The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist

In a town in Lanciano, Italy in the 18th century lived a holy monk who doubted the doctrine of the Eucharist—that the bread and wine actually turns into the body and blood of Christ. One day, as he celebrated Holy Mass in the monastery of Saint Longinus, the monk recited the words of consecration and he saw the bread change into living flesh and the wine change into blood.

This Eucharistic miracle is what Fr. Henry Ferreras shared in his talk before the extraordinary ministers of holy communion last June 13, 2019, to remind them of the marvel of this sacrament.

Father Henry said that the blood in the Lanciano miracle coagulated into five globules, irregular and differing in shape. The miraculous host and wine were scientifically analyzed and were found to be real human flesh and blood. The Flesh consists of the muscular tissue of the heart and had the same blood type, AB, that was identical to the one found on the Shroud of Turin.

The fresh flesh and blood, which were left in their natural state for twelve centuries and exposed to the action of atmospheric and biological agents, remain preserved, which in itself is an extraordinary phenomenon.

Father Henry reminded the lay ministers, “(When) you perform the duty of giving communion to the people, take note that you are giving them the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, offering them eternal life.” How mind-boggling to know that from sinstained human hands flow eternal life.

The miracle of Lanciano is evidently for the benefit of unbelievers. The miracle happened in the monastery of Saint Longinus, the unbelieving centurion who pierced the side of the dead Christ on the cross and became a believer and even a saint. That the miracle manifested in both forms of the body and blood of Christ seems to tell us that the Eucharist involved His entire being, His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. What more proof of His love do we need to see! The scientific findings that identified the tissue as coming from the fresh vagus nerve and the left ventricle of the heart tell us of the love that is alive and fresh from Jesus Christ Himself.

Therefore, we, the faithful who partake of this bread in communion, take consolation from the promise of our Lord, that “he who feeds of my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6: 54).