The Catholic Defender: Eucharistic Miracle of Morne-Rouge, Martinique, Carribean Is. 1902

In Honor of St. Martin of Tours

“For every Christian generation, the Eucharist is indispensable food that sustains us as we cross the desert of this world, dried by ideological and economic systems that do not promote life, but repress it. A world in which the logic of power and possession dominates, instead of the logic of service and love; a world in which the culture of violence and death often triumphs. Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts and asks to come in not just for one day, but forever.” — Pope Benedict XVI

The Holy Scriptures are replete with condemnations of the world, the flesh and especially the devil. As stated in Ephesisans 6:10-20, “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, …with the evil spirits in high places…” So our battle is against the devil and his fallen legions, creatures much more intelligent and powerful than we are. Can you and I face them? Alone, we don’t have a chance. But through Our Blessed Mother the head of the dragon is crushed, and we can know that there is an assured victory, which can allow us to be of good heart.

The beauty of the Solemnity of Mary is that it can destroy one of the leading elements of the devil, “pride” and by emulating her Holy chastity, we can undermine the ugliness and rottenness of sensuality. When we learn the teachings of Christ through HIS Catholic Church, we will see that we have through the Eucharist and Mary, the power to overcome the two root causes of evil in the world we live in, pride and sensuality.

Let us start with within our own state of life, and thus bring souls to our Creator. Let us with love pray the following prayer as we go into our Eucharistic Miracle.

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down with mercy upon your servant warriors, and upon us all who greatly hope and trust in you. By you it was that Jesus, our Saviour and hope, was given to the world; and he has given you to us that we may hope still more. Plead for us your children, whom you did receive and accept at the foot of the Cross, O sorrowful Mother. Intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the Chief Shepherd, the Vicar of your Son. Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works we may all deserve to see and praise God, together with you in our heavenly home. Amen

On May 8, 1902, La Montagne, the volcano at the peak of Mount Pelée suddenly erupted. A discharge of lava immediately reached the city of Saint-Pierre de la Martinique and completely destroyed it. Of the estimated 30,000 population, only two survivors were known. One witness, Victor Albert, watched in horror from his farm and told the French newspaper La Croix: “A flash more dazzling than a lightning happened … At the same time, a cloud that formed on the summit of Montagne [Mount] Pelée literally fell on Saint-Pierre with such rapidity that it was impossible for anyone to escape.”

That day, the eruption mysteriously spared the village of Morne-Rouge, located between Saint-Pierre and Mount Pelée. The prodigious event was accompanied by an apparition of Jesus and His Sacred Heart in the Host exposed for public Eucharistic adoration. There were many witnesses to that extraordinary phenomenon.

On May 8, 1902, Ascension Day, the Mount Pelée volcano started erupting lava and ashes. The inhabitants of Morne-Rouge, strongly devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, immediately hurried to their parish church to ask Our Lady of Deliverance to spare their village from catastrophe. At that moment of sudden danger, people rushed to the confessionals.

The parish priest, Fr. Mary, gave a general absolution to all the faithful, distributed Holy Communion, and then exposed the Blessed Sacrament for public adoration. At a certain point, a woman cried out, “The Sacred Heart of Jesus is in the Host !” A large number of people witnessed the apparition of Jesus in the Host, showing His Sacred Heart crowned with thorns.

Some declared they also saw the Precious Blood of Jesus dripping from His Sacred Heart. The vision lasted several hours and stopped only after the reposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle.

On May 8th, the village of Morne-Rouge was spared from the volcano’s devastating fury.

Therefore, the local population had a chance to reconcile themselves with God, receive the sacraments, and so be prepared to die in the state of grace. On August 30th of the same year, a violent eruption of the same volcano destroyed also the village of Morne-Rouge killing between 1,000 to 1,500 people.

Sometimes events such as these series of volcano eruptions and the flooding that took place in Missouri last year, in the midst of terrible hardship and agony, there will also be great signs of faith and miracles where God intervened in people of faith’s lives.

The greatest gift is to be ready to go when that day and hour does arrive.

Miracles of the Eucharist have always been an example of the Lord’s promise that He would always be with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). This is especially true in the Blessed Sacrament. From the beginning of the age of the Church, Jesus has given such miracles to help the faithful through tough times, through persecutions, droughts, hurricanes, floods, tidal waves, and so much more.

Acts 2:17 states, “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; yea, and on my menservants and my maidservants in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and manifest day. And it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Psalms 116:13 states, “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.” How great it is that Jesus is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity before His people so that His maidservants, menservants, young and old will be given dreams and visions to proclaim the Gospel.

At Mass, we do lift up the cup of salvation and offer it to all the faithful. In times of trouble, this is where we should go to call upon the name of the Lord.

I have called upon you, Oh Lord, for you will hear me, o Lord, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous loving kindness, O Lord, you save by Your right hand those who put their trust in You from those That rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings. Amen