The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist

by Dr. Anne Borik

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not have life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” John 6: 54

The “Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist” is how Catholics and Orthodox express our belief that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist, not merely a symbol used metaphorically.

The process where the bread becomes the Body of Christ, and the wine becomes the Blood of Christ is called transubstantiation. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that this miracle takes place.

It is important to understand that the Eucharist is not only a meal to nourish us but also a sacrifice. During the Divine Liturgy, we take part and actually enter into the Sacrifice of Christ through the action of the priest and the power of the Holy Spirit. As we recall, the Lord Jesus, on the night before he suffered on the Cross shared one last meal with His disciples. During this meal, Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist (thanksgiving) and entrusted the perpetuation of His Sacrifice so that we can take part in it at every Divine Liturgy!

Now, Jesus knew very well that people like you and me would question His Real Presence in the Eucharist from time to time and therefore throughout the ages He has given us certain Eucharistic Miracles to help us grow in our faith in Him, the Risen Lord! I would like to focus on three Eucharist Miracles, which I have personally witnessed on various pilgrimages.

Eucharistic Miracle in Lanciano, Italy, in 8th Century

This miracle took place in response to a monk’s doubt about Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist. During Mass, the host was changed into living Flesh and the wine changed into human Blood. The Flesh consists of heart muscle from the left ventricle and part of the Vagus nerve and has human blood type of AB. It is still preserved today and remains an extraordinary phenomenon.

Eucharistic Miracle in O’Cebreiro, Spain, in 12th Century

This miracle took place in response to a priest with little faith who did not believe in the Real Presence in the Eucharist. On a very cold snowy Christmas Eve, the priest hoped that no one would come for Mass, but one poor farmer did. The priest despised the farmer’s faith and thought ill of him for coming to Mass in the cold harsh weather. During the consecration, the host turned into Flesh and the wine into Blood. Scientific studies show that the flesh is human heart muscle from a beaten left ventricle and the blood is human blood type AB. To this day, the Flesh and Blood can be viewed in the Church in O’Cebreiro, Spain.

Eucharistic Miracle in Santarém, Portugal, in 13th Century

This miracle centers on a woman with an unfaithful husband. She was desperate to save her marriage and consulted a sorceress who said she can cure her husband for the price of a consecrated Eucharistic host. The woman took the host from her mouth and wrapped it in a veil to take out. After a few steps out the door, the host began to bleed profusely. She took it home and threw it in a trunk. That night, a bright light emanating from the trunk woke her and her husband and she confessed and took the bleeding host back to the priest. She was reconciled to her husband and the bloody Flesh was found to be of human AB blood type. It was identified as traumatized left ventricular heart muscle.

There are many, many more Eucharistic Miracles documented and shown to be of human blood type AB and consistent with human heart tissue. The most recent one was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the 20th Century (1996). It is remarkable that the scientific evidence is consistent and identical throughout the ages. In fact, DNA tests are confirming this along with fibers from the Shroud of Turin to demonstrate that it is of human blood type AB, the universal donor.

In conclusion, as Catholic and Orthodox Christians, we believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist without the need of scientific evidence.  Let us all go deeper in our spirituality as we receive Christ in the Eucharist and spend more quality time with Him in Eucharistic Adoration.