift from God, but it is a And it is difficult for us sometimes to see suffering as a gift from God, even though St. John tells us God is love, and because God is love by nature, all He does is an act of love. So even when He allows suffering, it's an act of love.
Nevertheless, when suffering touches us, we forget everything. Everything, everything, everything, and all we want is relief from suffering. And God knows our weakness, and He knows that for some people, in their weakness, they need that relief. Otherwise, their spiritual good is at risk. Their soul is at risk, so He gives relief. However, the greater gift remains suffering itself, and heroic suffering.
Again, we are free to pray for relief and for miracles, but God decides what's best for our souls. Sometimes it is a tremendous miracle, and praise be God. Sometimes it is great strength and suffering, and praised be God just the same, because He is love, and whatever He allows, whatever He wills, is an act of love.
So may God be praised in His saints, in St. Joseph, in St. André Bessette, and in whatever He does, because it is all for our good, for our sanctification, for our salvation, and for us too to grow in love and to be like God.
Praised be Jesus and Mary. Now and forever.