Pentecost Sunday, June 9th, 2019
GOD’S GREATEST MIRACLE!!!
What would that be, God’s greatest miracle? The parting of the Red Sea? Making water come out of a rock? Miraculously healing of a boy of severe head injuries who had been in a coma for 10 days, with no real hope from the doctors for a healing? * Or any number of a thousand other different stores which could be brought forth? Or, what if God turned a rock into himself, (which would then make that rock God), or, what if he turned a tree into a horse, or, turned stones into children of Abraham, Matthew 3:9, or, what if He turned a piece of bread into God? Would that not be His greatest miracle, to turn a material object into the Son of God himself? And yet, that is exactly what Jesus did at the Last Supper. “And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body.” Matthew 26:26. He did not say, “This is a symbol of my body,’’ nor did he say, ‘’This represents my body,’’ but he said absolutely, ‘’This is my body.’’ The bread was no longer bread but was, and indeed truly is God himself under the form of bread. This is what is called transubstantiation, and St. Thomas Acquinas calls it, GOD’S GREATEST MIRACLE.’’ St. Francis of Assisi said: “Man should tremble, earth should quiver, all heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God comes down upon the altar in the hands of the priest.’’ Because Jesus, the second person of the Blessed Trinity is truly God, as St. John says: 1:1, ‘’In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’’ All the Apostles taught this doctrine. Even St. Paul in 1 Cor. 10:16 asks the rhetorical question, which indicates the answer is obviously Yes, ’’ The chalice of benediction, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread, which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord?’’… Chapter 11: 23-30, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And giving thanks, broke, and said: Take ye, and eat: this is my body, which shall be delivered for you: this do for the commemoration of me. In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me.
For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come. Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. [28] But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep.’’ There is no figurative language in here like the protestants like to imagine, nor in the other Scriptures by the Evangelists on this doctrine, but notice the words underlined, ‘’not discerning the body of the Lord.’’ Now I ask, “How can you discern the body of the Lord if it’s not there?’’ Discern means to recognize what you see? But let us move on.
I want to speak of two other different Eucharistic miracles. Before I do, for those who are not aware, you can search Eucharistic miracles online and find many marvelous and documented stories of how Hosts have bled, turned into visible flesh, and so on, to confirm that Our Lord is truly present in the bread and wine after the consecration at Mass. As St. Mark said, ‘’But they going forth preached everywhere: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed.’’ 16:20. St. Francis de Sales said that nearly all the doctrines in the early Church were confirmed by miracles. Which stands to reason, for how could the people be expected to believe this new teaching unless it were proven, and this was done by miracles. As St. Paul says in Hebrews, 2:3-4: ‘’How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? which having begun to be declared by the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. God also bearing them witness by signs, and wonders, and divers miracles, and distributions of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will.’’ Bearing witness by signs and wonders. So now let us look at two other types of signs and wonders that the Lord has worked with various saints through the Holy Eucharist.
We will now look at some saints who lived on nothing but the Eucharist for days, some weeks, and some years. We have a figure of this in the Old Testament. “And he (Elias), arose, and ate, and drank, and walked in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights, unto the mount of God, Horeb.” 3 Kings 19:8. This was a figure of the Holy Eucharist. We will begin with Berthe Petit. She was a victim soul, one specially called by God to suffer much, and unite her sufferings with Christ for the good of souls, as St. Paul was doing: ‘’ Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church.’’ Colossians 1:24. She had great sufferings in her life, and got to the point where she could not eat any solid food except the Holy Eucharist, and Jesus said to her, “I am your real nourishment. Do you not know that I, and nothing else, am your life?’
Another great and holy soul was Blessed Alexandrina who was permanently injured and disabled for the rest of her life, jumping from a two story window to escape two rapists. She grabbed a club and fought them off when they came down, but she could never work again. She too became a victim soul, and later on in life was only able to live off the Holy Eucharist. This was fully documented for 40 days. She was put into a hospital and observed for 40 days. She received nothing but the Holy Eucharist, and never gained nor lost a pound. On March 27, 1942 in a blaze of agony and adoring love, Alexandrina cried out to Jesus in the tabernacle of the nearby church, “Oh my Eucharistic Love, I cannot live without you! Oh Jesus, transform me into your Eucharist! Mother, my dearest Mother, I wish to be of Jesus, I wish to be entirely yours!” And deep within her soul she heard Jesus’ profound reply: “You will not take food again on earth. Your food will be my Flesh; your blood will be my Divine Blood, your life will be my Life. You receive it from me when I unite my Heart to your heart. Do not fear, my daughter. You will not be crucified any more as in the past …. And now a new trial awaits you, which will be the most painful of all. But in the end I will carry you to Heaven and the Holy Mother will accompany you.”
