Papal visit: Cardinal Newman's 'miracle cure'

The attribution of miracles to an act of God or intercession by another so as to bring about an act of God is an attempt to describe the experience of being healed from within.

"Suddenly I felt an intense heat, like an oven blast, and a strong tingling sensation throughout my whole body," he said. "I felt an indescribable sense of joy and peace, and was totally transfixed by what I believed to be God's presence. When I became aware of what was happening around me I was standing upright and I exclaimed to the nurse that I felt no more pain." ~ Jack Sullivan

Significant to such experience is the indescribable joy and peace. Though ineffable, it is an experience of certainty - but not at the level of intellect. That certainty might later be expressed as belief in God - for it is clearly not one’s own or another’s achievement - and witnesses to a level or directness of Being that has no counterpart in the realm of the world or self as we otherwise judge it to be.

If it can be understood that a prior distorting adustment operates within the mind at a fundamental level and results in an experience that overlays and obscures truth, then it follows that to cease applying such an adjustment allows the original to shine through.

However this adjustment itself leads to a false sense of self and world, that does not know itself one with indescribable joy and peace - but is a state of conflicted identification, thought and desire. The experience of a dissonant sense of reality becomes a struggle of opposition and limitation that is reflected in such experience as dysfunction, sickness, conflict and death.

Just as machines now can be programmed and then adjust their own programming according to conditions met, so does the mind 'lock itself' into experience by interpretation based on beliefs applied from a past mis-take; from a faulty or incomplete apprehension of reality.

Prayer does not reach a God made in our image - who may or may not - (or can or can not)  - then act. Prayer is the true communication in the heart that allows communion to be restored to awareness. Within a restored ‘channel’ of communication, guidance and teaching occurs that serves to heal or whole the mind that has identified with limitation - as willingness is given to accept Universal Will in release of a personal or private will.

Reality is indescribable, and its unified wholeness is lost to any mind that prefers to engage the act of definition. The operation of private will is a freedom within the mind - but it is a way of using fantasy to perceive reality differently than as it is. It is important to remember that reality as it is - is never affected by fantasy and never can be. This is a fundemental principle underlying the miracle - which merely undoes a distortion that - though experienced as real - was never true.

The complexity and ingenuity of the confusion whereby we are deceived as to what is true and what is false should not be underestimated, but it has been established within the mind in its experience of fragmentation and division, upon a false premise over a very long period of time. Likewise, the acceptance of its undoing is a guided step by step process of understanding, willingness and acceptance.

The witness of healing is for the minds that are open to it - not as a spectacle to induce belief - but as a living and communicating testament to the faith that questions or challenges experience and opens the heart to enquire directly of its truth. The outer forms that may or may not be associated with this are not the active principle.

The mystery of our heart’s truth is not a challenge to be explained or to conquer - but is the wonder and unspeakable grace of love. Such love is not the domain of another world or a god elsewhere - but is the always present truth of being itself - of which we cannot in truth separate from - no matter how hellish any experience we might suffer in confusion.

The willingness to serve the awakening is a willingness to live from the basis of a revealed love - but not merely to mimic truths or teachings. Nothing is revealed to a mind that already believes in its own thoughts except that which validates itself. In this sense beliefs themselves are to be re-evaluated such that those which serve as stepping stones are used and perhaps later outgrown - while those that merely block, are rendered useless or of no value.

It is altogether understandable and appropriate that in great need, we turn out from our own self-certainties and ask or open to a greater dimension of being than that to which to which we are identified and accustomed to. But is it not a careless indulgence that waits on dire crisis to value connection with and renewal in - the joy, peace and integrity of Being Itself?

Confusion is in our mind when we take our self image and act out from that in attempt to become good, wise or well. When the mind becomes open enough to become aware of and responsible for its own liability to limit itself - it turns to the heart by becoming quiet and listening - and then trusting the guidance and direction that is discerned or felt as a result of bringing attention presently to rest.

The story of Jesus is a living Symbol in the mind for the way of discovering “the Father’s Will” within. It is not for or from any kingdom in 'this world’ of 'competing wills'. It is for the Light in you to awaken from what you thought you were and what you think everything is. This is not a process of destruction or judgement - but of discovering friend or brother where enemy or fool seemed to be. Of suddenly seeing from an inclusive perspective in which all that was helpful in your thought is retained and consolidated - while that which was erroneous has simply fallen away. When this shift occurs, it may be accompanied by tangible and demonstrable events or healing - for the world experience is ultimately a reflection of thought though not merely of the surface chatter that is humanly taken to be thought.

Man is not the center of the Universe. But ‘within’ man - or prior to the consciousness that identifies itself separated or orphaned - is Awareness - that is both Universal and local and yet is Indivisible.
In this sense Mind Is the active Principle, Law, Nature and Substance of All - including the tangibility of the Universe. But beware - for what we habitually refer to as 'mind' is twice removed from the direct Process or Movement of Be ing that Awareness is one with.

Yet mind is and can never itself be limited or fixed by the thought that is its expression - and through which it knows itself existing. Thoughts of exclusion, division, limitation and blame are not truly creative but only serve to perpetuate an experience of guilt, exclusion, isolation, opposition, scarcity and fear. To such a mindset, everything is misinterpreted. The discovery that one was wrong, helpless, in need, or un-sane - is the moment where the veil is thinnest - and a little willingness can grow to reveal itself as the prayer of the heart.

It is always possible to discern the difference between the call of love for love, and the demands of self-illusion for a ‘special’ love. But only as we ourselves are willing to value truth above the self-image that uses the forms, images or symbols of truth to make its own meanings.