I always hear church goers today saying that “we” are all sinners.  Then they say but for the grace of god.  First of all, who are the ‘we’ that I hear speak about.  I don’t pride myself in being a sinner.  In fact I avoid mortal sin, you know those ten commandments God gave Moses to live by.  Well they still apply to you and me today. A violation of one is as if you violated all of them.  I don’t know of anyone who would consider murder a good action.  The Ten Commandments provide us guideline within which we should live our lives.  Then we have Christ’s two other commands which were not new but he heavily emphasized these two because God had also commanded them through the Old Testament.  Love your neighbor as yourself and love God with all of your heart soul mind and strength.  These two commands encompass the whole of the Ten Commandments since if you follow these two then you will not violate the ten.  But these two go much farther and way beyond the Ten Commandments.  Can you see that they cover hatred and greed and jealousy and gossip? We must avoid these sins also.
     So when I hear that ‘we’ are all sinners, church goers should be saying we were ‘once’ all sinners. I don’t pride myself in being a sinner.  Do you? What good is your church and Christ who gave his life if you are still sinners?  Christ died in vain as far as “we” are concerned.  I think church goers use that phrase ‘we are all sinners’ as an excuse, as a crutch. Some theologians make a living declaring all of humanity as depraved.  They claim that there is not one ounce of good in ‘we’ human beings.  And these theologians claim that Christ’s death was like a cloak or veil thrown over ‘we’ sinners to hide our depravity.  I feel sorry for these so called theologians.  I bet Paul, Peter and John did not consider themselves depraved.  In fact they had a light within that exuded love of neighbor and God. Our postmodern world has completely lost touch with the light and grace provided by God.  This light and grace was first the Ten Commandments and then the two additional commands provided by Christ regarding love.  Love will dispel and overcome all depravity.  Yet ‘we’ have removed the ten from our schools and on public buildings, even from our churches. We have removed the ten plus two from our hearts. We have become a feel good society, if it feels good to you, just do it because we are all sinners. ‘We’ have come to believe these heretic theologians and “we” are rapidly becoming depraved human beings in the process.

     The angels are spiritual beings who act as intermediaries between God and man: "You have made him (man) a little less than the angels." (Psalm 8:6). They, equally with man, are created beings. Angels are of two types, God’s emissaries, like Michael and guardian angels. That every individual soul has a guardian angel has never been defined by the Church, and is, consequently, not an article of faith; but a phrase in the New Testament implies their existence. "See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 18:10). Good spiritual beings, angels do exist. If our guardian angel is always around, why do we drink too much, commit adultery, get in car wrecks, fall and break bones, lie, cheat or steal or fuss at our wives and kids?
     Bad spiritual beings also exist.  There is a spiritual world which we do not see nor can we detect with our five senses of touch, smell, sight, taste or hearing.  We sometimes come into contact with this other world (cosmic world) through mental perception, emotion or conscious and subconscious desires. But there is a barrier that we humans are not allowed to cross. Like it or not, within our physical world here on earth, there are spiritual forces that govern our external, material existence and our internal mental world.  The major spiritual force, the Holy Spirit of the Trinity, is always present both in our material world and in the world beyond.  It is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent.  The other forces which transcend or travel between our material world and the cosmic world are the minor spiritual forces of angels: good angels and bad angels. There are legions upon legions of angels. We know Satan is a fallen angel and he took one third of the good angels with him as his minions when he rebelled. Of course, every time God creates a soul at human conception, He creates and assigns it a guardian angel-an offshoot or sprout of the Holy Spirit.  These guardian angels attach themselves to the soul for eternity, not through a physical attachment but more like an assignment of responsibility.  These assignments can be interrupted, however. For example, when one lies or steals, the holy protection is withdrawn. When abortions occur, these guardian angels become evil and join the team of Satan. When we die, our guardian angels escorts our soul to its proper destination. Our guardian angels are in constant battle with the demonic forces (bad angels) in this cosmic world, the world that transcends our perceptions.  Unfortunately we are never exposed to the actual combat. We have no direct contact through our five senses with this spiritual realm (cosmic world) and the war within. We only see and experience the consequences of these battles-drink too much, commit adultery, get in car wrecks, fall and break bones, lie, cheat or steal or fuss at our wives and kids. Or we love our neighbor, help feed the poor, remain faithful to our spouses, support and embrace our children and exist in peace, joy and lovingkindness.
     When you are filled with the spiritual force of the Trinity, no minor forces can have an effect on your mind or your soul.  Only when the Trinity force is absent can minor forces appear and exert their power.  Even though the Holy Spirit of the Trinity it is always present in this world, it may not always be present within human beings.  The reason is that the host, our body, mind and soul, is not open for its reception.  When we exclude the major spiritual force of the Trinity for whatever reason, the lower powers gain authority to influence our human will and by extension our physical environment.  The strength and disposition of the human mind and soul will determine the reaction of the will when attacked by the minor demonic spirits or when helped by our guardian angel.  The good angels can regain control of our human material and inner mental world when the soul is in proper disposition.  If the soul is flawed or depraved because of improper human desires or physical defect, the evil spirits are able to influence the human will towards vices and depravity.  While the good angels are omnipresent, the bad angels are just the opposite.  They come and go.  They are not all- powerful or all-knowing either.  They can be managed and handled by the good angels and more importantly by human will.  But the human will must be cooperative and receptive to the assistance made available by the good angels and God’s grace.  The good angels will not act unless the human mind and soul is in the proper disposition.  The protection of a guardian angel is a wonderful mystery.  But be aware that good angels do not have the same power as the Holy Spirit.  If it is your desire to be completely shielded from the fiery darts of the evil one, you must pray for and ask that the Holy Spirit invade every cell of your being. Otherwise you will often be calling on the help of your guardian angel.
     So what is the proper disposition needed for the assistance of your guardian angel.  It is the same disposition required for the coming of the Holy Spirit.  This may sound like the same old routine.  But here it goes again.  The requirement: a 100 % belief in and acceptance of the Trinity (you cannot have any doubts- you cannot leave this first step unless you are fully committed, all in); confess your sins to those offended and a priest with contrite hearts;  resolve to never sin again; partake in the sacraments; avoid every vice, embrace every virtue; live a life as Christ lived; love God with all your heart, mind soul and strength; love your neighbor as yourself; die to old self and become reborn in your spirit by the holy spirit.  The Holy Spirit may come and go from you because you have let your guard down in one of the above mentioned areas when your concupiscence is tweaked by the bad angels, but our God has provided us with a guardian angel to shore us up in our weak moments. When we have failed in one of these battles in the cosmic arena, made a mess of our physical world and our flank has been exposed to the fiery darts, rest assured that your guardian angel is waiting on your cry of distress. How amazing is that?

