One day, a man who doubted the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist told St. Anthony of Padua that he would believe that Christ was truly present in the Eucharist only if his mule bowed down before the Blessed Sacrament.
They agreed that the test should take place in three days.
The man deliberately starved his mule for the next three days. When the appointed time arrived, St. Anthony stood to one side with the consecrated Host in his hands, while the man stood on the other side holding fodder for the hungry mule. Everyone expected the animal to run toward the food. But, according to the traditional account, the mule, ignoring its extreme hunger, went toward the Eucharist and knelt down in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.
Whether we hear this story as a historical tradition or as a devotional account, its message is powerful: sometimes even a simple animal can teach human beings something about reverence. We can become so familiar with sacred things that we forget how sacred they are. We can come into church, genuflect, sit down, attend Mass, receive Holy Communion, and go home—and yet never stop to ask ourselves: “Whom have I just received?”
One of the major things that distinguishes the Catholic Church from most other Christian denominations is the belief that the bread and wine, once consecrated by the priest at Mass, become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
The Eucharist, also called the Blessed Sacrament, is the sacrament by which we partake of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and participate in His one sacrifice. The Eucharist is both sacrifice and sacrament. As Holy Communion, we receive Christ Himself under the appearances of bread and wine. As the Eucharistic Sacrifice, the Church participates sacramentally in the one sacrifice of Christ offered for our salvation. As St. Paul reminds us, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17).
Paragraph 1374 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church outlines the Catholic belief in the Real Presence. The Church teaches that Christ is present in the Eucharist “truly, really, and substantially.” Throughout the centuries, there have also been accounts of Eucharistic miracles. Some have been investigated by Church authorities and presented as extraordinary signs pointing believers toward the Real Presence. Such miracles are not a substitute for faith, nor are they necessary for us to believe what Christ has revealed. Our faith rests first of all on the words of Jesus Himself: “This is my body” and “This is my blood” (Matthew 26:26–28).
A particularly inspiring modern witness to Eucharistic faith is St. Carlo Acutis, who developed a website documenting Eucharistic miracles from around the world.
Carlo Acutis was born in London in 1991, but his parents moved to Milan not long after his birth. From an early age, he recited the Rosary frequently and received his First Communion at the age of seven. He developed a deep devotion to the Eucharist and often spent time in front of the tabernacle. He also defended children who were bullied and showed concern for people who were marginalized or disabled. He became seriously ill with leukemia at a young age. Although he had hoped that his parents would take him on pilgrimages to the sites associated with Eucharistic miracles around the world, his failing health prevented him from making such a journey.
Carlo had a passion for computers, programming, the internet, and website creation. He belonged to a generation that grew up surrounded by technology, yet he understood that technology itself could never satisfy the deepest hunger of the human heart.
His most significant computer project was the cataloguing of Eucharistic miracles from around the world. He began working on the project when he was about eleven years old and spent years researching and organizing the material. He wrote words that became closely associated with his Eucharistic spirituality: “The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of Heaven.”
What a beautiful thought! We become like the one whom we receive. If we receive Christ, we should gradually begin to think like Christ, forgive like Christ, love like Christ, serve like Christ, and even suffer with the patience of Christ.
Carlo researched numerous Eucharistic miracles that had been reported over the centuries in different countries around the world and collected them into a virtual exhibition. His purpose was not merely to make an interesting website. He wanted people, especially young people, to discover the beauty of the Eucharist.
Carlo understood something that many adults sometimes forget: the Eucharist is not boring; we become bored when we lose our sense of wonder. A person can spend hours scrolling through a phone and never say, “I am bored.” But five minutes of Eucharistic adoration can sometimes feel long. Why? Perhaps because the phone is constantly entertaining our eyes, while Jesus is quietly speaking to our heart.
One of the traditional stories associated with Eucharistic devotion is the account of the miracle connected with Assisi and St. Clare.
The famous incident, traditionally known as the Miracle of the Eucharist of Assisi, is associated with San Damiano and the time of St. Clare. According to the tradition, the danger arose during a period when forces hostile to Assisi threatened the convent.
The convent of San Damiano stood between the attacking forces and the city of Assisi. The fact that a group of religious sisters lived in the convent made them particularly vulnerable. Clare was sick in bed at this time.
According to the tradition, she went to the little chapel and took the Blessed Sacrament. She held the Eucharist in her hands, pressed her head against it, and prayed to the Lord. She then went to the large open window facing the courtyard below.
