Dun Gorg Preca - faith in action (2)

I Was astounded, to say the least, to encounter during the past couple of weeks such deep-rooted agnosticism among fellow Maltese and media anchors towards God's power to perform miracles as a sign of his love and mercy. It certainly seems fashionable to be agnostic these days, making demi-goddesses out of science and reason and paying lip service to a made-to-measure religion, which definitely precludes faith.

What really impressed me as definitive proof of God's direct intervention in the healing of a distorted nature (God saw that it was all good - Gen. 1) was that the second miracle attributed to the intercession of St George Preca was performed on a very young child who could not have in any way influenced the biological happenings inside his body through a vaunted 'holistic' or psycho-somatic approach. Instead, it was the child's parents (as third parties, so to speak) who prayed for him while he was completely unaware of what was going on around him.

The miracle attributed to Sr Marie Eugenie of Jesus, also canonised last Sunday, speaks a lot in similar fashion to St George's miracle. It was also performed on a Philippine girl, younger than two, who, likewise, was unaware of the concern caused by her illness.

Briefly, Risa Bondoc was a girl born with a condition that prevented the two halves of her brain from joining, leaving her with little ability to talk, walk and grow into a normal child. After several medical consultations in the United States, Risa's family and the Assumption Sisters in the Philippines prayed for Blessed Marie Eugenie's intercession, laying the unaware 15-month-old child on top of the Blessed nun's tomb.

To date the two halves of Risa's brain have not joined but, in 1997, the paediatric neurologist who followed her up said that "her present capabilities are truly exceptional... her level of function is extraordinary".

Now, Risa is a student in Assumption College, Department of Basic Education. It is reported about her that "her language development corresponds to the level of her peers; she continues to show a high level of social skills and an intellectual aptitude that corresponds to her age, as well as a formidable disposition to fulfil the required task".

This event was proposed by the Congregation of the Causes of the Saints as a miracle paving the way for Sr Marie Eugenie's canonisation.