      Most scholars believe that 1 Peter was not written by the Apostle Peter and that it was written to a Gentile audience.  I am no scholar but I believe that they have it completely wrong.  I Peter is a letter and a baptismal homily to the Jews.  Peter was the apostle to the Jews just as Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles.  Peter mentions Noah as a baptism by water.  Then he begins weird statements about Jesus going down to hell and saving the prophets of old (Baptism by fire).  These Jews to whom he is writing, just like the Israelites and prophets of old,  are currently going through a baptism by fire. The epistle is addressed to "the exiles of the diaspora and the elect" (Jews) in Asia Minor.  The audience is undergoing suffering both of a verbal and physical nature.  This suffering is the persecution from the Romans as a result of the Jewish rebellion taking place in Jerusalem.  Peter requests that they submit to the emperor.  The audience is a chosen race, a royal priesthood, God’s own people. But the new house of God is no longer the temple in Jerusalem. The human body has become the temple in His earthly kingdom. Peter is writing as a priest of the Catholic Church in the new kingdom and as a personal witness of Christ.
      I believe 1 peter was written a few years before or immediately after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. It was addressed to the Jews in Asia Minor who were either slaves or freedmen who were either Christians or  were converting to Christianity. The Jews began a revolt in 66 A.D. when the Roman procurator increased taxes.    The Romans tried to militarily quell the revolt but initially failed.  Vespasian and Titus were sent in to siege the city under orders of Nero and Jerusalem finally fell in 70 A.D. Many fled Jerusalem before the destruction. Titus wanted to preserve the temple, but his soldiers were so angry at the resilient Jews that they burned it. The remaining Jews were slaughtered or sold as slaves. Peter was in Rome as either a free man or a prisoner with Paul by 66 or 67 A.D.  Peter writes, “The church here in Babylon, united with you by God’s election, sends you her greeting; so does my son, Mark.”  1 Peter was written to the fleeing Jews in the various towns of Asia Minor.  I think many became Christian after the diaspora because they saw the destruction of Jerusalem as punishment for their sin. Peter was consoling them and inviting them to follow the Way, a new sect of Jews who believe in Christ. Peter and Paul were eventually martyred in Rome around 68 A.D., before Jerusalem finally fell to the Rome siege in 70 A.D. and before Nero committed suicide.

