Right Here With You On Earth

March 21, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
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A woman lay in bed following her surgery. She was depressed and wanted nothing more than to leave this world and be with God in heaven so she could talk things over with Him.

Soon, she fell asleep and dreamed that she was driving up a mountain road. It was a sunny day with a clear blue sky. She reached the top of the mountain, as high as she could go, and got out of the car.

Then she felt herself going still higher. Her spirit had left her body and was floating upward.

She looked down below, into a valley, with a river running through it. She saw a car driving alongside the river. It surprised her to see both herself and her husband in the car.

Then, there was a brilliant flash of light in the sky and a shower of glowing points of light began to rain down onto the earth. For some reason, she understood that it was time for her to return to earth. She did and immediately woke up.

For years afterward, she wondered what this dream meant. One evening, in front of the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration, she thought about the dream again. She asked the Lord why she had it. Once again, she understood something very clearly. This time it was a message telling her that while she wanted to leave this earth to find Him, she “needed to learn that I am right here with you on earth.”

Source: Proctor, Sr. Patricia, OSC, 201 Inspirational Stories of the Eucharist (Spokane, Washington, The Franciscan Monastery of St. Clare, 2004) p. 142-43.

Fr. Lerma

March 20, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
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Over a period of time, Fr. Francis Lerma gradually lost his eyesight. He accepted his fate but was distraught over the fact that he could no longer celebrate the Mass. One day, he prayed for the ability to see only for such time as was necessary to celebrate Mass. As he was praying, he received the inspiration to open a missal. To his surprise, he could read it.

He was elated, went to the sacristry, put on his vestments and then did, in fact, celebrate the Mass. When it was over, he returned to the sacristy, where he could not longer see. Day after day, this same event repeated itself. He could see in order to say the Mass, but as soon as it was over, he once again returned to his blindness.

Source: Cruz, Caroll, Eucharistic Miracles (Charlotte, North Carolina, Tan Books, 2010) p. 209.

Niervaart

March 19, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
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In the year 1300, the area known today as the Netherlands was occupied by Spanish troops. During an episode of pillaging, a Sacred Host was stolen, and later discarded.

On June 24th, a farmer found it. He was hoeing a plot of land near the village of Niervaart. As he lifted a clod of earth, he caught sight of the Host, completely intact. He immediately gave it to the pastor of the village.

The Host was placed in a precious container, and despite the passage of time, the species of the bread remained intact. News quickly spread among the people, who began to venerate the Sacred Host. In 1449 the Holy Eucharist was moved to the Collegiate Church of Our Lady of Breda, and an artistic monstrance was made in which to preserve the Blessed Sacrament.

It was later lost during a time of warfare, but not before it had survived for over a hundred years. It had not decomposed or deteriorated, which the laws of physics say should have occurred over a span of months.

To this day, processions and public prayers are held each year in honor of the miracle.

Source: “The Eucharistic Miracles of the World,” a Vatican international exhibition, as reported by The Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration and Association, http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/english_pdf/Breda.pdf

Hanging Hosts

March 18, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
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Before becoming a priest, Anthony was trying to discern whether he should take up such a vocation. He frequented daily Mass. One day, he said to the Lord, “OK, if you want me to be a priest, make something strange, very strange happen when I receive you in Holy Communion.”

When he went up to receive the Sacrament, two Hosts were stuck together. Now sometimes that happens, but not as occurred here. Here, the Hosts were hanging from each other. They were not stuck side by side. The priest tried to separate them, but could not. So, Anthony was given both.

This happened on just the occasion when Anthony prayed for something strange.

Source: Proctor, Sr. Patricia, OSC, 201 Inspirational Stories of the Eucharist (Spokane, Washington, The Franciscan Monastery of St. Clare, 2004) p. 242.

The Lamb Who Went To Mass

March 17, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
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Once, at Santa Maria della Porziuncola, some people brought a lamb to St. Francis of Assisi as a gift. During the celebration of the Mass, the lamb would enter the church and, at the elevation of the Host, he would bow down, knees bent, as if in reverence towards the Blessed Sacrament.

Source: “The Eucharistic Miracles of the World,” a Vatican international exhibition, as reported by The Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration and Association, http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/english_pdf/Francisofassisi.pdf.