Thus on March 27, 1942 Alexandrina began an absolute fast which was to last more than thirteen years until her death, her sole nourishment being Holy Communion which she received with deep devotion every morning. She died in 1955. http://www.miraclesofthesaints.com/2010/10/miracle-of-eucharist-total-fast-from.html
Again we have St. Padre Pio, one of the greatest saints to live in the Church. All these particular souls lived in the 20th century. St. Padre Pio would live 50 years with the wounds of Christ in his body, offering his sufferings with Christ for the salvation of souls. ‘’From henceforth let no man be troublesome to me; for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body.’’ Gal.6:17. His wounds would bleed when saying Mass, extremely painful. One lady asked him one day, “Do those wounds hurt you Father?’ and he replied, “You don’t think the Lord gave them tome for decoration, do you?” And he told another soul who asked him how painful they were, “It’s as if someone drove a big nail in my hand, and twisted it.” His doctors could never find a natural explanation for the wounds, but if he ever received a natural wound, it would heal up normally. I don’t recall the number of days or weeks he lived on just the Holy Eucharist, but it is documented that at one point in his life, he lived many days on nothing but the Holy Eucharist. The miracles this man worked through God’s grace were astounding. One lady in New York who was blind with no pupils in her eyes was cured of her eyesight. Joey Lomangino was cured of his sense of smell even though his olfactory nerve was broken. One man God struck dead when he got out of the taxi at San Giovanni who had told the taxi driver that by morning Padre Pio would be dead. There was a great stir about it, and when they told Padre Pio about the threat, he said the curse put on him by this man was deflected by God upon that man. Padre Pio would bilocate, be in two places at one time, sometimes he would elevate into the air by God’s grace, attested to by army pilots in the second world war, asking the pilots not to bomb their city. When they pulled the lever to do so, the levers jammed. He raised people from the dead, read hearts in the confessional like an open book, for instance, reminded Joey Lomangino of a sin he had long forgotten and failed to confess. Getting back to our subject, Teresa Newman in Germany, another victim soul, like many of the others, suffered the Passion of Christ on Fridays, lived 34 years on nothing but the Holy Eucharist! You can read about these great souls on the internet. There are many more. I have not even scratched the surface. This is a different type of miracle, living without food for days, weeks and years on nothing of the Eucharist. As Jesus told Blessed Alexandrina, “I want to show the power of the Eucharist.’’
Another kind of miracle is the gift of elevation. Many of the saints, in their close union with God, would actually elevate off the ground after receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion. One of the most famous of these is St. Joseph of Culpertino. Joseph of Cupertino is most famous for levitating at prayer. Already as a child, Joseph showed a fondness for prayer. After a short career with the Capuchins, he joined the Conventual Franciscans. Following a brief assignment caring for the friary mule, Joseph began his studies for the priesthood. Though studies were very difficult for him, Joseph gained a great deal of knowledge from prayer. He was ordained in 1628.
Joseph’s tendency to levitate during prayer was sometimes a cross; some people came to see this much as they might have gone to a circus sideshow. Joseph’s gift led him to be humble, patient, and obedient, even though at times he was greatly tempted and felt forsaken by God. He fasted and wore iron chains for much of his life. Fr. Ronald Tangen said, ‘’Sometimes he would even elevate out of site when outside, and then later, come floating back down to the ground.’’
The friars transferred Joseph several times for his own good and for the good of the rest of the community. He was reported to and investigated by the Inquisition; the examiners exonerated him. Joseph was canonized in 1767. In the investigation preceding the canonization, 70 incidents of levitation are recorded. In the movie, the Reluctant Saint, it shows how he was severely opposed by one of the months, thinking it was all a hoax, until finally, the monk himself would privileged to witness the truth and see him in elevation. A wonderful movie, The Reluctant Saint.
Levitation is one of the most frequently mentioned phenomena in the lives of the Saints. Many more Saints have experienced this marvel in addition to those who will be mentioned below. Some more notable Saints are St Benedict Joseph Labre, St. Angela of Brescia, St. Antoinette of Florence, St. Arey, St. Peter Celestine, St. Colette, St. Margaret of Hungary, St. Stephen of Hungary, St. Mary of Egypt, St. Joseph Oriol, Bl. Bentivolio Buoni, St Francis of Paola, St. John of St. Facond and St Martin de Porres. I refer you to this wonderful website: http://www.miraclesofthesaints.com/2010/10/levitation-and-ecstatic-flights-in.html or just search: saints who elevated and go to the site.
Most probably, in these elevations and ecstatic flights, the angels are raising them up and carrying them, for in the Mystical City of God, it often relates how the angels would carry the most holy Virgin Mary to different places to help some soul in need. Also, it relates there, that when she received her own Son in Holy Communion, she would elevate above the ground, but asked her angels to conceal her, so as not to draw attention to herself.