          The process of conversion for Saint Francis in 1205 was not that much unlike the conversion of Saint Benedict in 500 A.D. or Saint Augustine in 386 A.D. All three experienced a learning curve.  But with dedicated practice of ascetic rules for each, the results were triumphant.  Francis was the son of a wealthy textile merchant and became disenchanted with worldly possessions.  Because he gave his coat to a poor knight, who was badly dressed, he heard the words “All of these things were for him and his knights” (Bonaventure, P532). Francis thought that these words were a command to pursue prosperity so he left his home town of Assisi in pursuit thereof, but the Lord told him to return to Assisi and wait for spiritual guidance from God’s divine plan.  He moaned and groaned but prayed to the Lord and the Lord on the cross appeared to him in an old church.  “From then on, he clothed himself with a spirit of poverty, a sense of humility and an eagerness for intimate piety” {Bonaventure, p. 534). Christ again appeared to him and commanded him to repair the dilapidated churches.  The third church he rebuilt, the Most Blessed Virgin Mother of God, was where he made his home. He did physically repair churches, but Francis later realized that that commandment was for a spiritual revival of mother Church. Francis turned into a great man of piety.  His faith allowed him to perform miracles.  With his soul converted, Francis swiftly gained a large following such that he was obligated to update his personal Primitive Rule (To follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps) and wrote the Later Rule. Like the Rule of Augustine and the Benedictine Rule, his cannon helped guide the formation of his self and his followers.
            Here is a brief summary of Francis’ Later Rule: To observe the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, living in obedience without anything of our own, and in chastity; Believe all Catholic faith and sacraments of the church and wish to confess them faithfully; no wives; sell all they have, and attempt to give it to the poor; promise to observe this life and rule always; absolutely forbidden them to leave the order; brothers are to wear inexpensive clothing; Clerics are to perform the divine office; Laymen are to say twenty-four "Our Fathers" at matins; five at lauds; seven each at prime, terce, sext and none; twelve at vespers; and seven at compline; They should also pray for the dead; They should fast from the feast of all saints until Christmas; They must fast during Lent; They must not ride on horseback; strictly forbid the brothers to receive money; the gift of working should done faithfully; The brothers should appropriate neither house, nor place, nor anything for themselves; they should go confidently after alms, serving God in poverty and humility, as pilgrims and strangers in this world;  penances to be imposed on sinning brothers; The brothers are always bound to have a brother of the order as general minister; provincial ministers; And no brother should dare preach to the people unless he has been examined and approved by the minister general of his brotherhood and the office of preaching has been conceded to him; strictly obey their ministers in all those things which they have promised the Lord to observe and which are not contrary to the soul and to our rule; brothers to avoid suspicious meetings or conversations with women and to stay out of the convents of nuns; any who wish to go among the Saracens(Muslims) and other infidels must ask permission from their provincial ministers; and obedience to the Pope. (The Later Rule of Saint Francis).
            These rules reflect a pure love for humanity. Francis’ desire was to isolate and alienate his own human nature in order to serve humanity through a spiritual nature.  Where the Benedictines wished to reach God through a repression and transformation of their human nature, the Franciscans, seemed to have already gained control of their human nature and attempted to remain in touch with their spiritual nature by ministering to the poor both through offering the word and material goods. The Franciscans subsisted on alms.  Some did work and gave back to their community.  They pledged to live as Christ and His apostles lived. They, unlike the Benedictines who isolated themselves from the world, sustained their love for Christ by sharing that spiritual love with others.  They became ambassadors for Christ and were not confined within the four walls of the Church.
            I can only explain the differences in mindset between the Benedictines and the Franciscans as a result of the times in which they lived.  The Benedictines began in the later part of the fourth century.  Rome was under the process of siege and collapse.  The heights of power, possessions and pleasure were exposed to humanity and the Benedictines sought to escape this depravity.  They retreated from the world to reform and transform themselves.  The Franciscans, on the other hand, appeared some 700 years later when Western Europe had descended into the Dark ages, the medieval period. “Depopulation, deurbanization, invasion, and movement of peoples, which had begun in Late Antiquity, continued in the Early Middle Ages. The barbarian invaders, including various Germanic peoples, formed new kingdoms in what remained of the Western Roman Empire. In the 7th century, North Africa and the Middle East—once part of the Eastern Roman Empire—came under the rule of the Umayyad Caliphate, an Islamic empire, after conquest by Muhammad's successors. Although there were substantial changes in society and political structures, the break with Antiquity” was nearly complete… “Controversy, heresy, and the Western Schism within the Catholic Church paralleled the interstate conflict, civil strife, and peasant revolts that occurred in the kingdoms.” (Wikipedia).  Saint Francis lived in the middle of this confusion when cities began to form and the monasteries became rich bastions of corruption.  God gave him the responsibility to rebuild the Church, not from within its four walls but through evangelization.  The times in which they lived clearly distinguish the viewpoints of each Saint.  While the Benedictines ran away from the depravity that was forged during the height of intellectual achievement and stability of political rule, the Franciscans sought a return to such intellect and stability while excluding the depravity. The Benedictines worked to repair self.  The Franciscans worked to repair the Church. Both worked under the authority of God with the guidance of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Both dedicated their lives to God.

I am writing with my apologetic hat today.  I was reading a book entitled The Writings of the New Testament by Luke Timothy Johnson.  In chapter 19 he writes that many theologians today take the position that the pastoral letters are inauthentic, that they were not written by Paul. I would venture to say that most of these scholars who take this position are protestant theologians, to me an oxymoron. The use the words protestant and theologian back to back or in succession is to place apparently contradictory terms in conjunction. Protestants cannot be theologians because they are not a part of the Church Christ started over 2000 years ago.  They are a members of churches started by renegade Catholic priests (Luther and Calvin) some 500 years ago. They teach false doctrine that Paul so often warned us about.  They are wolves in sheep’s clothing.  They were declared heretics by the universal church at the Council of Trent.  Johnson implies in his book that these “theologians” object to the pastoral letters as authentic because they “contain an elaborate ecclesial structure.” So called protestant theologians always object to any evidence that may support the supremacy of the Pope and the Catholic Church’s hierarchy. It’s the similar objection they make to the epistle of James who placed much emphasis on ‘works.’ The goal of most protestant theologians is to dismantle or weaken the universal church.  That is why most refuse to look outside of the four corners of the bible, in other words, they refuse to look at tradition. Many if not most Catholic priests and bishops can trace their rights of ordination back to the original apostles.  I would venture to say that these protestant theologians can only trace their roots to Calvin or Luther.  Many ask today why the church is losing membership and why the laity are so confused about morality? The answer is Protestant theologians.

