The Holy Eucharist: The Physical Presence of Jesus in Our World

“This is my body, which is given for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.” 

~ Words of Jesus at the Last Supper

Today - July 26th, 2011 - is the Feast of Corpus Christi... the day set aside by the Catholic Church to honor and celebrate the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

We, as Catholics, are bound to believe the Eucharist is truly the body and blood of Our Savior, Jesus Christ; not just a mere symbol of his body, but his actual flesh and blood, hidden under the humble appearance of bread and wine.  This teaching is admittedly hard to comprehend… and even during Jesus’ time, Holy Scriptures tell us that some of his followers had difficulty accepting it, as well; some even left him over it:

"Then many of his disciples who were

listening said, ‘This saying is hard;

who can accept it?’ ... As a result of this,

many of his disciples returned to their

former way of life and no longer

accompanied him."

~ John 6:60, 66

… but despite the difficulties that people had in believing his words, Jesus never wavered in his claim that he would feed his followers with his very own flesh and blood; his words were clear:

"For my flesh is true food, and my

blood is true drink.  Whoever eats my

flesh and drinks my blood remains

in me and I in him."

~ John 6:55-56

Today, the Catholic Church continues to uphold Christ’s words in the face of growing disbelief; sadly, even among its own members… but God, in his infinite wisdom and power, has seen fit to aid the Church in her efforts to uphold the truth of Jesus’ divine presence in the Eucharist by occasionally performing signs and wonders through the agency of the Blessed Sacrament.  Below are five cases from Italy, Portugal, Venezuela, and India, that were officially recognized by the Church as genuine ‘Eucharistic Miracles’:


+ The Miracle of Lanciano, Italy

 

The Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano -

the Heart of Jesus in flesh and blood!

In the year 700, a priest who was plagued with doubts concerning the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, received a stupendous sign from God.  He was offering Mass one day, and upon pronouncing the words of consecration, the wafer in his hand was transformed into actual flesh, while the wine became blood in the chalice.  Needless to say, the priest’s faith was instantly restored by the miraculous event and Lanciano became a popular destination for devout pilgrims wanting to venerate the Host turned to flesh.

As it turned out, modern science has confirmed the flesh and blood to be human, with the Host being actual cardiac tissue - the Sacred Heart of Jesus! - sliced from a cross-section of a heart in such a way that would be impossible to do without modern precision surgical tools.


+ The Miracle of Santarem, Portugal

  

Two images of the Miracle of Santarem.

In 1225 a woman in an unhappy marriage pretended to receive communion in the parish church, in order to obtain a consecrated Host as payment to a sorceress for a love potion.

The foolish woman wrapped the Eucharist in her veil, and upon leaving the church, it inexplicably began to bleed profusely.  Horrified, she returned home rather than going to the sorceress, and hid the Host in a trunk.  Later in the evening it was discovered by her husband after a brilliant light shone from within the wooden chest, which awoke him and drew his attention to it.  No longer able to hide her participation in the event, the wife tearfully confessed her sacrilege, after which the couple spent the rest of the night praying for God's forgiveness.  

When the sun rose they hurriedly informed the parish priest of all that transpired so the bloody Host could be solemnly returned to the church.  It has been the object of deep reverence ever since.

+ The Miracle of Siena, Italy

The inexplicably preserved Hosts of Siena.

On August 14, 1730, unscrupulous thieves conducted a grave sacrilege by breaking into the Church of St. Francis and stealing its golden ciborium, which enclosed 300+ consecrated Hosts.  The crime was discovered on the following morning, prompting a search for the missing Hosts. 

The Hosts were found on August 17, stuffed in an offertory box of a neighboring church and soiled from dust and debris that had accumulated in the wooden box.  The citizens of Siena responded to the discovery by immediately offering prayers of reparation for the offenses committed against the body of Christ, and the Hosts were placed in the Tabernacle with the intent of allowing them to naturally disintegrate; inexplicably, they never did! 

For nearly 300 years now the Hosts have remained perfectly preserved, with the fact being confirmed throughout the centuries by numerous scientific inquiries into the matter.  The last official investigation in 1921 reaffirmed the undecayed state of the Hosts, which continue to defy the laws of nature.  Church officials who were privileged to consume a few of the Hosts have also sworn to the fact that they have not gone stale, but rather, they maintained the texture, taste, and smell of fresh Eucharistic wafers.

+ The Miracle of Betania / Los Teques, Venezuela

A still photo from a video showing the

bleeding Host from the church-approved

Marian apparition site of Betania.

