The Eucharist is life-giving. An invitation. Encouraging. Transformative. Patient.
We are people of the Eucharist.
Once upon a time, there was a priest who was plagued with doubts about whether Jesus was truly present in the Eucharist until one day. After that day, he never again doubted that Jesus was truly present in the Eucharist. This opening may make this sound like a story, but it is a true story as we will soon discover. And there are more than 100 like it that have been recognized by the Church. Even though he was filled with doubts about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the priest faithfully celebrated Mass every day in fulfillment of his vocation.
On this particular day, around the year 700 in Lanciano, Italy, this priest was celebrating Mass in a small church. And as he said the words of consecration, "Take this, all of you and eat of it, for this is my body, which will be given up for you." The bread changed into living flesh and the wine changed into blood before the priest's very eyes. Today, you can go to Lanciano and see the flesh and blood that has remained there for more than 1,300 years. The flesh and blood have been studied by scientists on a number of occasions and the following conclusions have been drawn. The flesh is real human flesh and the blood is real human blood. The blood type is AB. The same in all approved Eucharistic miracles. The flesh is muscular tissue from the human heart. And there is no evidence of preservatives or any other chemical agents present. Great faith and great doubt often go hand in hand, especially when it comes to accepting that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist.
At times, you may be fully convicted of this truth. As you approach the altar on Sunday, you feel fully aware and completely certain that it is really Jesus you are receiving. These are graced moments and this kind of faith is a gift. At other times, you may think to yourself, is this really true? Is Jesus really there in that tiny white host? Does this make any sense? In these moments, you certainly aren't the first person to have had doubts. The miracle of Lanciano is just one of more than 100 Eucharistic miracles that have been documented throughout the life of the Church. Many men and women have also been sustained by the Eucharist alone. Saint Catherine of Sienna lived the final seven years of her life consuming only the Eucharist and water. This had no effect on her energy. And in fact, many of her noteworthy accomplishments were achieved during that period.
On the 28th of April in 2001, Eucharistic adoration was being held at St. Mary's Parish in Southern India. Suddenly, three red stains materialized on the host. Amazed, the priest stored the host carefully in the tabernacle. A few days later, he examined it to find that the stains had arranged themselves to to resemble the face of a man, which many have come to see as the face of Jesus. A photograph of the host has inspired millions across the world. On October 21 in 2006, a parish in Tixtla, Mexico, held a retreat. During mass, two priests and a religious sister were distributing communion when the religious sister turned to the celebrant with tears in her eyes. The host that she held was releasing a red substance. After medical testing, it was found to be human blood of AB type, just like at Lanciano. It is easy to fall into the trap of placing these miracles in a far-off place with people you never knew. But it's important to remember what God is drawing our attention to through these miraculous stories. He performs miracles to show us the deeper spiritual reality at work in the circumstances of our everyday lives. Every Eucharistic miracle reveals the fact that just down the street at your local parish, each time the mass is celebrated, the same miracle takes place. It happens in a way that isn't outwardly visible, but the bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Jesus.
These extraordinary reminders can assuage our doubts and open our hearts to the reality of Jesus' real presence in the Eucharist. But even more than that, if we open our hearts, these signs can deepen our awareness of the miracle of Jesus' presence all around us, not just in Mass, not just in the Eucharist, but in every moment of our lives. Trust, surrender, believe, and receive.
Help bring the miracle of the Eucharist through renewed appreciation of the true presence to millions of people by becoming a member of the International Society of the Eucharist. We'll send you a free copy of 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory, a copy of the Children's Version, a copy of the limited-edition Journal, which includes an amazing Holy Week retreat. Click on the button below and become a member today. Have a great day and remember, be bold, be Catholic. We are people of the Eucharist.
Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist. Every day, I long for more of you. I love you above all things. And I desire to receive you into my soul. Since I cannot receive you sacramentally at this moment, I invite you to come and dwell in my heart. May the spiritual communion increase my desire for the Eucharist. You are the healer of my soul. Take the blindness from my eyes, the deafness from my ears, the darkness from my mind, and the hardness from my heart. Fill me with the grace, wisdom, and courage to do your will in all things. My Lord and my God, draw me close to you nearer than ever before, amen. Consecrate America to the Eucharist. Bye-bye. Have a great day. Have a great day. Have a great day. Come on. Have a great day.
Hey, Isabel. One simple way to be mindful of God's presence in the world is to know where the nearest Tabernacle is. So while we've got a couple of minutes, I thought we might work on your geography a little.
Sounds good, dad. You're always coming up with something.
If I was a latitude of 39.96 and longitude of negative 75.15, where would I find the nearest Tabernacle?
St. Augustine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania