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Of all Eucharistic Miracles, the one at Lanciano, a little town in Italy, just a few kilometers from the Adriatic Sea, is undoubtedly the one that is best known. This Miracle took place at the beginning of the 7th Century.
What
follows is a true story: A Basilicatan Monk, very wise on the things of
this world but much less wise on the things concerning the Faith, was
going through a difficult stage in his perception of the Real Presence of
Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. He prayed constantly to get relief
from his doubts; and he was filled with fear of losing his vocation one
day. His martyrdom was very painful and he suffered daily from the routine
of his vocation. The Divine Providence did not abandon him, because God
the Father, through His Infinite Mercy, brought him out of this darkness
through the same grace granted to Saint Thomas.
One morning, during the celebration of Mass, subjected to a great attack of doubts, he began the Consecration before people from a neighbouring village. Suddenly, following the Consecration of the Bread and Wine, what he saw on the Altar caused his hands to tremble. He was dumbfounded, his back towards the faithful, for a moment that seemed an eternity to the parishioners, then, slowly he turned towards the faithful and said to them: “O happy witnesses to whom the Blessed Lord, to refute my incredulity, has deigned to reveal Himself in this Blessed Sacrament and make Himself visible to our eyes. Come and take a look at our God so close to us. Here are the Flesh and the Blood of Jesus Christ, our Beloved.”
In
fact, the Host was transformed into Flesh and the Wine into Blood! The
faithful, having witnessed the Miracle, began to cry, begging for
forgiveness and mercy. Some of the faithful hit their chests, confessing
their sins while declaring themselves unworthy of having witnessed this
Miracle; others respectfully kneeled down thanking God for the great Gift
that He had just given them. On that day, rumours of the Miracle travelled
throughout the village like a fire ablaze in a forest and, just as fast,
to the neighbouring villages right up to the Holy See itself.”
who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood, has Eternal Life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. The one who eats this Bread shall Live Eternally.” (John 6, 53-59)
Undoubtedly, “the Gift”
of Lanciano was given for the good Italian Monk, and for the people of the
small village and for the people of that era in particular, but also given
for the people of all nations of the world and for all the generations to
come, because what is most remarkable, is the continuity itself of this
Miracle, a Miracle which has remained visible for all people to see for a
period of more than 1297 years, without, however, the least use of any
product of preservation or chemical substances whatsoever; allowing the
Flesh and the Blood to remain fresh, because yes, the Holy Host,
transformed into Flesh, and the Wine transformed into Blood, have
subsisted completely intact for more than twelve centuries.
but each clot weighs exactly the weight of the five clots weighed together, be it 15.85 grams.
In 1970, 1971, and later in 1981, a scientific investigation was encouraged by the Catholic Church. The illustrious Professor and Doctor, Odoardo Linoli, an Anatomic Professor of Pathologic Histology, and of Chemistry and of Clinical Microscopy and Doctor in Chief for the whole of the hospitals of Arezzo, began a long series of analyses and tests in order to determine the exact nature of the said Miracle. He was assisted by Doctor Ruggero Bertelli, the highly skilled Professor from the Department of Anatomy at the Siena University. The investigations were all carried out with state-of-the-art technological procedures of which observations were widely confirmed by a series of photographs taken with a microscope. The analyses, once completed, gave us the following conclusions:
1. The blood of the Eucharistic Miracle is real blood and the flesh is real flesh.
the Centuries, the Host disappeared, leaving only the Flesh, identified by scientists as tissues coming from muscle of the myocardium. There is no trace whatsoever of chemical or preserving agents such as used for mummifying.
The preservation of the Flesh and the Blood, which were exposed in their natural state, without the least means of whatever form of preserving agents whatsoever, left to the action of atmospheric and biological agents, constitutes an extraordinary phenomenon, scientifically inexplicable, and of which all of the results of analyses constitute an absolute violation of the laws of physics.
The scientific testimony confirms that which we believe through faith and that which the Catholic Church has been teaching us for 2000 years, thus echoing the Words of Jesus Christ: “In truth I say to you, the one who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has Eternal Life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. The one who eats this Flesh shall Live Eternally.” (John 6, 53-59)
Read also:
The Holy Mass
explained
to Catalina by Jesus and Mary
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