By JOE SIXPACK
Part 2
Theology and Scripture put aside, some of the most compelling pieces of evidence are when the Eucharist has quite literally changed into Jesus’ Body and Blood. This article will focus on only a few of those events from both modern times and in history.
During a Mass at a parish retreat in 2006, a Host that was about to be distributed was seen effusing a reddish substance. The diocese decided to conduct extensive scientific study of the Host to discern its cause and origin and to ensure there was no hoax being played. The study took several years but its results were eventually published in 2013. The reddish substance analyzed in the Host was indeed blood, in which there were DNA and hemoglobin of human origin.
Two studies conducted by eminent forensic experts using different methods both showed that blood came from inside the Host; this showed that it wasn’t possible that the blood was placed on the Host from an outside source. The blood type was AB positive, the same type as found in other Eucharistic miracles and the Holy Shroud of Turin. A microscopic analysis of the blood in 2010 showed that since 2006 much of the blood visible had coagulated (as expected) but that underlying internal layers contained the presence of fresh blood which showed that the Eucharist was still bleeding.
The human tissue found in the host was living, evidenced by intact white and red blood cells and active macrophages. The immuno-histochemical studies revealed that the tissue found corresponds to the myocardium. All in all, the study proved beyond a doubt that the occurrence was not of natural origin and went further by linking this miracle to the others that happen around the world.
On April 28 2001, the parish church of St. Mary in a town of India began a Novena to St. Jude Thaddeus as they did every year. At 8:49 a.m., the priest exposed the Most Holy Sacrament in the monstrance for public adoration. After a few moments they saw what appeared to be three dots in the Holy Eucharist. They prayed to the Host for a while and then it was placed secure in the tabernacle.
The priest then went to the archbishop of the diocese to inform him of the change but when he returned to the parish and opened the tabernacle it had in fact developed further, because now clearly in the Host were not only the three red dots but a face crowned with a crown of thorns. This Eucharistic miracle is still ongoing.
The oldest and perhaps the most famous of these miraculous events is the miracle of Lanciano. Around the year 700 in the Monastery of St. Longinus, a priest-monk of the Order of St. Basil was celebrating the Mass. Having suffered recurring doubts about transubstantiation, he had just spoken the solemn words of consecration when the Host was suddenly changed into a circle of Flesh, and the wine transformed into visible Blood. Weeping joyously, he hastened to call the other monks to witness this stupendous miracle. The miracle remains to this day.
Over the subsequent 13 centuries, that which remained bread in the Host decayed away, but the flesh remained…despite that it should have turned to dust centuries ago. Likewise, the blood coagulated into five separate globules, which remain today…despite that they, too, should have turned to dust centuries ago.
In 1970, then again in 1981, there took place a scientific investigation by the scientist Dr. Linoli, eminent professor in anatomy and pathological histology and in chemistry and clinical microscopy. He was assisted by Dr. Bertelli of the University of Siena.
The scientific investigation found: the Flesh is real Flesh and the Blood is real Blood; the Flesh and the Blood belong to the human species; the Flesh consists of the muscular tissue of the heart; in the Flesh we see present in section: the myocardium, the endocardium, the vagus nerve, and also the left ventricle of the heart for the large thickness of the myocardium; the Flesh and the Blood have the same blood-type: AB (Blood-type identical to that which Professor Baima Bollone uncovered in the Holy Shroud of Turin); the preservation of the Flesh and of the Blood, which were left in their natural state for twelve centuries and exposed to the action of atmospheric and biological agents, remains an extraordinary phenomenon; in 1999, further DNA testing determined the same human DNA exists here as in other Eucharistic miracles and the Shroud of Turin; when each globule of blood was weighed, each of the five were found to be of the same identical weight, but weighed all together, the five globules only weighed as much as one.
So the reality of the truths about the Holy Eucharist demonstrate that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was made flesh!”
These proofs of the Eucharist are indeed extraordinary, just as I said they would be. In next week’s article I’ll tie all of this together so you can see how amazing the Mass is.
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