This Eucharistic Miracle actually involves a single Host through which two separate supernatural occurrences were manifested.  The Host first gained attention on December 8, 1991, after it bled during its consecration in the chapel of the approved Marian apparition shrine of Betania, Venezuela.

The local Bishop later had the Host enshrined in a convent in neighboring Los Teques where it again manifested unusual phenomena that was filmed by an American pilgrim on November 13, 1998.  This time around the Eucharist was witnessed beating like a heart and surrounded by flames (again, the Sacred Heart of Jesus!) - click on the video link below to view the actual film footage of the 2nd (1998) miraculous event:

+ The Miracle of Chirattakonam, India

The miracle Host of Chirattakonam with its
bloodstain-image of the Holy Face of Jesus.

On April 28, 2001, parishioners of St. Mary’s Church in Chirattakonam, India, were astounded to witness the materialization of three red stains on a Host that was publicly exposed for adoration.  The priest - Fr. Karoor - also noticed the unusual marks and placed the Host back into the tabernacle for safekeeping.

After a few days, the priest re-examined the Eucharist and was stunned to discover the bloody stains had arranged themselves into an image of the Holy Face of Jesus on the surface of the Host!  Fr. Karoor wasted no time in informing his local bishop, who carefully investigated the event and approved it as a miracle… the Host has remained preserved and the Holy Face image is still clearly discernible to pilgrims who venerate this remarkable, visual reminder of Christ's true presence in the Eucharist.

"... Teaching them to observe all things

whatsoever I have commanded you: and

behold I am with you all days, even to

the end of the world."

~ Words of Jesus, Matthew 28:20

June 13th: The Feast of St. Anthony of Padua

My home-parish of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Kailua (HI), observed the Feast Day of our Patron Saint by dedicating the morning mass to his special honor and holding a potluck breakfast afterwards.  Our new priest, Fr. Clarence, celebrated the Mass, which included a wonderful homily centered on St. Anthony’s charitable concern for those in need, especially the poor.

   

Parishioners venerating the relic of

St. Anthony, enshrined within our parish

church... and below the shrine, St.

Anthony's 'Prayer Basket' filled with

prayer intentions.

Immediately after the Mass, Fr. Clarence took ‘St. Anthony’s Prayer Basket’ that was filled with written prayer petitions and placed them under the shrine-reliquary to our Saint.  Parishioners followed to venerate the Holy Relic, before heading off to our gathering hall for the breakfast celebration. It was a wonderful, cozy event that paid appropriate honor to a truly great man who I am happy to recognize as my personal patron, as well as our parish's Patron Saint.

   

Photos from our parish's potluck

Breakfast Celebration.

Recommended Reading: "He and I"

    

A photo of Gabrielle Bossis and the book

compiling her communications with Jesus

I was at a church meeting the other night, when the conversation briefly turned to a certain book that one of the women had been reading little by little, on a daily basis; it was a book filled with alleged messages from Jesus to two women. After describing the book to me, I was immediately reminded of a similar book that I often read over and over, for the past 18 years, especially when I'm in need of spiritual encouragement; that special book is called, "He and I". After the meeting, I went home and took up my copy and slowly browsed over some of its passages... as always, my heart was filled with God's peace.

For those not familiar with this gem of a book, He and I is actually the published journal of a pious, aristocratic French woman named Gabrielle Bossis. Gabrielle was famous in her time and in her home country for having been a successful playwrite and stage actress with a comedic flair. In her latter years she reportedly heard the voice of Christ speaking to her regularly, especially during her prayer time and devotions; it was an intimate relationship, which lasted until shortly before her death in 1950.

While still living, Gabrielle had maintained a strict discretion about her experiences, and although her spiritual director had begun to publish the words she heard from Jesus, her identity was kept a secret. He and I became a huge spiritual success and continues to touch hearts up to the present day. Below are just a few quotes from the messages spoken by Christ to Gabrielle - 'pearls' from the book that I'd like to share with you...

'I am no longer on earth,

so take my place.'

(March 10, 1937)

'Don't get the idea that a Saint is a

Saint at every moment.  But there is always

my grace...  You must aim at perfection. But

the perfection of your nature.  This is

the way you will please me.'

(April 9, 1937)

'Enjoy me.  Give yourself a rest from saying

your prayers so you may enjoy my Love.' 

(After Gabrielle received Holy

Communion - April 28, 1939)

'When you ask, believe that I am good

enough to answer you, otherwise you will

deprive me of the joy of giving.' 

(June 3, 1939)

'Thank me spontaneously as you

would thank someone very dear to you.

 I'm not just a messenger of suffering as

so many imagine.  I am also the giver of

joys and I love your thanks, my little

children; don't deprive me of this.'

