Blessed Margaret knew all about blindness because she was born, not only blind but hunch backed and a cripple and a "little person".

Blessed Margaret's answer surprised her, "My dear sister, don't you realize that God is giving you a wonderful opportunity to come closer to Him through the suffering of being blind?"

She said that because that's how her life of suffering, rejection and blindness had affected her.

But the woman protested that she just couldn't live with blindness and Margaret, understanding that the woman did not really comprehend Margaret's words, put her eye on her eyes, prayed for her and the lady was healed.

Those around rejoiced at the healing but was not the fact of Margaret's closeness to God, her sunny attitude despite her pain and her courageous path WITH her disabilities, much MORE of a miracle?

Jesus before He healed the man on the litter who was crippled, said "Your sins are forgiven" and everyone said "why don't you HEAL the man?"  That is, why don't You DO something.  Jesus asked whether it was a greater miracle to forgive the man his sins or to make him walk.  And then as if an afterthought, Our Lord turned to the man and told him to get up and walk - he was healed.

Some of us will be healed of disabilities and this is a cause for great rejoicing.  But many of us are allowed disabilities and asked by Jesus to carry these crosses, offering up our suffering for the salvation of souls (much prayer is needed in our ailing world).

If you are one whose disability has NOT been healed, keep Blessed Margaret of Castello in mind - she's the saint for MOST of us.

More about Blessed Margaret