From a meditation of St Josemaría in 1962:
These people followed Jesus because they had seen miracles: the cures he did. Why do you and I follow him? Each one of us must pose himself this question and find a sincere answer. And once you have asked yourself and replied, in the presence of God, you should burst out in thanksgiving, because to be with Christ is to find security. Being able to look at yourself in Christ enables you to be better every day. To get to know Christ necessarily leads you to love him. And to love Christ is to assure your happiness -eternal happiness, the fullness of love, with the beatific vision of the Most Holy Trinity...
Meditate on your own, my son. When did you first feel attracted by Jesus? Why? How have you responded from then until now? What have you personally contributed so as not to lose that intimacy with Christ, and so that your brothers do not lose it either? What have you been concerned about since you took on all those commitments? About yourself, or about the glory of God? About yourself, or about others? About yourself, your own things, your silly little things, your wretchedness, your flashes of pride, your occasions of sensuality? What do you spend your time thinking about? Meditate on this, and then let your heart act on your will and your mind.
Isn't it true that what Christ has done for you, my son, is much more than curing the sick? Has he not restored sight to our eyes, which were blind to the contemplation of his marvelous works? Has he not given strength to our limbs, which were not able to move in a supernatural way? Has he not perhaps raised us as he raised Lazarus because we were dead to God's life?
On some occasions our Lord seems to tempt us, to test our faith. But Jesus does not abandon us. If we stand firm, he is ready to work miracles, to multiply the bread, to change men's attitudes, to shed light on darkened minds, to make it possible - through special graces - for individuals who had never been capable of living uprightly to begin to do so.
Illustration: Jesus heals the paralytic at the Bethesda Pool (John 5:2-9)