Eucharistic Miracles

What is a Eucharistic Miracle?

A Eucharistic miracle is any miracle having to do with the Eucharist, and miracles verified by the church are given permission for private devotion. Private devotions, for those who don't know, are spiritual practices that the church doesn't require you to do, but you are allowed to. Some common examples are devotions such as the rosary, wearing a scapular, or doing a consecration to the Blessed Virgin. Eucharistic miracles are also considered private revelation, which is any revelation after the death of St. John the Apostle, which also marked the end of public revelation. Catholic Answers defines revelation as "... the communication of some truth by God to a rational creature through means which are beyond the ordinary course of nature. The truths revealed may be such as are otherwise inaccessible to the human mind—mysteries, which even when revealed, the intellect of man is incapable of fully penetrating. But Revelation is not restricted to these. God may see fit to employ supernatural means to affirm truths, the discovery of which is not per se beyond the powers of reason. The essence of Revelation lies in the fact that it is the direct speech of God to man. The mode of communication, however, may be mediate. Revelation does not cease to be such if God‘s message is delivered to us by a prophet, who alone is the recipient of the immediate communication." In other words, it is the communication of God with us, as he reveals truth, or affirms truth.

Now, what does this mean in the case of Eucharistic miracles? Simply put, Eucharistic miracles are God's interventions meant to reaffirm the truth that is the real presence of our lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, his whole body, blood, soul, and divinity. They are private revelation, and those approved by the Catholic Church are allowed for private devotion. You might be wondering how something is considered and approved to be a miracle. The Church for a long time now has a very thorough way of confirming miracles, and the process can take years, possibly even decades or centuries. Depending on the type of miracle, many blind tests are done using professionals in the relevant fields, who come from all sorts of different backgrounds and faiths. There is also a role in the Vatican which is meant to critique the supposed miracle in order to see if it can withstand criticism. The process is extremely rigorous and has only become more so as time has gone on. If you want to know more about the process, especially in relation to Eucharistic miracles, the book A Cardiologist Examines Jesus: The Stunning Science Behind Eucharistic Miracles comes highly recommended. So, in short, a Eucharistic miracle is a miracle that God uses to reaffirm the True Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. But what does this typically look like? 

Example of a Eucharistic Miracle

Of the 187 miracles that Bl. Carlos covered, my personal favorite happened in 1640 in Turin, Italy. When a French army ransacked the church of St. Maria del Monte, in which Capuchin Friars had given protection to the town's civilians, the soldiers not caring about the sanctity of the church, killed and raped the civilians, even as they held onto the altar rails and even the Capuchins themselves, for dear life. None of the Friars were harmed, and though distraught, the Friars endured even as the soldiers destroyed sacred vessels and vestments. That is, until one unbelieving French soldier tried to ransack the Tabernacle in order to desecrate the hosts, and once he managed to open the Tabernacle, a sudden burst of flame came out of the Ciborium and burned his face and clothes! As he screamed and rolled on the ground begging God for forgiveness, the church filled with thick smoke and all the sacrilegious acts stopped at once. The soldier survived, albeit burned, and the imprint of his scorched hand can still be seen to this day on the door to the Tabernacle.

Saints & the Eucharist

Bl. Carlo also has a section in his exhibit called "Saints, Mystics, and the Eucharist" in which he talked about some saints and their experiences with the Eucharist. For example, in one retelling of a story, he writes about St. Thomas Aquinas. While in Paris, St. Thomas Aquinas was asked to help settle a dispute among Parisian theologians about the Eucharist. After much prayer and writing, Aquinas put the writings down in front of the crucifix/altar in a church, asking God to give him a sign whether the writings were correct or not in relation to the truth about the Eucharist. After an extremely humble prayer, with several witnesses around, Jesus appeared to him and told him the the writings were well written and accurate to the truth of the mystery of the true presence.

Bl. Carlo also has a section talking about Marian apparitions in which the Eucharist is mentioned, one being the story of the Fatima apparition, where the angel gave the three children communion, where the host bled into the chalice. One of the children was old enough and had done her first communion, but the other two hadn't, so the angel gave them the contents of the chalice. All the while saying the words "Eat and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ terribly outraged by the ingratitude of men. Offer reparation for their sakes and console God.".

The final section is about miraculous communions. A great example would be the story of St. Teresa of Avila (who was a mystic), who experienced visions of heaven often during mass, especially during communion.

Resources to Learn More

I would totally recommend and encourage reading through at least some of Bl. Carlo Acutis's work on Eucharistic Miracles, and hopefully that further curiosity. If it does spark something in you, here are some great books I'd recommend on the subject: Eucharistic Miracles by Joan Carroll Cruz, & A Cardiologist Examines Jesus by Dr. Franco Serafini. Just remember that Catholics are not required to believe in these miracles, that they are private revelations and are for private devotion, that is not to say that God can't perform these miracles, but rather that our faith isn't based upon these miracles, but rather by the words and gospel given to us by our lord Jesus Christ.