Stories
St. Francis Xavier
by Ray at THCSt. 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
by Ray at THCDiane 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
by Ray at THCSt. 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
by Ray at THCOnce, 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
by Ray at THCOnce, 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.
St. Thomas of Aquinas and the Answer to His Question
by Ray at THCAt one time, a significant controversy arose concerning the Holy Eucharist. Many doctors of the Church submitted the matter to St. Thomas of Aquinas, content with such resolution as he might write. St. Thomas, as had been his custom throughout his life, prayed before the altar and the tabernacle, seeking guidance.
Then he turned his efforts to paper, and when he had finished, he returned to the tabernacle and One who he knew to be there. Laying his work down on the ground before the tabernacle, he prayed, “O, Lord Jesus, who in this marvelous Sacrament are truly present, all of whose works are miracles, incomprehensible miracles, I implore You most humbly to verify to me whether this that I have written of You agrees with the truth.”
Thomas was not alone at this time. Many of his brother theologians had followed him into the church. They attested that, for a reply, Jesus Himself appeared, and pointing at the books Thomas had written, said in a tone full of love, “You, my son, have spoken worthily of the Sacrament of My Body.”
That was not the end of the wonderment the other theologians beheld. Thomas continued in prayer, deep prayer, and was lifted up into the air.
After a time, he came out of his ecstasy and quietly returned to his room.
Shapcote, Emily Mary, Legends of the Blessed Sacrament (London, Burns & Oates) p. 42.
St. Bernard and the Possessed Woman
by Ray at THCOnce there was an elderly woman of high social rank in Milan,Italy, who had been possessed by an evil spirit a good number of years. She no longer had the use of her sight, hearing or speech. Some people brought her before St. Bernard of Clairvaux, who was then in the church of St. Ambrose. Many others came along to see whether the holy man could do anything for her.
St. Bernard ordered that she be brought before the altar and firmly held. She was kicking and writhing and going through terrible convulsions. St. Bernard then began to celebrate Mass.
After the consecration, and following the Our Father, St. Bernard descended from the altar and went up to the woman. Holding the chalice and the Host above her, he challenged the demon to resist, if he could, the power of Jesus Himself and ordered the demon to leave the woman.
The convulsions and writhing increased dramatically. Then St. Bernard returned to the altar, broke the Host and gave the pax to the deacon, so that he could in turn give have the congregation engage in the kiss of peace. The peace of the Lord, there Himself on the altar, about to spread through the congregation, the demon left the woman. Peace returned to the woman.
At that same time, she regained the use of her senses.
The news of this event quickly spread.
Source: Ratisbonne, Abbe Theodore, St. Bernard of Clairvaux (Charlotte, N.C., Tan Books 2010) p. 183-85.
A Parish Transformed
by Ray at THCIn Ottawa, Ontario, in Canada, a newly assigned parish priest had difficulty attracting people to Sunday Mass. No matter what he tried, the most that he could get to come were 20-30 people.
He had compassion for those who did come. He felt they were suffering because they could not experience the peace and happiness of having brothers and sisters around them. He told his congregation this, but also told them there was always something that could be done. When nothing else avails, what recourse is there but to the Holy One. He told his congregation they needed to start Eucharistic Adoration. With such a small group to begin it, they begun it nonetheless.
After three years, the church was full on Sundays. Soon enough, nine boys from that parish had made the decision to commit the direction of their lives to the path of priesthood and had entered the seminary.
The parish had been transformed.
Source: My Daily Eucharist, by Joan Carter McHugh, relating an excerpt from a piece in Immaculata Magazine written by Cardinal Edouard Gagnon.
St. Angela
by Ray at THCWhile St. Angela Merici was attending Mass one day, she became visibly fell into an ecstatic state. To the sight of the entire congregation, she not only was lifted into the air, she also remained there for an extensive period of time.
Source: Cruz, Caroll, Eucharistic Miracles (Charlotte, North Carolina, Tan Books, 2010) p. 289-90.
Always In Proportion to the Soul’s Desire to Receive Him
by Ray at THCSr. Catherine Anne Emmerich, beatified by the Church on October 3, 2004, spoke of her experiences during Communion:
“At the moment of communicating, I used to see my Savior like a bridegroom standing by me and, when I had received, He disappeared, leaving me filled with the sweet sense of His presence. He pervades the whole soul of the communicant just as sugar is dissolved in water, and the union between the soul and Jesus is always in proportion to the soul’s desire to receive Him.”
Source: My Daily Eucharist, by Joan Carter McHugh, relating an excerpt from Life of Catherine Anne Emmerich, by Very Rev. K. E. Schmoger, CSSR.