Bleeding Hands, Weeping Stone: true stories of divine wonders, miracles, and messages by Elizabeth Ficocelli (St. Benedict Press, 236 pages. Paperback. $12.95) is very interesting and entertaining. Ficocelli presents some of those old time miracles and fascinating wonders which in fact are timeless. She divides her book into different miracle types: Eucharistic miracles, the stigmata, incorrupt bodies, levitation, apparitions and visions, and weeping images and statues. She covers miracles from all over the world and from various time periods of the Church’s history. The facts are mixed with Ficocelli’s humorous asides that liven up the stories very much. Some black and white photos are provided that are connected with the subjects she is writing about.
There are some minor typos, but they do not hurt the flow of the story. She always refers to the authority of the Catholic Church to decide what is authentic or not, and she provides a bibliography of books and websites to do further study on these topics of miracles. This book is meant to help Catholics and non-Catholics to grow in their faith. If a “miracle” is contrary to the Bible or Church teachings it is not a true “miracle” from God, but from the evil one or from some other source. That is why those involved in the “miracle” must be in line with the Bible and Church teachings. Through this entertaining and popular subject, comes both inspiration and teaching about the faith. It is highly recommended to those interested in miracles and their relationship with the Catholic Church.
[This book is in stock now at the CE Store.]