Previous ER articles have described Eucharistic miracles that involve the transformation of the appearance of the consecrated host from common bread (the “accidental”) into actual blood and human flesh. But not all Eucharistic Miracles are of this type. Some have exposed the power of the Eucharist in different but equally profound ways. “The Miracle of the Eucharist of Assisi” is one of these, and it should be familiar to members of our parish since it directly involves St. Clare who was greatly influenced and inspired by St. Francis of Assisi. St. Clare has been credited with many miracles both in life and after her death. Here is the story of one of these, which is described by Thomas of Celano (1185-1260) in his book The History of Saint Clare, Virgin.

In 1430 in Monaco, a woman purchased a stolen monstrance containing a large host. The woman, who was unfamiliar with Catholic teaching of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, used a knife to remove the Host from the monstrance. As she cut the Host, living blood began to flow from it. As the blood dried it left imprinted on the host an image of Jesus seated on a throne with instruments of the Passion at his side. Horrified, she took the Host to Church authorities and it eventually was given to the city of Dijon, France, where it remained intact for 350 years.

In 1330 in the small city of Cascia, Italy, a local priest was summoned to give Holy Communion to a gravely ill peasant. Instead of properly carrying the consecrated Host in the ciborium, the priest irreverently and carelessly placed Jesus within a prayer book. When he entered the peasant’s room and opened the prayer book he was astonished to see that the Host was transformed into a clot of blood and the pages of the prayer book were marked with blood.

As the Congress begins, the four branches of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will converge at the venue in a powerful symbol of Catholic Unity. Then gathered as one Church – we will present our wounded and imperfect hearts to the Triune God, who loves us just as he did on the road to Emmaus. Our Lord will listen to our worries and reveal himself once more in the breaking of the bread.

In the year 750 AD in Lanciano, Italy, a monastic priest doubted the True Presence. As he celebrated Mass and said the words of consecration, the Host turned into flesh and the wine turned into blood…

You are invited to start your Eucharistic Revival this year by walking with a young priest who doubted in the Real Presence of the Eucharist. In 1263, when Fr. Peter of Prague started the words of consecration, blood seeped from the Host onto his hands and dripped onto the altar and the corporal. He personally reported this extraordinary occurrence to Pope Urban IV who sent papal emissaries to investigate. Based on their report, which supported the occurrence of a Eucharistic miracle, Urban IV instituted the Feast of Corpus Christi, which we celebrate this year on June 11.

Next weekend at every Mass we will watch a short video called, “The Veil Removed”, that reveals the coming together of heaven and earth at Mass. “The Veil Removed” provides a vision of the Mass as seen by the mystic Catalina Rivas, and as revealed by scripture and in the catechism of the Catholic Church.

Over the coming year we will be hearing a lot about the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year initiative commissioned by the bishops of the United States to "restore understanding and devotion" to the Eucharist (from eucharisticrevival.org)… In the coming months, we will examine the Eucharist, the real presence of the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ, in our deacon and priests' preaching, Flocknotes, bulletin articles, teaching, and books studies.