            Asceticism and the holiness of solitude are gifts of the Desert Fathers. The Desert Fathers were early Christian monks who lived mainly in the desert of Egypt beginning around the third century AD.  The most well-known was Anthony the Great, who moved to the desert in 270–271 AD and became known as both the father and founder of desert monasticism. By the time Anthony died in 356 AD, thousands of monks and nuns had been drawn to living in the desert following Anthony's example. The wisdom I discovered from the dessert fathers is that most anyone can live such a life if they truly love the Lord and wish to grow closer to Him.  The lives of the Desert Fathers seem to me to be a form of martyrdom.  One must be willing to give up everything in this life to prepare for the next. Monastic life as the desert fathers lived would be most difficult in this day and age but not entirely impossible.  Monastic life frees one from the burdens of life and the continued obsession with pleasure, possessions and power.  To imitate them, all life decisions and actions require a complete focus on a personal relationship with God on a 24/7 basis allowing one to perfect the soul.  Monastic life cleanses the soul.
            The desert fathers, whether living in solitary, in clusters, or in highly structured environs, were truly brothers. They went to the desert for many reasons: secularization, spiritual discipline, splits in doctrine, hard work, prayer, or new communities’ types. They “watched over themselves” (Topliffe, p. 14).  I was particularly intrigued by Anthony.  Anthony devoted his life to prayer, discipline and learning the virtues of others.  Visitors witnessed the attack of the demons on Anthony but were protected by the sign of the cross. Anthony was fortified by their weaknesses. People came to imitate Anthony. He exhorted, advised and cured the sick. He fought off a constant barrage of evil spirits in order that his disciples would learn “not to fear the devil or the delusions of the demons” (Topliffe, p. 20). Anthony told Satan himself, “The coming of Christ has made you weak” (Topliffe, p. 21).   If the evil spirits find you in a state of weakness, despair or depravity, they will exploit your weakness to your destruction. “While the Lord is with us, our foes can do us no harm” (Topliffe, p. 22). Anthony’s life is a fitting life for which I would want to strive.
             Can the Church live like Anthony without living in a monastery? Yes! Avoid all television, newspapers and radio.  When you read, read about the Lord.  Follow all of the commandments especially love of neighbor and God.  When you talk to yourself, talk to God for He is always listening.  Take note of all things you say and don’t say and all thing you do and don’t do and be sure that they are all directed toward God, all with a joyous and unboastful heart. For it is not the believer, but the Lord who heals and has power over demons. These rules are not for everyone. They cannot be imposed on the Church but must at least be identified and encouraged.
            Here are some other bits of wisdom I learned from the desert fathers that would be useful in the Church today.  1) Confession of sin to a holy man can relieve all of your burdens especially when you place them upon the Lord. Leave all of your sins behind “for it came from evil” (Topliffe, p. 32).  2) Sexual desire is the hardest for man to overcome.  Lust, if acted upon, leads to fornication.  Women are much stronger in the sexual arena because they, unlike men, do not have two heads from which to make decisions.  3) Maryana lied about her identity and probably suffered greatly for it, as we see from her story.  Her penance was to accept false accusations willingly.  All those around her were saved upon discovery of the truth. 4) Confession and repentance frees a man from the shackles of the evil one.  5) The desert fathers fasted on Wednesdays because that was the day the Jews plotted to kill our Lord and on Fridays because that was the day the Jews killed our Lord.  6) Partake in the Eucharist every day.  7) Thieves and murderers can become saints in the Lord’s eyes, especially upon visitation from angels.  8)  “Weep for the judgment of sinners” (Topliffe, p. 57).  9) “It is good to live in peace, for the wise person practices perpetual prayer” (Topliffe, p. 59).
            For monastic life to become fruitful again, the Church today should encourage the first two types of monks given by Cassian. According to Cassian the Desert Fathers where one of three types of monks:  those that lived together in one community under the authority of an elder; those who trained in monasteries, achieved a life of perfection and chose the hidden life of solitude; and those who only attempted such a life for show.  He also mentioned a fourth type of monk who flattered himself for being solitary.  This last type were the most numerous type emerging, just as the Christians after the apostolic era began to lose their identity and drifted away from a true discipleship with Christ. Unfortunately for church goers today, most find no benefit must less a desire to live such a life.  Interestingly though, such a life can still be lived either within or without a monastery but with much dedication and sacrifice. Listen to the words of Cassian.  “True patience and humility can only be acquired and kept when the innermost heart is humble” (Cassian, p. 193). “The disease of envy is harder to cure than any other” (Cassian, p. 199). The Church and myself included need to learn these bits of wisdom and create a desire to put them into action if for nothing else than for eternal salvation.

