| LANCIANO Lanciano renamed from Anxanum in ancient times, means "The Lance". Tradition has it that the centurion Longinus, who thrust the Lance into the side of Jesus, striking Him in the Tip of His Heart from which He shed blood and water (based on the Gospel account of the Crucifixion (Mk 15:29)), was from Lanciano. After seeing the events, which followed the piercing of Jesus' heart, the darkening of the sun, and the earthquake, he believed that Christ was the Savior. A more physical sign however, was that Longinus had had poor eyesight, and after having touched his eyes with the water and blood from the side of Jesus, his eyesight was restored. What a perfect parallel the actions of the Centurion were to the Eucharistic Miracle. He touched the Heart of Jesus, was healed, and converted. He gave up the Army, went to Cappadocia, and was martyred for the faith. He is now known as Saint Longinus. His feast day is celebrated on March 15. Story of the Miracle - The Heart of Christ A Basilian monk, wise in the ways of the world, but not in the ways of faith, was having trouble with his belief in the real presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. He prayed constantly for relief from his doubts, and from the fear that he was losing his vocation. He suffered day after day as he went through the routine of his priesthood, as these doubts continued to gnaw at him. The situation in the world did not help him. There were many heresies cropping up all the time, which kept chipping away at his faith; some were within the church as well as from the outside. This monk couldn't help but become more and more convinced by the logic of these heresies, especially the one concerning his particular problem - the physical presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. One morning, during a very strong attack of doubt, he began the Consecration of the Mass. He used the same size host which is used in the Latin Rite masses today. What he beheld as he consecrated the bread and wine caused his hands to shake, indeed his whole body began to tremble. He stood for a long time with his back to the people, and finally turned to them slowly. He said, "O fortunate witnesses to whom the Blessed God, to confound my disbelief, has wished to reveal Himself in the 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." The host had turned into Flesh, and the wine, into Blood. The story doesn't end there. The Host-turned Flesh, and the wine-turned Blood, without the use of any form of preservative, is still present in the reliquary! Testing was first conducted in 1574 and repeated various times throughout the following centuries. The most recent test that we are aware of was 1970. Each time the conclusions are the same and are available for all to see in the adjoining museum to the Church of Saint Francis in Lanciano where the miracle is kept to this day. What are those results? The conclusions of these tests are as follows: � THE FLESH IS REAL FLESH. THE BLOOD IS REAL BLOOD. � The flesh consists of the muscular tissue of the heart (myocardium). It is believed that even the most skilled surgeon could not have prepared this section. � The flesh and blood belong to the human species. � The flesh and blood have the same blood type (ABpos) � In the blood, there were found proteins in the same normal proportions as are found in the sero-proteic make up of fresh, normal blood. � In the blood, there were also found these minerals: chlorides, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium. � The preservation of the flesh and of the blood, which were left in their natural state for twelve centuries (without any chemical preservatives) and exposed to the action of atmospheric and biological agents, remains an extraordinary phenomenon. Many Eucharistic Miracles have taken place throughout the world, with recent reports coming out of the Americas, as Our Lord reveals himself so that we may come to believe in His True Presence in this Blessed Sacrament. Yet Lanciano gives us something extraordinary, the living Heart of Our Savior! Let us contemplate on this great mystery! "He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food, and my blood real drink" (Jn 6:54-56). |
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