St. Anthony of Padua is world renowned, the patron of lost articles. However, what is not so well known is that he worked so many miracles by the power of God, even raising people from the dead, preaching to the fishes in the sea when heretics would not listen to him, and so many others that he came to be called The Wonder-Worker. One of the great miracles he worked in regard to the Holy Eucharist is the story about the mule. St Anthony and the Mule (A Eucharistic Miracle) One of the reasons why Anthony worked so hard to convert heretics was because he genuinely felt sorry for them. He saw that they were depriving themselves of the most precious gift of the Eucharist, and he believed that no one could long survive without this spiritual nourishment.
One day, a heretic told Anthony that he would believe that Christ was truly present in the Eucharist only if his mule bowed down to it. They established that the test should take place in three days. The heretic starved his mule for the next three days. When the appointed time had arrived, Anthony stood off to one side with the consecrated host in his hands, while the heretic stood to the other holding some fodder for the mule to eat. The mule, ignoring its own extreme hunger, went before the Eucharist and knelt down to adore the Blessed Sacrament. The man renounced his errors and became a Catholic. He is also known as The Hammer of Heretics, because, as in the previous story, he worked so many miracles that many heretics renounced their errors and embraced the true Catholic faith.
There are many other miracles associated with Anthony’s ministry, but they should not distract our attention from the fact that most of Anthony’s ministry was performed in simple everyday ways. It was his fervent life style, his prayer, his gentleness, his humble use of his great learning that brought people to conversion. Also, his exteme fasting. He fasted so strenuously one time that he collapsed and his brother Friars had to help him get back to the monastery. Another great trait of St. Anthony was his poverty of spirit. He renounced his possessions to serve Christ, and Jesus our Lord, true to his word, helped him to reach perfection. “Jesus saith to him: If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow me.” Matthew 19:21. Because of his desire to be perfectly united to Christ, Christ worked great miracles by him.
Anthony also ministered to those ministering to others, for he taught theology to the friars in Bologna, Montpellier, Toulouse and Padua. This work and his writings earned him the title of Evangelical Doctor of the Church. His knowledge of the faith and of the Bible was profound. One of the popes said he knew the Bible by heart, and that if the Scriptures were ever lost, St. Anthony could rewrite them.
You who are reading this should do your own research, searching the Scriptures to see if these things be so, ‘’Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness, daily searching the scriptures, whether these things were so.’’ Acts 17:11. See what the Church has always taught, see if it is in line with what the Scriptures say, and if the miracles confirm it. Does the Church teach the Eucharist is a symbol? No. Does the Bible teach the Eucharist is a symbol? No. Are there any miracles that confirm the Eucharist is a symbol? No. So what have the protestants done, in changing this doctrine into a symbol? They have changed the truth of God into a lie. ‘’ Who changed the truth of God into a lie.’’ Acts 1;25. How serious is that? ‘’He that believeth not the Son, maketh him a liar.’’ 1 John 5;21. And again, St. John 3:36, “He that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.’’ Pretty serious. Now do you see why the Church teaches there is no salvation outside the Church? Because we cannot follow a false doctrine and save our souls. “The blind leadeth the blind, and they both fall into a pit.” St. Matthew 15;14.
The early Christians were following the doctrine of the Apostles, and they taught that Christ was truly and really present in the Holy Eucharist. “And they were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 2:42. Jesus said of himself that he was living bread come down from heaven. Paul Whitcomb, a former protestant minister, who eventually became a Catholic, said, “If it was only symbolic, why does Jesus call it ‘’living bread.’’ “The Jews therefore murmured at him, because he had said: I am the living bread which came down from heaven.” John 6:41. A crucifix is only a symbol, it is not alive. The symbol teaching is as false as a four dollar bill.
Do you want to go to heaven? Do you want to have life in your soul? Then, if you are a Catholic, you must go to Holy Communion in the state of grace. If you have any mortal sins, you may not go until you confess them, or you commit the terrible sin of sacrilege. Jesus told St. Bridget, regarding sacrilegious Holy Communions, ‘’There does not exist on earth a punishment severe enough to punish a sacrilegious Communion!’’ Because, as St. Alphonsus says, “He who attempts to receive unworthily, attempts to place Jesus on the throne of his heart alongside satan. ‘’ A horrible sin! This is why St. Paul said those who eat or drink unworthily are guilty against the body and blood of the Lord. ‘’Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord.’’ And many were sick and some had died. .’’ For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep.’’ The Blessed Mother, from The Mystical City of God, told Venerable Mary of Agreda, “In the early Church, many were saved by the Eucharist, but now in our time, many damn themselves by it.’’