She spoke to the Lord and prayed, “Protect, Lord, these your servants, that I now, by myself, cannot protect.”
According to the tradition, she heard a very sweet voice, like that of a young child, answer her: “I will take care of you always.”
Strengthened by these words, she took the monstrance and held it high in the air. According to the traditional account, the advancing soldiers stopped, became frightened, and withdrew from the convent, leaving Clare and her sisters in peace.
The next day, the people of Assisi were relieved and astonished that the convent and the city had been spared. The story has remained a powerful illustration of Clare's profound trust in Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament.
The message for us is simple: when we are facing something greater than our strength, we should not immediately say, “I cannot handle this.” We should first say, “Lord, I cannot handle this without You.”
At the Last Supper, Jesus established the Sacrament of the Eucharist and gave Himself sacramentally to His disciples. He commanded them to continue this celebration in His memory. St. Paul later recalls the words of Jesus: “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24–25).
Food gives us physical energy and sustains our bodily life. The spiritual food Jesus offers gives us strength for our spiritual life. Holy Communion preserves and increases the supernatural life of the soul. In the Holy Eucharist, Christ becomes present among us in His Real Presence. The Eucharistic celebration makes sacramentally present the one sacrifice of Calvary on our altars, and Holy Communion nourishes our souls with the life of Christ.
Think about what happens when we do not eat. At first we become hungry. Then weak. Then irritable. Some people become so hungry that even their closest friends begin to look like lunch! Physical hunger reminds us that the body needs food. Spiritual dryness should remind us that the soul also needs nourishment.
The Eucharist is not only a sacrifice, but a sacrament as well. As a sacrifice, it relates in the first instance to God; as a sacrament, it is given to us for our sanctification. Through the Blessed Sacrament, God gives us grace and strengthens us in the Christian life.
By the imparting of divine grace, God makes it possible for us to share in His life. The life of God calls for appropriate spiritual food. The Bread of Angels has become, through the mystery of the Eucharist and transubstantiation, the food of humanity. This Bread, the gift of our Savior's love and power, nourishes those who receive Him worthily and disposes them to live more deeply in God's grace.
The first and principal effect of the Eucharist is a deeper union with Christ. Jesus Himself says, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them” (John 6:56).
Of all the gifts that God has given His Church, the Blessed Sacrament is among the greatest, because it is nothing less than Jesus Christ Himself—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—truly present under the appearances of bread and wine. In the Eucharistic Host, our Divine Savior dwells among His people. He is truly Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
When Jesus commenced His public ministry, crowds approached Him for various reasons: to be with Him, to experience His presence, to be fed by Him, to be cured by Him, and to be forgiven by Him. Today Jesus is with us in the Blessed Sacrament, and He invites us to come to Him.
Firstly, people approached Jesus to enjoy His presence.
Throughout the Bible we see that humanity longs for the presence of the Lord. After Adam and Eve sinned, humanity experienced separation from God. Yet God continually reached out to His people and promised them His presence.
God promised Moses that He would be with him. Exodus 33:14 says, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
God was assuring Moses that He would accompany Israel. The presence of God meant that Moses did not have to walk alone. God's presence gave him courage, direction, and rest.
This is why Moses could continue even when the journey was difficult. It is one thing to know that someone has given you a map; it is another thing to know that the person who knows the road is walking beside you.
The Lord's presence is the difference.
It was written of Moses, “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11).
What a beautiful description! God was not merely an idea to Moses. God was a living reality.
Again, God asserted His promise to Jacob: “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:15).
Jacob was leaving home. He did not know everything that would happen in the future. Yet God promised, “I am with you.”
The same promise runs throughout Scripture.
The Lord told Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5). Before Joshua faced Jericho and the enormous responsibilities of leadership, God did not promise him an easy life. God promised him His presence.
The psalmist also knew that God's presence provided fullness of joy: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).
Psalm 23:4 gives us another powerful assurance: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.”
Notice what the Psalm does not say. It does not say, “I will never walk through the valley.” It says, “Even though I walk through the valley... you are with me.”
The Christian faith does not promise that we will never have valleys. It promises that we will not walk through them alone.
The Israelites experienced the presence of God in the Ark of the Covenant. In Exodus we read about the making of the Ark. Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was two and a half cubits, its width one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half cubits. He overlaid it with pure gold inside and out and made a gold molding around it.