      A stream of consciousness is a peculiar life event.  Our waking moments are spent on thoughts, all sorts of thoughts.  These thoughts are generated usually by desires, a desire to eat when hungry, to nap when sleepy, to curse at an absent minded driver and a desire for comfort when too hot or too cold.  We are also driven by a desire to make money in order that we may feed and clothe ourselves and provide shelter.  Finally our thoughts are driven by our sexual desires, especially if we have not mastered the art of chastity.  These desires create thousands of different thoughts which affect both our positive and negative emotions.  Some negative emotional states include: anger, jealousy, hatred, greed, revenge, depression, inferiority, and lust. Some say that these negatively directed thoughts and emotions are a result of concupiscence. Some positive emotional states include: love, generosity, forgiveness, empathy, fidelity, honesty, and kindness.  What is the cause of these positive thoughts and emotions?  Some would say God and the Holy Spirit.
      I decided to focus all of my conscious thought today on God.  Everything I though or didn’t think or said or didn’t say or did or didn’t do was going to be as if God were acting through me.  In other words I retained God in the forefront of my consciousness all day. At the end of the day I submitted myself to self-examination. During my evening examine while writing this paper, I remember most all of my daily events. I can remember talking to my secretary and complimenting her on her work.  Or talking to my client in court and fully explaining his remedies and not rushing the process. I remember speaking with the Judge at the bench in a calm and deliberate manner with respect.  I remember talking to a client at the office seeking a divorce from a husband who is using drugs and alcohol to the extent that her life was in danger and advising her of a correct course of action with empathy. I didn’t think myself better than or have negative thoughts about the man sleeping on the park bench or the man operating a weed eater on the grounds of the LSU campus. I can remember not getting angry with the guy who pulled out in front of me or the clerk who was rude at the counter.  I can remember being pleasant with all of the people I encountered throughout the day with cordial greetings. God even revealed His presence in the part He played in my day.  The topic by our speaker at my usual bible study luncheon on Thursdays was “God is with us constantly. Do you live with a steady awareness of His presence with you?” How amazing is that that God would confirm my decision to retain a continuous, conscious encounter with Him through the words of another man on the same day I decided to be 100% faithful.
      On my drive home from work without the radio blaring, I realized that today was filled with joy, happiness and loving-kindness.  I then began wondering why and how do we allow these negative emotional states to overtake us and decided that it was not necessarily concupiscence.  What drives these thoughts are the evil spirits which we allow to invade our soul, mind and heart. We are not fully committed to God.  We allow evil to hang around.  We must come to realize that God choses to be constantly with us but it is we who are not aware of His presence on a minute to minute basis. We lapse into a state of evil consciousness.  When god through His holy spirit invades every cell of our being, there is no room for evil.  All vices are pushed out of body and soul and we can act Christ-like.. What I learned is that when we think and talk to ourselves and others, we must act as though we are having a conversation with God.  And in the process we wind up imitating Christ. I found it emotionally draining to keep God in the forefront of my consciousness all day.  But today I learned that with a lot of effort, a little practice and patience and the diligence of God, it can be done.