(After Gabrielle experienced a great

joy - November 25,  1940)

'... I am the friend who does good in

the home and who sometimes slips away

before being recognized and thanked.'

(September 14, 1944)

'If you suffer, I am there to suffer with

you.  And this is my cross again - this

suffering in your suffering.  Share it with me,

for everything depends on oneness.  And if

you believe in my Love, suffering will be

sweet to you.  It will seem like a little

return for what I have given you...'

(September 28, 1944)

'... The weakness of your nature

causes you to fall, and it's the humble

effort you make to get up and go on,

the effort to please me that charms your

Beloved.  And this is a joy, a joy for God.

Isn't that strange?  Later on you will

see.  Later on you will understand.

Believe in that "later on".'

(While Gabrielle was making a Holy

Hour - September 6, 1945)

'Pray.  Show an example of heartwarming

love.  You remember how good my mother

and St. Joseph were to all those who

received them during their travels.  Long

afterward people remembered their visit.

They left a wake of blessings all along

their way.'

(September 12, 1945)

'Remember...  I traveled all your roads.'

(While Gabrielle was experiencing a

moment of sadness - February 13, 1947)

'But each day is a first creation.  Not one

is like another. I never stop creating.  And

it is all for all of you.  If I didn't hold you up,

you would cease to exist.  Will you love

me enough to thank me for it?'

(While Gabrielle was enjoying the changing

shapes of clouds - September 30, 1948)

'My child, ponder more often on

the value of the present moment, the

danger of going back over the past

and the uselessness of gazing into the

future.  Just live the little moment

you hold in your hands.  Simply

and lovingly.'

(March 30, 1949)

If you enjoyed reading the above quotes, then I highly recommend you get the book - He and I will enrich your soul for the rest of your life, if you read it with the eyes of faith.  God bless!

St. Anthony's presence in Kailua, Hawaii

The great St. Anthony of Padua has always been one of my most favorite Saints... as a matter of fact, along with St. Gemma Galgani, he's one of my chosen Patrons. I can personally testify that almost every time I turned to him for help with an important prayer request, he has never failed me. Therefore, I've made it a point to encourage all my family and friends... and now you, viewers of this blog, to develop a devotion to St. Anthony and to take advantage of his powerful intercession for any urgent prayer intentions weighing on your mind. You may just be pleasantly surprised at what a truly effective advocate he is before the throne of God.

... and if you happen to live on the island of Oahu (Hawaii), or just visiting our state, feel free to stop by St. Anthony of Padua Church in Kailua, where our parish guards a 1st Class Relic of St. Anthony, enshrined in our beautiful main church (see photos below). All are welcomed to seek our patron's intercession before this special reminder of his earthly life, and to join our parish community in our regular schedule of prayer and worship.

    
The beautiful interior of St. Anthony

of Padua Church in Kailua and the shrine

of St. Anthony behind the bapstimal font

under the large crucifix.

 

St. Anthony of Padua Church

148 Makawao Street

Kailua, Hawaii 96734

 

* * U P D A T E * *

Effective in December 2012, the shrine-reliquary to St. Anthony of Padua in our Kailua parish has been transferred to a larger space in the Lanikai Wing of the church.  A relic of St. Damien of Molokai is also displayed for public veneration and votive candles are available to be lit for public devotions.

First Saturday Parish Rosary at St. Anthony's Church, 6/4/2011

My home-parish of St. Anthony's Church, in Kailua, once again celebrated the first Saturday of the month with another Rosary. As with previous months, my Rosa Mystica Pilgrim Virgin statue was displayed in our Day Chapel during the prayer, along with the Sacred Relics from the Blessed Mother's clothing: a small piece of her veil (ex velo) and a piece of her dress (ex camisia).

As a form of spiritual reflection, a past message from the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje was read out loud to the people who attended... and then we prayed the Joyful Mysteries for this month's Rosary. Afterwards, I got to meet a really nice older couple, who I think were new to our parish, after they approached the display altar to view the statue and the Holy Relics. They seemed genuinely interested about all that was on the altar and appreciative of the answers I provided to their questions.

After the Mass, the same couple returned to the Day Chapel to once again pay their respects to Our Lady before leaving the church. I think it's reasonable to surmise that the Blessed Mother touched two more souls this evening.

A small group of people pay their respects to Our Blessed Mother's statue
and relics after the end of the rosary prayer

For our Kailua neighbors out there... the next First Saturday Rosary will be on 7/2/2011 at 4:30pm. The regularly scheduled Saturday evening Vigil Mass will follow at 5:00pm in the main church.  We'd love to have you join us!