He cast four rings of gold for its four feet and made poles of acacia wood overlaid with gold so that the Ark could be carried. He made a mercy seat of pure gold and two cherubim of gold, one at each end. Their wings were spread upward, covering the mercy seat, and their faces were turned toward it (Exodus 25:10–22; 37:1–9).
God told Moses to place the gold jar containing manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant into the Ark (Exodus 16:33–34; Hebrews 9:4; Numbers 17:10).
The Ark became a visible sign of God's covenant and presence among Israel.
When Israel crossed the Jordan River, the priests carrying the Ark went before the people, and the waters of the Jordan stopped flowing so that the people could cross on dry ground (Joshua 3:14–17).
The Ark also accompanied Israel in important moments of battle and worship. When the Ark was captured by the Philistines, the Philistines suffered serious afflictions and eventually returned it (1 Samuel 5–6). The Ark was later placed in the Temple's Holy of Holies (1 Kings 8:6–9).
These stories teach us that God's people have always treasured signs of His presence.
In the New Testament, Jesus Himself is Emmanuel, “God with us.” After His Ascension, Christ remains present to His Church in many ways, especially in the Eucharist. Our churches and tabernacles therefore become places where Catholics come to adore Christ truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.
Revelation 21:3 gives us the final fulfillment of this promise: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them.’”
At the Last Supper, after taking the bread and breaking it, Jesus said, “Take, eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26).
Jesus did not simply say, “This represents my body.” He gave His disciples a profound mystery of faith: “This is my body.”
Afterwards Jesus said, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27–28).
When Jesus spoke of His Blood, He was speaking about the New Covenant. His death on the Cross would establish the New Covenant in His Blood. His sacrifice would bring forgiveness and reconciliation with God.
Through Baptism we are made new in Christ, and through the sacramental life of the Church we are continually strengthened to live in that new life. The Eucharist nourishes the Christian life and deepens our communion with Christ.
In His teaching Jesus declared, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever” (John 6:51).
These words were so astonishing that many of Jesus' disciples struggled to accept them. Yet Jesus did not reduce the teaching to something merely symbolic. He continued to speak about eating His flesh and drinking His blood (John 6:52–58). The Eucharistic mystery therefore calls for faith.
St. John Paul II repeatedly encouraged Catholics to deepen their Eucharistic devotion. He described Jesus as waiting for us in the Eucharist and urged the faithful to spend time with Him.
He again emphasized the importance of Eucharistic adoration and encouraged Christians to be generous with their time in the presence of Jesus.
Imagine a mother telling her child, “I am always available when you need me,” and the child never visiting her. The words are true, but the relationship needs time.
The same is true of our relationship with Jesus. If we say that Jesus is the most important person in our life, but we never make time to be with Him, our actions do not always match our words.
Secondly, people approached Jesus to be fed by Him.
The concept of God feeding His children is found throughout Sacred Scripture.
When the Israelites were journeying toward the Promised Land and became hungry, God fed them with manna from heaven (Exodus 16:4–15). God provided food for Elijah through ravens (1 Kings 17:2–6), and later sent Elijah to the widow of Zarephath, where God miraculously provided flour and oil (1 Kings 17:8–16).
When Jesus saw hungry people, He fed them with bread and fish. Finally, Jesus went even further: He offered Himself as the spiritual food of His people.
In the New Testament we read two great accounts of Jesus feeding large crowds. Once He fed five thousand men, besides women and children; later He fed four thousand men, besides women and children.
When Jesus heard what had happened to John the Baptist, He withdrew by boat privately to a deserted place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When He landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion for them and healed their sick.
As evening approached, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus replied, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”
They answered, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”
Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.”
He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were filled, and the disciples took up what was left over—twelve baskets full. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children (Matthew 14:13–21).
Notice something important: Jesus could have produced bread from nothing. He is God. Yet He asked the disciples, “What do you have?”
They answered, “Five loaves and two fish.”
It was not enough for five thousand people.
But it was enough for Jesus to begin a miracle.
That is often how God works in our lives. We say, “Lord, I don't have enough.” God says, “Give Me what you have.”
A little faith. A little time. A little money. A little kindness. A little patience. A little courage.
Place it in the hands of Jesus, and He can do more with it than we can imagine.
The widow of Zarephath had only a handful of flour and a little oil, but when she trusted God, the jar of flour did not become empty and the jug of oil did not fail (1 Kings 17:14–16).
The boy with five loaves and two fish probably never imagined that his small lunch would become part of one of the greatest miracles in the Gospel. He simply gave what he had.
Sometimes we are waiting to do something great for God while God is asking us to give Him the small thing already in our hands.
On another occasion, Jesus fed four thousand people.
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and laid them at His feet; and He healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.
Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves and the fish, and when He had given thanks, He broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn gave them to the people.
They all ate and were satisfied. Afterwards the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children (Matthew 15:29–39).
Again, Jesus begins with what is available.
The disciples saw scarcity. Jesus saw possibility.
The disciples saw seven loaves. Jesus saw thousands of hungry people who could be fed.
We often make the same mistake. We look at our problems and say, “There is not enough.” Jesus asks, “What do you have?”
Perhaps you say, “I have only a little time.”
Give it to God.
“I have only a little money.”
Give what you can generously and wisely.
“I have only a little education.”
Use it in God's service.
“I have only a little influence.”
Use it to encourage somebody.
“I have only a little faith.”
Bring even that little faith to Jesus.
Jesus instituted the Blessed Sacrament at the Last Supper. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus ate His last supper with His disciples. Knowing what He would accomplish through His sacrifice, He instituted Holy Communion (Luke 22:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–25).
And when the hour came, He sat at table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
And He took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
And likewise, the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:14–20).
Here Jesus connects the Eucharist with His Passion, His sacrifice, and the New Covenant.
The Eucharist therefore is not merely a religious ceremony. It is a participation in the mystery of Christ's saving death and resurrection.
The Eucharist nourishes the life received in Baptism. The Christian who receives Holy Communion worthily is strengthened in union with Christ and in charity toward others.
Jesus makes a promise so astonishing that it takes all our faith to accept it:
“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them” (John 6:56).
And again, Jesus says:
“As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me” (John 6:57).
This imposes a serious obligation on us Christians: to receive the Holy Eucharist worthily and to allow the Eucharist to transform the way we live.
If there is disunity, we must seek reconciliation. If our hearts are filled with hatred or malice, we must ask Christ to change us. If we have seriously sinned, we should seek reconciliation with God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving Holy Communion.
St. Paul gives us a solemn warning: “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:27–28).
The Eucharist is the living Bread of eternal life. Therefore, we should approach it with faith, reverence, repentance, gratitude, and love.
St. Justin Martyr taught that participation in the Eucharist belonged to those who lived according to the teaching of Christ. St. Augustine likewise repeatedly emphasized the need for conversion of heart before receiving the sacrament.
The most pleasing gift that we can give to Jesus is a heart that sincerely desires Him.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote: “Our Lord does not come down from Heaven every day to lie in a golden ciborium. He comes to find another heaven which is infinitely dearer to Him—the heaven of our souls.”
That is a beautiful challenge. We polish the chalice; we decorate the altar; we prepare the church; we arrange the flowers. But what about the heart that receives Jesus?
A golden ciborium is beautiful, but Jesus desires a beautiful soul even more.
There is a humorous story about a four-year-old who was in church when the wine and Communion were being distributed. He was very interested and started to get up. His mother leaned over and told him that he was not old enough to receive Communion. He was very disappointed.
Later, when the collection plate came around, he ignored it. His mother leaned over again and tried to coax the coin out of him. He steadfastly refused and said, “If I can't eat, I'm not paying!”
Children have a wonderful way of seeing things simply.
Receiving the Eucharist is one of the most important things we can do as Catholics. The Eucharist is the sacrament that completes Christian initiation together with Baptism and Confirmation, and it is the sacrament in which Christ is received sacramentally under the appearances of bread and wine.
The bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus through transubstantiation. We participate in the Eucharist to commemorate and, more precisely, sacramentally make present the saving mystery of Christ's Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
The Lord gave us the Eucharist on Holy Thursday at the Last Supper. After washing the feet of His disciples, He took bread and gave it to them, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then He took the cup and said, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26–28; see also 1 Corinthians 11:23–25).
The Eucharist is the sacrament in which we receive Jesus Himself in a unique and substantial sacramental manner.
Therefore, we must receive Holy Communion worthily, in the state of sanctifying grace, with proper faith and reverence. St. Paul tells us to examine ourselves before eating the bread and drinking the cup (1 Corinthians 11:28).
Physical food cannot nourish a dead body, and serious sin prevents us from receiving the Eucharist fruitfully. The Eucharist is not a reward for people who think they are perfect; it is nourishment for those who humbly seek Christ and are properly disposed to receive Him.
There is another little story about a young girl named Kelli who went with a neighbor girl to church for First Communion practice. The pastor had the children cup their hands, and when he gave them the Host—in this case, a piece of bread—he said, “God be with you.”
Apparently, this made quite an impression on Kelli.
She came home and told her mother to cup her hands and bend down. Kelli took a piece of bread from her sandwich, placed it in her mother's hands, and whispered in her most angelic voice, “God will get you.”
It is a funny story, but there is something beautiful hidden inside it. The little girl understood that something connected with Communion meant the presence of God.
In his Easter sermon, St. Augustine exhorted Christians to understand the transformation that takes place through worthy reception of the Eucharist. The Eucharist unites us more deeply to Christ and therefore also unites us to one another as members of His Body.
Through receiving Christ, we become one body in Him, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Through receiving the Eucharist, we enter into a unique and personal relationship with the Trinity and with one another, the Body of Christ.
This is why Jesus came to us in the Incarnation: to raise humanity to God. Today Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist to draw us more deeply into His life.
When we receive Him, let us do so with reverence and love, remembering that it is God who comes to dwell within us.
Then, with St. Paul, we can say, “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
Thirdly, people approached Jesus to be healed.
There are many references to Jesus, healing people throughout the Gospels.
When evening came, people brought to Him many who were possessed by demons; and He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick (Matthew 8:16).
Though Jesus sometimes tried to withdraw from the crowds, many followed Him, and He healed them all (Matthew 12:15).
While the sun was setting, all those who had people sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on each one of them and healed them (Luke 4:40).
Jesus went through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness (Matthew 9:35).
Wherever Jesus entered villages, cities, or the countryside, people laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch even the fringe of His cloak; and all who touched it were healed (Mark 6:56).
Think of the people who came to Jesus.
The blind came.
The lame came.
The lepers came.
The suffering came.
Parents brought their children.
Friends carried their sick companions.
A synagogue official named Jairus came desperately asking Jesus to heal his daughter (Mark 5:21–43).
Four friends carried a paralyzed man to Jesus and, when they could not enter through the door because of the crowd, they opened the roof and lowered their friend down before Jesus (Mark 2:1–12).
Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:46–52).
The woman who had suffered from hemorrhages for twelve years believed that if she could only touch Jesus' cloak, she would be healed (Mark 5:25–34).
These people teach us something important: do not be ashamed to bring your suffering to Jesus.
We do not have to travel far to find Jesus. He is as close as the nearest parish church and tabernacle. He waits there for us. He can heal us according to His will—not always by removing our physical suffering, but by giving us strength, peace, forgiveness, courage, and grace.
Sometimes the greatest miracle is not that the sickness disappears, but that the person discovers Christ in the middle of the sickness.
St. Paul prayed three times that his “thorn in the flesh” might be removed. God did not remove it, but answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
That is also healing.
Healing can mean restored health.
Healing can mean peace after years of anger.
Healing can mean forgiveness after a broken relationship.
Healing can mean freedom from fear.
Healing can mean the courage to carry a cross with Jesus.
There are also many accounts of Eucharistic miracles associated with healing. One well-known traditional example is connected with Lourdes, where countless pilgrims have prayed for healing. The Church has established a careful medical process for investigating extraordinary cures associated with Lourdes, and only a small number have been officially recognized as miraculous.
Such accounts should encourage faith, but they should never make us think that God is obliged to heal every physical illness immediately. Jesus Himself sometimes healed instantly, while at other times He allowed suffering to remain. The Christian always approaches Him with confidence and humility: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean” (Matthew 8:2).
Fourthly, people came to Jesus to be forgiven.
The Bible gives many accounts of Jesus forgiving people.
One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him, and Jesus went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. A woman of the city, who was known as a sinner, learned that Jesus was eating in the Pharisee's house. She brought an alabaster jar of ointment and, standing behind Him at His feet, wept. She began to wet His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
The Pharisee judged her.
Jesus looked at her differently.
Jesus told a parable about two debtors and then said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:36–50).
What a beautiful scene!
The woman came carrying her past, but she left carrying forgiveness.
She entered the house as a sinner in the eyes of everyone around her; she left knowing that she was loved and forgiven by Jesus.
This is the difference between condemnation and conversion. The world often says, “You are your past.” Jesus says, “Your past is not greater than My mercy.”