Jesus healed such a large number of people during His three years of evangelization in Palestine that He plainly established His divinity and effectively offered salvation to the whole world.  Before the appearance of Christ, no one had quite seen such feats to the extent that Christ healed people. There were some healings in the Old Testament.  In 1 King 17:17-24 a poor lady, with only a bit of flour and oil left for food, was commanded to make bread for Elijah.  She obeyed, yet her son fell sick and died.  She asked if his death was a result of her sins. Elijah rose, took the child to the upper room and raised him from the dead. In 2 Kings 5:10-14, Naaman was cured of his leprosy by Elisha.  Although there were a number of miraculous events in the Old Testament, only a few healings.  Yet with Christ, He continuously healed people during his three years of ministry. And Christ also healed through His apostles and disciples.  Why did Christ and His apostles heal so many people during their ministries? “As the preachers exercised gifts of healing within the community, they could find the pattern of their healing by prayer and their anointing for forgiveness of sins in the healing deeds of Jesus that led to the forgiveness of sins” (Luke Timothy Johnson, p. 124).
            Let us first look at the individual healings of Jesus Christ and His disciples to get a scope of their deeds.  Christ healed the leper in Galilee, Matthew 8:1-4, Mark 1:40-45, Luke 5:12-15; the Roman Centurion’s paralyzed servant at Capernaum, Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7:2-10; the demoniac in synagogue at Capernaum, Mark 1:23-28, Luke 4:31-37; Peter's mother-in-law sick with a fever at Capernaum, Matthew 8:14-15, Mark 1:29-31, Luke 4:38-39; the paralytic at Capernaum, Matthew 9:2-8, Mark 2:3-12, Luke 5:17-26; the man with a withered hand at a synagogue at Capernaum, Matthew 12:10-13, Mark 3:1-7, Luke 6:6-11; the dead son of the widow of Nain, Luke 7:11-16; one or two demoniacs at a tomb near Gadara, Matthew 8:28-34,Mark 5:1-15, Luke 8:26-39; Jairus' daughter at Capernaum, Matthew 9:18-19; 23-26, Mark 5:22-24; 35-43,Luke 8:40-42; 49-56; the woman with the issue of blood at Capernaum, Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:24-34, Luke 8:43-48; the deaf man with a speech impediment in the region of Decapolis, Mark 7:31-37; the blind man at Bethsaida, Mark 8:22-26; two blind men at Capernaum, Matthew 9:27-31; other women and Mary Magdalene healed of evil spirits and infirmities in Galilee, Luke 8:2, Mark 16:9; the mute demoniac in Galilee, Matthew 9:32-34, Luke 11:14-16; the blind, deaf demoniac in Galilee, Matthew 12:22-24; only a few sick persons healed in Nazareth, Mark 6:5, Matthew 13:58; a gentile woman's demoniac daughter in the region of Tyre and Sidon, Matthew 15:21-28, Mark 7:24-30; an epileptic son near the town of Caesarea Philippi, Matthew 17:14-21, Mark 9:17-29, Luke 9:37-42; one blind man approaching Jericho of Judea, Luke 18:35-43; the blind Bartimeaus leaving Jericho, Mark 10:46-52; two blind men departing from Jericho, Matthew 20:29-34; a woman with a spirit of infirmity in Galilee, Luke 13:11-13; a man with dropsy as Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem(Luke 13:22) Luke 14:1-4; ten lepers between Samaria and Galilee, Luke 17:11-19; a Samaritan Leper between Samaria and Galilee, Luke 17:15-19; the servant's ear, Luke 22:50-51, (Malchus) John 18:10; the nobleman for his sick son who was at Capernaum, John 4:46-54; an infirm man at the Pool of Bethesda at Jerusalem, John 5:2-15; a man born blind at Jerusalem, John 9:1-12, John 9:35-37; and Lazarus at Bethany near Jerusalem, John 11:19-28, John 11:39-44. There were probably thousands of others whose names have not been recorded.
            Christ gave the power of healing to all of His disciples too. Here are the miracles of the Apostle Peter:  Peter and John healed a man crippled from birth (Acts 3:2 -11); Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, was healed (Acts 9:34); Tabitha (Dorcas) was brought back from the dead (Acts 9:36-42).  The seventy disciples sent out by Jesus performed many miracles (Luke 10:17).  And we must not forget the healings by Paul. On the island of Cyprus, a sorcerer named Bar-Jesus was struck blind (Acts 13:6-11). In Lystra a man born crippled was healed (Acts 14:8-10). In Philippi, a demon was cast out of a female slave who made money for her master (Acts 16:18). Amazing miracles, like cloths touched by Paul, healed the sick (Acts 19:11-12). A young man, who fell out a window while listening to Paul, was raised to life (Acts 20:9-12). Publius, the Roman governor over the island of Malta, had his father healed by Paul (Acts 28:8).
            But what was the purpose of all of these healings and exorcisms?  The main motivation why Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, or performed all kinds of miracles was to reveal something about who He was.  In the Gospel of John the miracles are signs which point to the divinity of Jesus. “We recognize that he is indeed the Savior of the world” (John 4:42).  In John 5:43 the Lord said, “I have come in my Father’s name” and in 6:48, “It is I who am the bread of life.”  In Matthew 9 Jesus heals a paralytic to show that He possessed divine power to forgive sins.   “And now they brought before him a man who was palsied and bed-ridden; whereupon Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the palsied man, Son, take courage, thy sins are forgiven.” (Matthew 9:2). Jesus had to establish among his disciples first, then to the Jews and gentiles, that he was in fact the Messiah.   Demonstrating to the people that He had the authority from God to heal, Jesus confirmed that He could also forgive sins. “And now, to convince you that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins while he is on earth (here he spoke to the palsied man), Rise up, take thy bed with thee, and go home.” (Matthew 9:6).  Jesus showed the people that He was divine, possessed authority from God and could physically heal deformities and therefore forgive sins. “And the story of these doings spread abroad through all the country round.” (Matthew 9:26).
            Another reason Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons was because of His compassion. Jesus loved humanity and not just the Jews.  Jesus cured the Jew and gentile alike.  And the healings of Jesus caused a restoration of body and soul. The person regained their physical attributes. But Jesus also forgave their sins and thus cured their souls.  Matthew 14:14 says, “And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.”  Compassion is certainly one reason why Jesus healed.  Jesus healed because He was the embodiment of love.  “Jesus was moved with pity; he held out his hand and touched him, and said, It is my will; be thou made clean. And at the word, the leprosy all at once left him, and he was cleansed.” (Mark 1-41-42). It was compassion on the part of Jesus and the faith of the believer that led to the miracle. Jesus Christ heals people today for the same reason.  “Dost thou not know that God’s kindness is inviting thee to repent?” (Romans 2:4).
            Jesus also healed to confirm His own word, the fulfillment of God’s promise. Christ knew exactly why He was sent to earth. He came to perform the works of His Father. These healings confirmed the spoken word of Jesus. We can see the power in Jesus’ words.  In Matthew 8:16-17 “he cast out the evil spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick, in fulfilment of the word spoken by Isaias the prophet, He took our infirmities upon himself, and bore our sicknesses.”  Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons to reveal the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:4.  Matthew clearly saw the healings and exorcisms as messianic miracles, miracles which materialize as Jesus, the promised Messiah of the Old Testament but also the suffering servant.  Chapter 53 of Isaiah is one of the great prophetic descriptions of the sufferings and death of Christ upon the cross.  Matthew uses Isaiah 53:4 not only to reveal the power of the Messiah over disease and demons, but also to reveal the suffering Servant as a sacrificial substitute for our sins. Look at the way Isaiah 53 is used by Peter in 1 Peter 2:21-25. “Indeed, you are engaged to this by the call of Christ; he suffered for our sakes, and left you his own example; you were to follow in his footsteps.  He did no wrong, no treachery was found on his lips; he was ill spoken of, and spoke no evil in return, suffered, and did not threaten vengeance, gave himself up into the hands of injustice. So, on the cross, his own body took the weight of our sins; we were to become dead to our sins, and live for holiness; it was his wounds that healed you. Till then, you had been like sheep going astray; now, you have been brought back to him, your shepherd, who keeps watch over your souls.” He healed to fulfill His personal word to us and also the prophesy of God in the Old Testament.
            Jesus healed 2000 years ago to manifest his love for humanity and to expose the purpose for which he appeared on this earth, victory over sin and death. Christ’s love can work miracles in our lives today.  But we have to ask of Him. We must make a request first.  As Christ said, ask in faith and you will receive.  People flocked to Christ and asked because they heard or saw what he was doing and believed in His power to heal.  Many asked and were healed. Asking, for them, was easy because Christ was standing right in front of them.  And because of His compassion, Christ freely gave. Two thousand years later, most have lost touch with Christ.  Although still present in Spirit, people firstly, fail to believe and secondly, because of their lack of faith, fail to ask.  There are still many miraculous healings occurring in the world today, but many do not associate it with Christ.  If they do associate it with Christ, the media will write them off as lunatics, fakes or attention seekers. But we know that asking in prayer effectuates healing today, because Christ, the divine healer and servant, personally healed 2000 years ago.