Saint of the Month - June 2011: Saint Juliana Falconieri

St. Juliana Falconieri
Handmaid of the Holy Eucharist

Feast: June 19th

This month’s featured Saint is truly a Saint of the Eucharist… and will forever be identified as such because of a singular event that occurred at the end of her virtuous life. Juliana Falconieri was the daughter of noble parents from the Italian city of Florence. She was born in 1270 and was fortunate to have as a close relative – St. Alexis Falconieri – a paternal uncle, who was one of a group of seven exceptionally pious men, personally commissioned by the Blessed Virgin to found the Servants of Mary (a.k.a. the ‘Servite Order’).

Reports of Juliana’s early years indicate that she was drawn to spiritual matters and practiced self-mortification in imitation, and through the influence, of her saintly uncle. At 14, her parents unsuccessfully tried to arrange a political marriage for her but she firmly resisted since she had already made up her mind to enter into religious life. Undaunted, her father continued to pressure her about marrying but she remained resolute until she was relieved of any marital obligation by his untimely death in 1285.

Juliana then sought spiritual guidance from the Servites, and through the intervention of St. Phillip Benizi, she was given their Rule of Life and clothed as the founding member of the female branch of their Order. She resided with her mother, but practiced a strict regimen of prayer, penance, and charitable work that attracted other devout women to her holy manner of living. When her mother died in 1305, she and her followers established their own convent where she served as the superior for life.

Not surprisingly, Juliana’s spiritual life was filled with many extraordinary graces – Ecstasies, Visions, etc. - but the one miracle, which she is most remembered for occurred shortly before she died on June 12, 1341. During her final illness, the foundress was plagued with episodes of severe vomiting so she was denied Holy Communion despite her deep yearning to receive the body of Christ before her death. As a way of consoling her, the priest in attendance spread a corporal on Juliana’s chest and laid the Blessed Sacrament upon it for her to adore. The Saint went into a joyous rapture and peacefully expired shortly after.

As the attendants composed themselves, it was noticed that the Host which was lying over Juliana’s chest had gone missing, causing much concern over its whereabouts. A futile search turned up nothing and the small group was forced to give up, leaving them deeply disturbed and perplexed over the loss of the Blessed Sacrament. It was only when the nuns were preparing Juliana’s body for burial that the mystery of the missing Host was solved. For there, mysteriously branded on her skin directly over the heart, was an image of a crucifix enclosed in a circle; identical to the crucifix that was impressed on the missing Host. It was then understood that the Lord had satisfied the Saint’s dying wish and had miraculously united himself to her, while also leaving His crucified image on her flesh as confirmation.

Although the Florentines and the Servites revered her as a Saint during her lifetime, St. Juliana Falconieri’s Canonization did not take place until 1737. Her body, exhumed incorrupt, now rests in a shrine dedicated to her honor in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Florence, Italy; a fitting resting place for a holy woman who throughout her life, and with her blessed death, proclaimed the miraculous love of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

The incorrupt body of St. Juliana Falconieri,

enshrined in Florence, Italy
(a wax mask covers the Saint's face)  

A Reflection

“Unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.”  ~ Words of Our Lord, John 6:53-54

A Short Prayer
Lord Jesus, through the intercession of St. Juliana Falconieri, grant us a firm faith and a deep love for the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.  Amen.

Hawaii's Devotion to St. Damien de Veuster & Bl. Marianne Cope of Molokai

The statue of St. Damien that stands at

the Hawaii State Capital Building.

It not a surprise that Hawaii's Catholics have a lot of affection for St. Damien & Bl. Marianne of Molokai... and although their remains were returned to their respective Congregations after their deaths, they were never forgotten.  In recent years, at the initiative of our current bishop - Bishop Larry Silva - our diocese was very happy to welcome both of these holy persons back to Hawaii through the physical presence of their Holy Relics.

The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu is privileged to guard the simple wooden shrines of both St. Damien de Veuster and Bl. Marianne Cope of Molokai, both enclosing 1st Class Relics from each holy individual. The relic of St. Damien - a talus (foot) bone - was brought to Hawaii in October 2009, after the Saint's Canonization... and Bl. Marianne's relic, also a fragment of bone, was recently received in May 2011.

  

The Shrines of Bl. Marianne Cope (left) &

St. Damien de Veuster (right), located in the

Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace.

Both shrines are situated to the left of the main altar and are constructed from koa wood; a costly wood, which is highly valued in Hawaii for its rich, beautiful grain pattern and its strength. On each side of the shrines are kahilis, ancient symbols of royalty and honor in the Hawaiian culture, which are akin to our western use of banners and flags. Familiar portraits of the Saint and the Blessed top both shrines.

