A Priest Brought to the End of Himself
Jesus Lives Today! begins not with revival meetings, but with weakness. In 1973, Fr. Emiliano Tardif, a member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and provincial in the Dominican Republic, collapsed after sixteen years of relentless ministry. Diagnosed with acute pulmonary tuberculosis, he was physically depleted and forced into stillness.
While bedridden, he received two very different visits on the same day. A priest from Notre Dame Magazine came to photograph him for an article titled “How to Live with Your Illness.” Shortly afterward, five laymen from a charismatic prayer group entered his room. One approach emphasized acceptance; the other, faith. They told him plainly: “We’re going to do what the Gospel says: ‘They will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover.’ We’re going to pray to the Lord to heal you.”
Fr. Emiliano admits he accepted their prayer out of courtesy more than conviction. During the prayer he felt intense heat in his lungs and feared another tuberculosis attack — but it was healing. A prophetic word followed: “I will make you a witness of my love.” Three days later, he was perfectly well. Reflecting on this moment, he writes, “The Lord heals us with the faith that we have. That’s all he asks of us, nothing more” (10). That lesson became the cornerstone of his life and ministry.
From Personal Healing to Public Revival
What followed was not a private spiritual renewal, but a global movement. When Fr. Emiliano returned to ministry and invited forty people to hear his story, two people were healed that very night. Joy erupted. Word spread. Addictions were broken. Many returned to the sacraments. Retreats were organized for those on the margins, including prostitutes, and in the town of Nagua 80% of the brothels closed in a short time.
Fr. Emiliano reflects: “A simple physical healing set in motion a complete social change. That is how the kingdom of God is established, through such ordinary small events, tiny as mustard seeds, which germinate and bring forth abundant fruit. Who are we to reject the ways of God?” (16).
The pattern is unmistakable: healing leads to repentance, repentance leads to transformation, and transformation changes communities.
The Gospel Method Still Works
When Fr. Emiliano later filled in for another priest, Sunday Mass attendance surged dramatically — from 200 to 3,000, then 7,000, and eventually an estimated 42,000. He offers a simple explanation: Jesus has not changed His method.
“The increase in attendance was due simply to the fact that the Lord Jesus still hasn’t changed his working methods… He traveled throughout Galilee healing the sick; the crowds followed him and he preached the word of salvation… It is simply the Gospel repeating itself” (21).
This insight cuts through modern pastoral anxiety. While we search for more efficient techniques, the Lord continues to evangelize through healing and proclamation. The Gospel, when lived and preached in the power of the Spirit, still draws crowds.
The Donkey Spirituality: Humility in Success and Suffering
Despite extraordinary fruit, Fr. Emiliano consistently returns to humility. He compares himself to the donkey of Palm Sunday — carrying Jesus but receiving no glory.
“When things go well, I say to myself, This is Palm Sunday, and when difficulties arise, This is Holy Week. Whichever it is, Easter is not far off. Praise the Lord!” (31).
He adds, “Life is like the mysteries of the rosary… joyful, or sorrowful, or glorious, but each and every one ends with ‘Glory to the Father’” (31).
Success and misunderstanding, applause and accusation — all are woven into a Paschal rhythm. The priest remains small; Christ is exalted.
Evangelization Before Explanation
One of the book’s most compelling passages reorders pastoral priorities: “An evangelist is, above all, a witness who has had a personal experience of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ… He announces a living Christ who brings life, and life is abundance. Afterward, and only afterward, should catechesis and ethics be taught” (36).
This conviction transformed his preaching. “Now I only give testimony of the Lord’s power and of what he is doing. I just tell the stories of God’s love” (38).
Doctrine is not discarded; it is contextualized. First comes encounter. First comes witness. The living Christ must be proclaimed before moral instruction can take root.
Charismatic Gifts in the Service of Love
Fr. Emiliano offers careful teaching on charismatic gifts such as words of knowledge. He describes them as “the communication of an inner certainty… which you know doesn’t come from you, but through you” (48). Discernment is simple: “How do we know if a word of knowledge is genuine? Only by the results” (49).
His accounts — including a precise word about a woman’s spinal injury caused by a coconut — are striking, yet never theatrical. The gifts serve charity.
Healing is presented holistically: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Jesus saves the whole person. Emotional healing involves bringing Christ into painful memories and renouncing bonds of fear or anger in His name. Yet Fr. Emiliano firmly situates inner healing within the sacramental life, affirming that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the best place for deep healing.
Deliverance ministry is likewise grounded in Scripture. Citing Acts 10:38 and Mark 16:17, he emphasizes authority exercised in Jesus’ name. He cautions soberly, “There are two things that please Satan: we either ignore him, or we give him the leading role in the play” (90). Prudence, protection under the Blood of Christ, and mature prayer communities are essential.
The Letters: A Pastor’s Heart
One of the most moving elements of Jesus Lives Today! is the inclusion of personal letters Fr. Emiliano wrote throughout his ministry. These letters reveal the heart behind the healings. They are tender, fatherly, and filled with conviction that Jesus is alive and active.
In them we see not a celebrity healer, but a shepherd encouraging souls, guiding communities, and strengthening fellow priests. The miraculous is inseparable from pastoral charity. These letters highlight the breadth of his ministry and show how deeply he believed that every healing was an invitation to conversion and deeper surrender.
“We Seem to Make a Pretty Good Team”
When asked whether he had the gift of healing, Fr. Emiliano responded with refreshing simplicity: “I’m certain that my mission is to evangelize… I just preach and pray, and I leave the healings to Jesus. That’s the way we work together, and we seem to make a pretty good team.”
This line captures the entire book. His ministry was not built on technique but on surrender. He believed God was bigger than his limited faith. He preached expectantly, asked for total healing without limiting God’s generosity, and trusted the Lord with the results.
Final Review: A Must Read — Especially for Priests
Jesus Lives Today! is a must read for anyone — and especially for priests — who want to see a charismatic ministry fully alive within the heart of the Church. It is deeply inspiring. Fr. Emiliano shows what is possible when a priest fully surrenders his life to the Lord and allows the Holy Spirit to work without fear.
This book rekindles confidence in the Gospel. It challenges pastoral complacency. It demonstrates that healing and evangelization still go hand in hand. Most of all, it reminds us that priestly ministry is meant to radiate resurrection.
Fr. Emiliano’s life proclaims one simple, electrifying truth: Jesus is alive. And when a priest believes that with his whole heart, everything changes.
Prodigal Catholic 
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