Did you know the word miracle

comes from the Latin, meaning a wonder, or a marvel?

It comes specifically from

mirari, meaning to wonder at, and dates back to the 12th century.

Today's dictionaries tell us miracle means: 1 - an extraordinary event

manifesting divine intervention in human affairs, or 2 - an extremely

outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment.

Christian Science maintains

that a miracle is a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as

the fulfillment of spiritual law.

World Book explains that a

miracle is an event that cannot be explained through the known laws of

nature. Miracles are generally associated with religion, but any occurrence

can be called a miracle if it has no natural explanation, we are told.

The major figures in a religion

are often credited with performing miracles. These figures include Jesus

Christ in Christianity, Moses and the prophets in Judaism, Muhammad in

Islam, and various gods in Hinduism.

World Book also points out

how religions teach that lesser holy figures, such as saints and rabbis,

may also perform miracles. People may make pilgrimages to certain sacred

places and objects to ask for a miracle. For example, Roman Catholic pilgrims

travel to the shrine at Lourdes, France. There they pray to the Virgin

Mary to plead with God on their behalf for miraculous cures.

Devout members of a religion

believe in miracles and consider them a divine sign. Others have an equally

firm belief that there is no such thing as a true miracle. They feel that

all so-called miracles can be explained through scientific or psychological

knowledge.