St. Damien's wooden reliquary-case

with his [heel] bone relic.

The relics are lovingly surrounded by colorful leis (Hawaiian floral garlands) within their respective display shrines and may easily be viewed up close. If you're ever in Honolulu, please stop by our Cathedral to say 'hello' to our saintly heroes and to venerate their blessed remains.

Bl. Marianne's wooden reliquary-case

with her bone relic.

The Holy Face Devotion

"If my people who are called by my name

humble themselves and pray, and seek my

face, and turn from their wicked ways, then

I will hear from Heaven and will forgive

their sin and heal their land."

~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

St. Veronica, one of the very first

devotees of the Holy Face

Devotion to the Holy Face of our Lord is not new in the Church. In fact, the familiar representation of the bearded face of Christ has its origins from the earliest Christian tradition as evidenced by ancient paintings discovered in the Roman catacombs, but the devotion has taken on a whole new significance in modern times through the efforts of three saintly individuals:

Sr. Marie of St. Peter (d. 1848)

A Discalced Carmelite from Tours, France, our Lord entrusted a mission of atonement to this humble nun using the image of His Holy Face as a symbolic representation of how He is greatly offended by sin.  Furthermore, Jesus forewarned her about the rise of Communism and its spread of blasphemous atheistic ideals, which he inspired her to fight against.

A special prayer of reparation - a spiritual weapon - was revealed to Sr. Marie, which the Lord requested that she propagate.  The prayer came to be called the Golden Arrow (see below) after Jesus referred to it as such in a communication to this Carmelite mystic: "This Golden Arrow will wound My Heart delightfully, and heal the wounds inflicted by blasphemy."

The Golden Arrow Prayer

May the most holy, most sacred, most

adorable, most incomprehensible and

ineffable Name of God be forever praised,

blessed, loved, adored and glorified

in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth,

by all the creatures of God, and by the

Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, in

the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Amen.

Ven. Leo Dupont (d. 1876)

A devout layman, Leo Dupont, was a lawyer by profession who lived in Tours, France.  After learning of the revelations received by Sr. Marie of St. Peter, he set up an oratory in his home where he kept a votive lamp constantly burning before a linen print of the Holy Face, given to him by Sr. Marie's Carmelite Monastery, and patterned after the relic of the Veil of Veronica preserved in the Vatican.

Leo used his personal resources to actively promote devotion to the image as well as towards other works of charity.  The countless healings that were effected through the oil from Leo's lamp, and his zeal in spreading the Holy Face Devotion, earned him the titles of the Holy Man of Tours and Apostle of the Holy Face; he is currently being investigated for possible sainthood.

Bl. Maria Pierina De Micheli (d. 1945)

This Beata received many private revelations from our Lord and the Blessed Virgin, requesting that she promote devotion to the Holy Face as a way of making reparation for the sins of mankind.  Through Madre Maria Pierina, the Lord commissioned a medal - the Holy Face Medal - to be struck to which He attached special promises of grace and protection.  This mystic-nun endured many episodes of physical attacks from the devil who strove to obstruct her divine mission, but despite his efforts, the Holy Face Medal spread rapidly because of the innumerable favors that were attributed to its devout use.  Madre Maria Pierina was beatified by the Church on May 30, 2010, which further confirmed her holiness and the credibility of her private revelations.

For those interested, watch the 45-minute video below for an excellent presentation on the life of Bl. Maria Pierina - it's well worth it!

A video on the life of Bl. Maria Pierina

Below are promises manifested by Our Lady through Madre Maria Pierina in favor of those who will practice the Holy Face devotion, especially through the wearing of the Holy Face Medal:

• They will be strengthened in faith

• They will be ready to defend it (the Catholic Faith)

• They will overcome all difficulties, internal and external

• They will have a peaceful death under the loving gaze of my Divine Son

Other holy persons who were known to have had a profound devotion to the Holy Face are St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Padre Domenico of Cese, St. Gertrude the Great, Ven. Padre Hildebrand  Gregori, Maria Concetta Pantusa, Bl. Maria Pia Mastena, St. Therese the Little Flower, and the recently canonized, St. Gaetano Catanoso.

To download a printable, introductory brochure about this devotion, click here... or visit the website for the Holy Face Association @ www.holyface.com for more detailed info and/or to request a Holy Face Medal.

A luminous manifestation

of the Holy Face?

This unusual light formation appeared on

a wall of my former home on July 29, 1995,

during the rosary in Our Lady's garden. It

captures a rustic image of the Holy Face

of Christ, crowned with thorns.