Why is the Holy Spirit described as a dove descending on Jesus at his baptism and tongues of fire on the disciples at Pentecost after the ascension of Christ? The dove descends on Christ, who is already peaceful, joyous and full of lovingkindness.  How can a dove resemble anything else? Surely a dove is not frightful, destructive, and consumptive like fire.  Fire consumes, destroys but it also purifies enlightens and provides warmth.  The tongues of fire at Pentecost as the Holy Spirit came to consume and destroy any remaining depravity within the disciples but also to purify and enlighten them.  It also dispenses power.  The apostles are empowered and purified by the Holy Spirit. It like a class in pathology.  A single germ cell can invade the body and eventually spread to all cells of the body with an infection that can be contagious to others.  The Holy Spirit acts in the same way.  It can enter you in the form of a dove or as fire.  Either way you must become totally infected with the spirit and you must be filled, consumed and cleansed with it.  If you are good you become better. It you are bad you become good.  The spirit, the third person of the trinity, seeks to invade you, consume you and purify you such that you can spread that infection to others.  When it invades, the spirit remove the vices to make room and fill you with the virtues. Truth, knowledge and wisdom are its byproducts. 

All of the following information was taken from the website newadvent.org.

Saint Justin Martyr, a Christian apologist, born at Flavia Neapolis, about A.D. 100, and converted to Christianity about A.D. 130, taught and defended the Christian religion in Asia Minor and at Rome, where he suffered martyrdom about the year 165. Two "Apologies" bearing his name and his "Dialogue with the Jew Tryphon" have come down to us…. Flavia Neapolis, his native town, founded by Vespasian (A.D. 72), was built on the site of a place called Mabortha, or Mamortha, quite near Sichem. Its inhabitants were all, or for the most part, pagans. The names of the father and grandfather of Justin suggest a pagan origin, and he speaks of himself as uncircumcised…. As he walked one day along the seashore, he met a mysterious old man; the conclusion of their long discussion was that the soul could not arrive through human knowledge at the idea of God, but that it needed to be instructed by the Prophets who, inspired by the Holy Ghost, had known God and could make Him known. …Justin lived certainly some time at Ephesus; the Acts of his martyrdom tell us that he went to Rome twice and lived "near the baths of Timothy with a man named Martin". He taught school there, and in the aforesaid Acts of his martyrdom we read of several of his disciples who were condemned with him…. St. Justin was condemned to death by the prefect, Rusticus, towards A.D. 165, with six companions, Chariton, Charito, Evelpostos, Pæon, Hierax, and Liberianos. We still have the authentic account of their martyrdom ("Acta SS.", April, II, 104-19; Otto, "Corpus Apologetarum", III, Jena, 1879, 266-78; P.G., VI, 1565-72). The examination ends as follows:
    "The Prefect Rusticus says: Approach and sacrifice, all of you, to the gods. Justin says: No one in his right mind gives up piety for impiety. The Prefect Rusticus says: If you do not obey, you will be tortured without mercy. Justin replies: That is our desire, to be tortured for Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and so to be saved, for that will give us salvation and firm confidence at the more terrible universal tribunal of Our Lord and Saviour. And all the martyrs said: Do as you wish; for we are Christians, and we do not sacrifice to idols. The Prefect Rusticus read the sentence: Those who do not wish to sacrifice to the gods and to obey the emperor will be scourged and beheaded according to the laws. The holy martyrs glorifying God betook themselves to the customary place, where they were beheaded and consummated their martyrdom confessing their Saviour." …
In his second "Apology" (iii) Justin says: "I, too, expect to be persecuted and to be crucified by some of those whom I have named, or by Crescens, that friend of noise and of ostentation." …

