LANCIANO, ITALY, 700
The first and perhaps greatest miracle of the Eucharist was at Lanciano, an ancient Roman town in Italy, in the year 700. It happened when a priest doubted at the consecration of the Holy Mass that Jesus was really present in the Sacred Host.
Q1. Why did a priest who celebrates Mass doubt this teaching of Jesus? What happened when this priest did not fully believe in it?
A1. Well, anyone, even priests can have doubts from time to time about many things. But when one doubts something so important as the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, then one must plead with God for help to overcome the disbelief.
This particular priest had constant doubts about Jesus being really and truly present in the Eucharist. One day, when he was celebrating Holy Mass, he had just spoken the words of consecration taught by Jesus to His apostles: “This is My Body”...”This is My Blood,” when he saw the appearance of the bread and wine change into that of flesh and blood.
Q2. How did the priest react?
A2. According to the record of the miracle that is kept in Lanciano, at first the priest was somewhat afraid and confused. However, soon his fear gave way to a spiritual joy that filled his soul, and, weeping with happiness he turned to the people present at the Mass and said to them:”O fortunate witnesses, to whom the Blessed God, to confound my unbelief, has wished to reveal himself in this most Blessed Sacrament and to render Himself visible to our eyes. Come brethren, and marvel at our God so close to us. Behold the Flesh and Blood of our Most Beloved Christ.” At these words the people rushed to the altar and marvelled at what they saw. The rest of the priests were informed of this amazing event and came to verify it.
Word of such a rare miracle spread quickly throughout the town and people came from all around to witness the miracle for themselves.
However, this was not the end of the story by any means!
Q3. So what happened next?
A3. Well, the flesh remained as it was, but the blood in the chalice hardened and divided into five nuggets, each one a different shape and size. The monks decided to weigh the pieces so they went to the Archbishop for a scales. Now something truly extraordinary happened...something outside of mathematical possibility.....one of the pieces of blood on its own, weighed exactly the same as all five when weighed together! Any two weighed as much as any three of them and the smallest one weighed exactly the same weight as the biggest. This could not be explained by human science.
Q4. Why did Jesus make this miracle happen?
A4. It appears that here God is confirming what His Catholic Church has always taught us to believe, that after the consecration of the bread and wine at Holy Mass, Jesus is really and truly present not only in the entire Host, but He is equally totally present in His Body and Blood in every small particle of it. Likewise, He is equally really and truly present in each small drop of His Precious Blood, even in a tiny drop that may accidently fall.
Q5. Is there anything else Jesus would like to teach us here?
A5. He wants us to understand when we receive Holy Communion, we must be very careful to consume the whole host and to make sure that not even the smallest fragment of His Precious Body and Blood are lost.
Q6. Can science offer any explanation for this miracle?
A6. Scientists have been baffled by all of this. However, the Church always seeks a full explanation of these supernatural events before giving her judgement on them, and in her quest for truth the Church requested a scientific analysis of the Sacred Host turned to flesh and the Precious Blood changing its appearance from wine to human blood.
Samples of the Flesh and Blood at Lanciano have been scientifically tested many times. The latest and most thorough analyses were carried out in 1971 by renowned professors at the Medical University at Siena. They analysed the samples and found that:
- 1. The flesh is real flesh and the blood is real blood
- 2. The flesh and blood are from a human being
- 3. The flesh is muscular tissue of the heart
- 4. The flesh and blood have the same blood type...AB
- 5. The blood group is the same as that of the man in the Holy Shroud of Turin and is characteristic of a man who was born and lived in the Middle East.A7. The answer to this question is ‘Yes’. In 1973, the Higher Council of the World Health Organisation appointed a scientific commission to verify the findings of the Italian Doctors’ conclusions. These were no less than 500 analyses over fifteen months, and the conclusion of all the researchers confirmed in their entirety the published report of the Italian Doctors – Dr. Eduardo Linoli and Dr. Ruggero Bertolli.What is truly extraordinary, and beyond human comprehension, is that after twelve centuries, the flesh and blood are still preserved and are free of any agents normally used to preserve flesh. The town was previously known as Anaxum, an ancient Roman City. The Monks of St. Basil founded a monastery there and named it after St. Longinus, the Roman Centurion who pierced the side of Christ with his spear to check that He was dead after He was crucified. Blood and water from Jesus’ side poured out. Longinus realised Jesus was who He claimed to be and said “surely this man was the Son of God.” (Matt.. 27:54).
Q7. Has there been further verification of the findings of these scientists in Siena?
A7. The answer to this question is ‘Yes’. In 1973, the Higher Council of the World Health Organisation appointed a scientific commission to verify the findings of the Italian Doctors’ conclusions. These were no less than 500 analyses over fifteen months, and the conclusion of all the researchers confirmed in their entirety the published report of the Italian Doctors – Dr. Eduardo Linoli and Dr. Ruggero Bertolli.
What is truly extraordinary, and beyond human comprehension, is that after twelve centuries, the flesh and blood are still preserved and are free of any agents normally used to preserve flesh.
***Lanciano has an interesting history in relation to its name.
The town was previously known as Anaxum, an ancient Roman City. The Monks of St. Basil founded a monastery there and named it after St. Longinus, the Roman Centurion who pierced the side of Christ with his spear to check that He was dead after He was crucified. Blood and water from Jesus’ side poured out. Longinus realised Jesus was who He claimed to be and said “surely this man was the Son of God.” (Matt.. 27:54).
Tradition has it that Longinus had very poor eyesight and when he rubbed his eyes with the hand that still had the blood of Jesus on it after he pierced Him, his eyesight was cured. Longinus was said to have been born in Anaxum, but the name of the town was changed to Lanciano, so named after the spear with which he pierced Jesus. The Italian word for spear is Lancia.