ON August 14, 1730, thieves broke into St. Francis Church, Siena, Italy. They stole 350 Hosts from the Tabernacle. For 3 days the people prayed for their return.
A man was praying in St Mary’s Church, which was close by, and he noticed a round white object partially inserted into a box which was used for donations for the poor. The 350 Hosts were found in the box. Some were soiled by cobwebs, but all were there.
The Hosts were returned to St. Francis Church. As time went on, people came to pray in front of the Hosts. One of the Hosts would be consumed every now and again.
Fifty years later, they were still fresh. Unleavened bread, which the Hosts were made of, would decay in about 5 years under normal conditions. Several tests have been made on these Hosts, and they are as fresh today as they were 285 years ago.
In 1980, Pope St. John Paul II went to venerate these Miraculous Hosts.
This miracle shows us:
Jesus keeps His promises that He would give us His Flesh to eat and His Blood to drink (John 6:48-59).
At every Mass, for the last 2,000 years, when the priest says the words of consecration (this is My Body and this is My Blood) the bread and wine are changed into the Body, Blood, Soul, Divinity of Jesus Christ. All Christians believed this miracle happens at Mass for the first 1,500 years until the Protestant Reformation.
The red blood cells in fresh blood break down over time (24 to 48 hours) without refrigeration.
Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration Association 718 Liberty Lane Lombard, IL 60148 Phone: 815-254-4420 Contact Us Internet: www.therealpresence.org
or Carol J. Seydel The Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration Association Phone: 815-609-7331 - [email protected] - http://www.therealpresence.org