TITUS ÆLIUS HADRIANUS ANTONINUS PIUS, Roman Emperor from 138-161 A.D., was born 18 September, 86 A.D. at Lanuvium, a short distance from Rome and died at Lorium, 7 March, 161. He shared the imperial power with Hadrian until the death of the latter, 10 July, 138, when he became sole ruler. His conception of the duties of his office was high and noble, and his exercise of the almost unlimited power placed in his hands marked him as a man thoroughly devoted to the interests of humanity. In his private life and in the management of his court he followed true Stoic simplicity, entirely removed from excess or extravagance. His reign was unquestionably the most peaceful and the most prosperous in the history of Rome. The tolerant attitude of the Emperor made possible a broad and vigorous activity on the part of the Christian bishops, one evidence of which is the institution of synods or councils of the Christian leaders, then first held on an extensive scale, and described at some length by Eusebius in his Church History. In this way, it may be said, the Emperor contributed to the development of Christian unity.

The First Apology
Chapter 1. Address
To the Emperor Titus Ælius Adrianus Antoninus Pius Augustus Cæsar, and to his son Verissimus the Philosopher, and to Lucius the Philosopher, the natural son of Cæsar, and the adopted son of Pius, a lover of learning, and to the sacred Senate, with the whole People of the Romans, I, Justin, the son of Priscus and grandson of Bacchius, natives of Flavia Neapolis in Palestine, present this address and petition in behalf of those of all nations who are unjustly hated and wantonly abused, myself being one of them….

The Second Apology
Chapter 61. Christian baptism
I will also relate the manner in which we dedicated ourselves to God when we had been made new through Christ; lest, if we omit this, we seem to be unfair in the explanation we are making. As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to be able to live accordingly, are instructed to pray and to entreat God with fasting, for the remission of their sins that are past, we praying and fasting with them. Then they are brought by us where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated. For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water. For Christ also said, "Unless you be born again, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." John 3:5 Now, that it is impossible for those who have once been born to enter into their mothers' wombs, is manifest to all. And how those who have sinned and repent shall escape their sins, is declared by Esaias the prophet, as I wrote above; he thus speaks: "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from your souls; learn to do well; judge the fatherless, and plead for the widow: and come and let us reason together, says the Lord. And though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white like wool; and though they be as crimson, I will make them white as snow. But if you refuse and rebel, the sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it." Isaiah 1:16-20.
And for this [rite] we have learned from the apostles this reason. Since at our birth we were born without our own knowledge or choice, by our parents coming together, and were brought up in bad habits and wicked training; in order that we may not remain the children of necessity and of ignorance, but may become the children of choice and knowledge, and may obtain in the water the remission of sins formerly committed, there is pronounced over him who chooses to be born again, and has repented of his sins, the name of God the Father and Lord of the universe; he who leads to the laver the person that is to be washed calling him by this name alone. For no one can utter the name of the ineffable God; and if any one dare to say that there is a name, he raves with a hopeless madness. And this washing is called illumination, because they who learn these things are illuminated in their understandings. And in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and in the name of the Holy Ghost, who through the prophets foretold all things about Jesus, he who is illuminated is washed….

Chapter 65. Administration of the sacraments
But we, after we have thus washed him who has been convinced and has assented to our teaching, bring him to the place where those who are called brethren are assembled, in order that we may offer hearty prayers in common for ourselves and for the baptized [illuminated] person, and for all others in every place, that we may be counted worthy, now that we have learned the truth, by our works also to be found good citizens and keepers of the commandments, so that we may be saved with an everlasting salvation. Having ended the prayers, we salute one another with a kiss. There is then brought to the president of the brethren bread and a cup of wine mixed with water; and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands. And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present express their assent by saying Amen. This word Amen answers in the Hebrew language to γένοιτο [so be it]. And when the president has given thanks, and all the people have expressed their assent, those who are called by us deacons give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion.

Chapter 66. Of the Eucharist
And this food is called among us Εὐχαριστία [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, "This do in remembrance of Me, Luke 22:19 this is My body;" and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, "This is My blood;" and gave it to them alone. Which the wicked devils have imitated in the mysteries of Mithras, commanding the same thing to be done. For, that bread and a cup of water are placed with certain incantations in the mystic rites of one who is being initiated, you either know or can learn.

Chapter 67. Weekly worship of the Christians
And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration.