(309) AUTHENTICATED EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES THROUGH THE CENTURIES ALL OVER THE WORLD

 AMDG

       Today we celebrate the traditional feast of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ, i.e., the Eucharist), on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday.  For the convenience of the faithful, many dioceses of secular America celebrate it on the following Sunday.  In Catholic Poland it is also a secular holiday.  In most cities there is a solemn procession with the Eucharist around the city.  As the Eucharist passes, on-lookers kneel on the street in adoration.  There are prayers at distinct stations along the way.  My family participated in one of them; it is a beautiful experience!  As I write, there is a joyful and enthusiastic festive Eucharistic Rally of thousands of people in Rzeszow, Poland.

       Throughout Church History, there have been well over a hundred documented Eucharistic miracles that Our Lord granted to strengthen our faith.  Too many of us have a difficult time believing that the sacred host is indeed the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  After all, the documents of Vatican Council state that the Eucharist is the source, the center, and the summit of Catholic belief and of course the Mass (liturgy).

       Soon to be canonized Carlo Acutis, a teenager, was one of the first to host a website documenting the miracles of the Eucharist.  The Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration Association has published a book, “The Eucharistic Miracles of the World” and also has considerable information on the subject at www.therealpresenc.org with a video.

       In the 13^th Century St. Francis of Assisi cited the testimony of Christ Himself in Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life."  He continues with great love: "And just as He presented Himself to the Apostles in the form of a man, so He shows Himself to us in the consecrated bread.  And just as the Apostles (who, with the eyes of the body, only saw His flesh), contemplating with the eyes of faith, believed that He is God, so too we, seeing with our bodily eyes the bread and wine, believe that the Most Holy Body and Blood are present, living and true in the Eucharist.  In this manner the Lord is always present in the midst of His faithful, just as He Himself promised when He said: “Behold, I am with you until the end of the world” (Mt 28:20).

       There is another fascinating book by Dr. Franco Serafini on the subject: A Cardiologist Examines Jesus: The Stunning Science Behind Eucharistic Miracles     This book delves into scientific studies affirming five authentic Eucharistic miracles, with insights from experts, including hematologists, geneticists. oncologists, neurologists, and molecular biologists.  

       They all concluded that the five Eucharistic miracles are undeniably authentic.   All reveal heart muscle tissue; most reveal a heart that was experiencing extreme suffering, and some reveal a heart still enduring trauma.  The reader will learn what kept a revered eighth-century relic alive until the twenty-first century, and how the same Blood Type AB was common to all the samples!   All of this beautifully illustrates how modern science supports faith!

The Eucharistic Miracle of Santarem, Portugal Described Below

       The most well known Eucharistic miracle is that of Lanciano, Italy (see https://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com/2023/06/281-lanciano-first-and-most-prominent.html) .  Close behind is  the Eucharistic Miracle of Santarem, in central Portugal.  On February 16, 1266 a woman suspected her husband of infidelity.  Overcome by jealousy, she consulted a sorceress who instructed her to steal a consecrated host from her local parish church to use in a love potion.  To this day Satanists try to steal consecrated hosts for their rituals; Eucharistic ministers should be alert for anything suspicious.  Ironic is that these evil people believe in the authenticity of the Eucharist and many Christians do not. 

       Hidden in a linen cloth, the sacred host began to emit blood.  Frightened, the woman ran home and stored the blood stained contents in a drawer in her bedroom.  However, that night the sacred host emitted brilliant rays of light that illuminated the entire room as if it were day.   Her husband questioned his wife until she revealed the whole story.

A closeup of the reliquary of St. Stephen's Church in Santarem, Portugal

        The next day the couple informed their pastor, who retrieved the bloody sacred host that turned into flesh and returned it to the church in a solemn procession with a number of parishioners.  The sacred host bled for three consecutive days   It was later placed in a reliquary made of beeswax.  In 1340 another miracle occurred.   When the pastor opened the tabernacle, he found the wax container broken into multiple pieces and mysteriously replaced by a crystal vase that contained the Blood mixed with wax.   

       Today the sacred host is beautifully preserved for the last eight centuries in St. Stephen’s Church in Santarem, Portugal.  From time to time the sacred host bleeds again and different images of Christ appear on the sacred host.  St. Francis Xavier visited the church before beginning his great mission in the Far East.  Every year on the second Sunday of April, the same precious host is carried in procession from the woman’s home (now a chapel) to the church.