Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Welcome everyone to this Eucharist where Christ will speak to us and also feed us. There have been many Eucharistic miracles in the history of the Church and one of the best ones took place in Lanciano, Italy, an ancient Roman city. Monks were present in this place since the early centuries and they are under the protection of St. Longinus who is believed to be the Roman centurion who proclaimed Christ to be the Son of God at Calvary. He realized that this man was truly God and what he said is recorded in the gospels.
In the 700s there was a monk who had some doubts about the true presence of Christ in the Mass, especially after the words of the consecration, the same words that we say today. We do not know the name of this man, but he wondered if Christ was truly present.
This time when he pronounced the words of the consecration the host changed miraculously into flesh and the wine into blood. He was awestruck and started to weep and invited the congregation around the altar. And said, “Look at what the Lord did to help my unbelief and to reveal himself to our eyes. Behold the Flesh and Blood of our Christ.” The news spread very quickly throughout the area.
The bishop ordered an investigation and it was shown that the flesh & blood was human and it was kept in a special reliquary (where you would put relics). Over the centuries various religious orders took care of this church and this relic of Christ and tests done even centuries after the miracle found that there was no deterioration of the body or blood.
In 1970 Pope Paul VI had two scientific studies done independently by several medical doctors of anatomy. Both agreed that it was human flesh and blood. They also had new information: the flesh was from the wall of the heart and no preservatives were found. It was blood type AB and had the same minerals as human blood. Normally blood deteriorates very rapidly as you know if you get a cut. This blood was never sealed and remains fresh. The piece of the heart could only have come from a very skilled pathologist since it is inside the heart. And other studies show the blood type matches the Shroud of Turin.
So it is beautiful to recall what Jesus said many times that whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood worthily will have eternal life. It is good to remind the kids who receive Holy Communion of these words, and also to remind ourselves. It is a good reason not to delay the sacraments for the kids also. And it is a good incentive if there are couples here who need to marry in the Church.
Today we hear two things from the gospel (John 13: 31-33, 34-35) and the readings. First that God the Father is glorified in the suffering, death and resurrection of his Son. This obedience brings glory to the Father, who also will glorify the Son by raising him from the dead and bringing him to the right hand of the Father.
So the same is true for us. Worldly success doesn’t bring us glory, but when we die to ourselves to serve God and others we receive glory, and happiness. We are made for this. A friend of mine had an operation on her hip recently and she commented how well her husband took care of her by cooking and helping her and did so without complaint. She said that if she had to care for the husband she would have been complaining all the time.
Through the grace of God given in the Eucharist that hopefully you receive every week, or more often, you too will be able to die to yourselves and serve others. It doesn’t happen overnight but step by step, and only with the help of God and the community of the church.
The other point of the gospel is that Jesus gives us a new commandment. But why does he say it is new? Didn’t the Old Testament say the same? It is new because he says I command you to love, as I loved you. How did he love the apostles, and us? He washed their stinky feet and he gave his life on the cross. He loved them so much that he died for them, and for us.
Christ’s love is a model for us. Not something we can do on our own, but only with his help. And it is also a sign that the Church is really present here. Only this sign of Christian love, unconditional love, love unto death, shows someone who is far from God, that God really exists. This is what we see in the first reading also. To experience this kind of love, this Kingdom of God we have to endure many hardships.
Let us ask God to give us this grace when we receive him today, or when we pray during the mass, to help us love in this way.