St. Francis Xavier

March 16, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
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St. Francis Xavier has been called the greatest missionary since St. Paul. One of the places to which he travelled was Malacca in Malaysia. It was there that he once was called to the bedside of a 15-year-old boy who was very ill. He had lost his speech and was subject to convulsions. At the sight of the saint, the convulsions became violent. It was thought that the boy was possessed by a demon.

St. Francis read the Passion of the Lord over the boy and sprinkled holy water upon him. Before leaving St. Francis said he would say Mass for the boy on the following morning. St. Francis told the boy’s mother that, after that, once he was then able to get about, she should take him to Mass for nine consecutive days.

The following morning, during the Mass being said for the boy, he arose, fully recovered.

Shapcote, Emily Mary, Legends of the Blessed Sacrament (London, Burns & Oates) p. 65-66.

The Disappearing Ulcer

March 15, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
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Diane lived in North York, a suburb of Toronto, in Ontario, Canada. As she was experiencing a good deal of pain in her stomach, she went to see her family doctor. He referred her to a gastroenterologist who performed an endoscopy. The results of the testing were fairly plain. She had a severe gastric ulcer. She was told to return the following week for more tests, at which time it would be determined whether she required surgery.

As it happened, a priest was then visiting Toronto from the Philippines. His name was Fr. Theo Rustia and he was in town to perform a healing Mass.
Diane went with her husband and her eldest son. The service took three hours. The healing portion of the service took only 20 minutes. The rest of the time was devoted to the Mass and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Diane was struck with unusual force by that Mass. The prayer and reverence for the Eucharist all resonated with her especially. She said: she “never felt as close to God as I did that night. Even though we were in church for three hours, it seemed more like 30 minutes. I didn’t want it to end.”

When she received Communion, she said that, “the Eucharist took on a whole new meaning for me.”

After Communion, people came forward to the altar, for healing prayers. When Fr. Rustia came to Diane, he suddenly stopped and inquired what was wrong with her. She told him, and he laid hands on her stomach, praying for her.

A few days later, she went back to the hospital for another endoscopy. As he performed the test, a look of incredulity came over his face. He said: “This is impossible. I can’t believe what I am seeing. There is no sign of the ulcer. It has completely disappeared.”

Diane knew the reason for the abrupt change. For her, she could readily believe what the doctor told her he saw. In fact, she had known that she had been cured from the time of the Mass.

Source: Proctor, Sr. Patricia, OSC, 201 Inspirational Stories of the Eucharist (Spokane, Washington, The Franciscan Monastery of St. Clare, 2004) p. 261-62.

St. Peter Celestine

March 14, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
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St. Peter Celestine (1215-1296) had lived the life of a hermit before travelling to Rome to seek approval for a religious order he founded, the Celestines. While there, he was asked to say Mass for the Pope. He was offered ornate vestments, but chose instead to remain in his simple hermetic attire.

Near the beginning of the Mass, the saint was suspended in the air above the ground and remained in that state until the Mass was completed.

Source: Cruz, Caroll, Eucharistic Miracles (Charlotte, North Carolina, Tan Books, 2010) p. 290.

St. Bonaventure

March 13, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
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Once, St. Bonaventure was consumed by a fear of receiving the Eucharist. He wanted very much to take Communion, but dared not because of worries, in his own mind, of being too unworthy. This caused him to hold back from the Blessed Sacrament for some time.

Then, one day, while he was assisting at Mass, a portion of the Sacred Host left the hands of the priest and placed itself on the tongue of St. Bonaventure.

Instantly, St. Bonaventure understood that his own misgivings were not shared by the Lord, to his immense relief and joy.

Shapcote, Emily Mary, Legends of the Blessed Sacrament (London, Burns & Oates) p. 39.

Peter of Toulouse

March 12, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
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Once, when Peter of Toulouse was holding the Host over the chalice at Mass, he saw Jesus as an infant. The brightness was so great that St. Peter shut his eyes. The image still remained after doing so. He turned his head, but still he saw Him, sometimes on his arm or his hand, whichever way he turned. This same event took place every day for three or four months.

Faber, Fr. Frederick William, The Blessed Sacrament, or The Ways and Works of God (London, Burns & Oates, Ltd., 1861) p. 489.

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