If you are a non-Catholic, and you seriously want to save your soul, then you need to seriously weigh these words of Jesus regarding Holy Communion. For the bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world… I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger: and he that believeth in me shall never thirst…I am the living bread which came down from heaven…This is the bread which cometh down from heaven; that if any man eat of it, he may not die…[51] I am the living bread which came down from heaven. [52] If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world. [53] The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? [54] Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. [55] He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. Note the words carefully, ‘’you shall not have life in you if you don’t receive Our Lord in Holy Communion. This is what He is talking about. This is what St. Paul was talking about. We Catholics cannot save our souls without Jesus in the Eucharist. Jesus said so. And neither can you, those of you who are outside the Church. Therefore, St. Luke writes in the Acts, “The Lord added daily to the church such as should be saved.’’ 2:47.
If you, and we, want to save our souls, we must partake of the supersubstantial bread, st. Matthew 6:11, ‘’Give us this day our supersubstantial bread.’’ Drbo.org, or in the Latin Vulgate, 1000 before the protestant bibles started coming out, ‘’ Panem nostrum supersubstantialem da nobis hodie.’’ ‘’This supersubstantial bread,’’ says St. Alphonsus, ‘’is nothing other than Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.” Therefore, St. Peter Eymard says, for those who do not wish to receive Jesus in Holy Communion, ‘’Do not pray the Our Father anymore since you pray for the bread which you wish to do without.’’
Do you wish to grow in holiness, and in union with God? Then visit Jesus often in the Eucharist, reserved in the tabernacles of the Catholic churches. The consecrated Hosts are reserved in a ciborium in the tabernacle. There is a lighted candle burning perpetually to signify his Real Presence there. We Catholics go and make visits, and sometimes a Holy Hour with Our Lord. ‘’Could you not watch one hour with me?’’ he said to the Apostles. St. John Bosco said, “Do you wish many graces? Visit the Blessed Sacrament often. Do you wish few graces? Visit the Blessed Sacrament seldom. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are a powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the devil, and of growing in virtue.’’ Do you want to help save the world? St. Peter Eymard said, ”Who is going to save the world? The Saviour of the world. Go to him.’’ Go to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. St. Alphonsus says that Jesus hears all prayers in all places, but He grants greater graces when we go to him in his Real Pre- sence in the Blessed Sacrament. St. Peter Eymard said, “Eucharistic adoration is the holiest of actions. There is nothing greater or holier on earth than this adoration. That is because we have for our object the adoration of God himself. ‘’ Do you want to die a holy and consoling death? St. Alphonsus again teaches the importance of adoration of Our lord in the Blessed Sacrament: “Among all devotions, after that of receiving the sacraments, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament holds the first place, is the most pleasing to God, and the most useful to ourselves.’’ Our great consolation at death: ‘’Be assured that the time you will thus spend with devotion before this most divine Sacrament will be the most profitable to you in life, and the source of your greatest consolation in death.’’
Prayer to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist: O most Sacred, most loving Heart of Jesus, Thou art concealed in the Holy Eucharist, and Thou beatest for us still. Now as then Thou sayest, “With desire I have desired.” I worship Thee then with all my best love and awe, with my fervent affection, with my most subdued, most resolved will. O my God, when Thou dost condescend to allow me to receive Thee, to eat and drink Thee, and Thou for a while dost take up Thy abode within me, O make my heart beat with Thy Heart. Purify it of all that is earthly, all that is proud and sensual, all that is hard and cruel, of all perversity, of all disorder, of all deadness. So fill it with Thee that neither the events of the day nor the circumstances of the time may have power to ruffle it, but that in Thy love and Thy fear it may have peace. O Heart of Love, I place all my trust in Thee. Though I fear all things from my weakness, I hope all things from Thy goodness. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, may all the world burn with love for Thee. O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto Thine.
“O my Beloved, who art also my God, make my heart a flame of pure love for Thee.’’ – Prayer of Sr. Josepha Menendez taught her by the Mother of God.
Prayer after Holy Communion: O sweet Jesus, pierce my heart so that my tears of penitence and love will be my bread day and night. May I be converted entirely to Thee. May my heart be Thy perpetual habitation. May my conversation be pleasing to Thee, and may the end of my life be so praiseworthy that I may merit heaven, and there with Thy saints, praise Thee forever. Amen.
All for Jesus: O Jesus, sweet Jesus, O Jesus divine; My life and my death unto Thee I resign. Every action of mine shall Thy patronage claim, for whatever I do, shall be done in Thy Name.
Holy Ghost, shed Thy light in our souls. Holy Ghost, inflame us with the flame of Thy Love. Holy Ghost, teach is to pray well. Holy Ghost, inspire in us a horror of sin. Holy Ghost, enlighten us with Thy heavenly inspirations. Holy Ghost, be Thou our everlasting reward. Amen.
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