Jesus also forgave the paralyzed man.
Some people brought a paralyzed man to Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the man, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5).
The religious leaders questioned His authority to forgive sins. Jesus then healed the man physically as a visible sign of His authority to forgive sins, commanding him, “Stand up, take your mat and go to your home.”
He got up, immediately took his mat, and went out in full view of them all. Everyone was amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mark 2:1–12).
Notice the order.
The man's greatest problem was not merely his paralysis. Jesus went deeper—to the soul.
Sometimes we ask Jesus to fix our circumstances when He first wants to transform our hearts.
Jesus forgives the woman caught in adultery.
Early in the morning Jesus came again to the Temple; all the people came to Him, and He sat down and taught them. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and placed her in the midst.
They said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. What do you say?”
They said this to test Him, so that they might have some charge to bring against Him.
Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground.
As they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Once again He bent down and wrote on the ground.
When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders. Jesus was left alone with the woman.
Jesus looked up and said, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
She said, “No one, sir.”
And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again” (John 8:1–11).
Look at the balance in Jesus' words.
He did not say, “Your sin does not matter.”
He did not say, “Continue doing what you are doing.”
He said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
Mercy does not approve of sin. Mercy gives us the strength to leave sin behind.
Finally, we find Jesus forgiving even those who crucified Him and forgiving the repentant thief on the cross.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
And to the repentant thief He said, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
Think about the extraordinary mercy of Jesus.
The people who nailed His hands to the Cross heard Him pray for their forgiveness.
The thief who had nothing left to offer except repentance heard the promise of Paradise.
That is the mercy of God.
Jesus waits patiently for us in tabernacles and before the Blessed Sacrament around the world.
He waits for us to repent when we stray.
He waits for our words of allegiance and affection.
He waits to hear about our joys and sorrows.
He waits for us to bring our fears, failures, hopes, families, wounds, and deepest desires before Him.
He does not need our visit because He is lonely. He wants our visit because we need Him.
Let us visit Him and listen for the consoling words He speaks to our hearts.
Listen to the words of St. John Paul II, who repeatedly encouraged Eucharistic devotion and urged Christians to deepen their relationship with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
He taught that time spent with Jesus in the Eucharist nourishes spiritual growth and encouraged the Church to preserve and advance Eucharistic life and Eucharistic piety.
Every moment that we spend in His Eucharistic Presence can become an opportunity to increase our love for Him and deepen our personal relationship and friendship with Him.
Jesus said:
“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
And He said:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
The branch cannot live without the vine.
A branch can look beautiful for a short time after it has been cut, but eventually it dries up.
The same thing can happen spiritually. We can look fine on the outside for a while, but if we are separated from Christ, our spiritual life slowly withers.
That is why Jesus says, “Abide in me.”
Each hour that you spend with Jesus can deepen His peace in your heart.
He invites each one of us:
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
St. Peter tells us:
“Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
And Jesus says:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives” (John 14:27).
The world gives us entertainment, possessions, achievements, and temporary pleasures. Jesus gives something deeper: His peace.
So when you are troubled, come to Jesus.
When you are happy, come to Jesus.
When you are confused, come to Jesus.
When you are afraid, come to Jesus.
When you are grateful, come to Jesus.
When you do not know what to say, simply sit before Him.
Sometimes prayer does not require many words.
A husband can sit beside his wife without speaking and still know that they are together.
A child can sit beside his mother without saying anything and still feel safe.
Likewise, we can sit before Jesus in Eucharistic adoration without a long speech. We can simply say, “Jesus, I am here.”
And Jesus says, “I am here.”
The tabernacle may look small, but it contains a mystery greater than the universe.
The God who walked with Moses, who accompanied Jacob, who fed Israel with manna, who strengthened Elijah, who healed the sick, who forgave sinners, who multiplied the loaves, who died on Calvary and rose from the dead—that same Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist.
We carry the fruits of the Eucharist into our homes, our families, our workplaces, our communities, and our relationships.
The greatest proof that we have truly encountered Jesus in the Eucharist is not merely that we can speak beautifully about the Eucharist.
The proof is that we become more like Jesus.
More patient.
More forgiving.
More compassionate.
More generous.
More humble.
Then the words of St. Paul become our prayer:
“It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
And, having received Him, go out into the world and allow Christ who lives in you to become visible to everyone you meet.
-Satish Selvarance