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If we think the Lord is in the business of only performing Eucharist miracles, then we must rethink our perception of Christ and His work on earth today. Amid all the negativities being thrown at World Youth Day (some of it deserving of criticism), God was moving among those in attendance. One blind teenager says she was miraculously healed during her pilgrimage to the event.
Jimena, 16-year-old pilgrim to World Youth Day from Madrid, told Catholic News Agency she was miraculously healed following reception of Holy Communion during the Mass at World Youth Day. Jimena told CNA, “I opened my eyes, and I could see perfectly.” According to reports, Jimena suffered with blindness for almost three years before the miracle due to myopia. Often referred to as “nearsighted”, the condition was severe enough for Jimena that it left her 95 percent blind. The teenager credits the Blessed Mother for her restored sight.
She was traveling to World Youth Day with a group from Opus Dei and was accompanied by the prayers and novenas from her friends and loved ones. Prior to leaving for her pilgrimage, she organized a novena to Our Lady of the Snows. She said it was on the feast day of Our Lady of Snows, August 5, that her sight was restored. She said she woke up on August 5 with her vision still the same as it had been for 2.5 years. She was unable to see and was getting emotional because she felt she was not going to be healed. It was, however, after receiving the Lord in the Eucharist that she said that her prayers were answered and her sight was restored.
“We were at WYD and after receiving Communion I began to cry a lot, because it was the last day of the novena and I wanted to be cured and I had very much asked God please [cure me],” she told CNA. “It was overwhelming; very many thanks must be given for the miracle, because I saw the altar, the tabernacle, my girlfriends were there, and I could see them perfectly.”
Cardinal Juan Jose’ Omella, archbishop of Barcelona and president of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, said the event was considered a miracle for now, but would need to go through the proper process to be verified and validated as a miracle. “The doctors will have to assess it, what it was like, if it existed, if it could be cured or not. But for now, for the girl that has been a major event. Let’s say a miracle. She didn’t see and now she sees. Now the doctors will be able to say the rest, but she has gone home seeing. Well, she sees, blessed be God,” he told CNA.
There are many passages in Sacred Scripture where Jesus heals those who are blind. He has always been in the healing and restoration process and continues to perform many of those miracles today. There is a lot of condemnation surrounding World Youth Day and because of the negativity, there are things such as this young lady’s claim of a miracle that is being ignored. It is the works of God that we should be talking about from this event. Satan wants us to get distracted on the negative. There should certainly be some conversation about things that were improper and disrespectful. However, we should not neglect praising the Lord for the works He did during this event, and we should certainly never think God is limited by our critiques or disapprovals. We can choose to look for God or we can choose to fix our eyes on where we believe God cannot be found. Glory to God for the healings He has performed among the over 1 million attendees to World Youth Day. This is one story. This is one teenager. How many more experienced healings, perhaps not physical, but spiritual and emotional?
Amelia Monroe Carlson graduated from the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism. Being raised as a Methodist during her early years, it was not until she entered college where she began to take her faith seriously. She was baptized as a Southern Baptist in Muscle Shoals, AL and began immediately serving in international missions and in the church.
During college, she became the Co-founder of an International Ministry, where she spent time traveling and speaking to church groups and in large conferences. She authored a Bible study and traveled abroad on mission work. She sat on the Mid-South Interfaith Conferences in Mississippi, where she defended the faith and discussed beliefs with leaders of various religions.
After a business trip to Washington D.C., where she was introduced to a former Baptist who converted to the Catholic Church, she was placed on a journey to enter into the Catholic Church.
Amelia is a military wife and currently residents with her husband and daughter in Tennessee. She is a nine time award winning journalist, receiving press awards for various categories including investigative journalism, best news coverage, and best single feature. It is her desire to help Catholics, particularly Cradle Catholics, see the beauty in their faith which converts see and appreciate the fullness of truth which the Church has held and guarded throughout history. It is her desire all Catholics fall as much in love with Jesus as she is, and love the Church to a greater capacity than they could imagine.
Amelia taught PRE for 4-6 grade at St. Mary Catholic Church in Bolivar, Tennessee from 2014-2016. She served as Youth Director at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Somerville, Tennessee in 2017-2018. She now teaches 7th grade (1st year Confirmation) PRE class at St. Philip. She's also a writer and frequent podcast guest on Our Warpath.
She has a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Francis de Sales, St. Padre Pio and St. Maximilian Kolbe.
To contact Amelia for speaking inquiries at conferences, retreats, or parishes contact her via social media on Facebook (Amelia Monroe Carlson), Twitter (@2_catholic ) or send a text to: (731)518-6923.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ameliamcarlson
Twitter: @2_catholic (Catholic ministry account)
Twitter personal account: @ameliamcarlson
