The Guardian Angel: Eucharistic Miracle On Middleburg 1374 and More

In addition to the many Eucharistic Miracles over the years, There are special Eucharistic Communions that happened for the very devout and give us a glimpse of God's always present love. Share these happy events with those you love. To Jesus through Mary & Joseph, GregoryMary

This Eucharistic miracle goes back to 1374. In St. Peter's Church in Middleburg, during Holy Communion the consecrated Host changed into bleeding Flesh. A portion of the Host to this day is kept in Louvain by the Augustinian Fathers. The monk, Jean de Gheest, confessor of the Archbishop who approved the cult, asked for the Precious Relic as a gift. The other portion is in St. Peter's Church in Middleburg.

There exists much documentation on the Eucharistic miracle. In a monograph written in 1905 by historian Joseph Wils, professor of the Catholic University of Louvain, entitled Le Sacrement du Miracle de Louvain, are cited almost all the contemporary documents and testimonies.

In Middleburg lived a noble woman known by everybody for her great faith and devotion. The woman was also very attentive to the spiritual formation of her family and household staff. During the Lent of 1374, as she did every year in her house, she began to do penance in preparation for the coming of Easter. A few days before, a new manservant by the name of Jan was hired, who had not gone to confession for many years, in spite of the dissolute life he was living.

The woman invited all the household staff to go to Mass. Jan did not dare oppose this invitation so as not to disappoint her. He attended the whole Eucharistic celebration, and when it was time to receive Holy Communion, the man approached the altar with much superficiality. As soon as he received the Host on his tongue, the Sacrament changed into bleeding Flesh. At once Jan took the Particle from his mouth; Blood dripped from the Sacred Flesh onto the cloth covering the altar rail.

The priest realized at once what was happening, and with great emotion, carefully placed the miraculous Particle in a vessel inside the tabernacle. Jan repented and confessed his sin before everyone. From that day on, he led an exemplary life and nourished a great devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament to the end of his life. All the church and civil authorities of the city were informed of the miraculous event and after diligent investigation the Archbishop authorized the cult of this miraculous event.

Miraculous Communions

" ... tender indeed was the devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament of St. Wenceslas, Duke of Bohemia. This holy king was so enamored of Jesus there present that he not only gathered wheat and grapes and made the hosts and wine with his own hands and then gave them to be used in the Holy Sacrifice, but even during the winter he used to go at night to visit the church in which the Blessed Sacrament was kept. These visits enkindled in his beautiful soul such flames of Divine love that their ardor imparted itself even to his body and took from the snow on which he walked its wonted cold; for it is related that the servant who accompanied him in these nightly excursions, having to walk through the snow, suffered much from the cold. The holy King, on perceiving this, was moved to compassion and commanded him to follow him and only to step in his footmarks; he did so, and never afterwards felt the cold."

One day, Saint Lucia Filippini was making her way to Pitigliano near Grosseto, to supervise a school for craftsmen which she had founded. First, however, she stopped at the church of the Franciscan Fathers to attend Holy Mass. So great was Lucia’s desire to receive Jesus in the Eucharist that the Lord wished to reward her with a miracle. When the priest was breaking the large Host in half to place a small Fragment in the chalice, this very Part escaped his hand and flew into the air, radiating light, and came to rest on the tongue of the future saint. Today, the shrine where the miracle took place is under the care of the devout Filipini Sisters.

Blessed Emilia Bicchieri was the foundress of the Dominican Third Order Regular and always nurtured a great love for the Blessed Sacrament. One day while she was taking care of a fellow Sister who was very sick, she lost track of the time and so arrived at the end of the Holy Mass, thus missing Holy Communion. At that point, she began to express her regret to the Lord for not having been able to receive Him, and suddenly an angel miraculously appeared to her and gave her Holy Communion.

Saint Maria Francesca of the Five Wounds, in the last years of her life, was prevented from participating at Holy Mass because of a severe illness that left her bed-ridden. There were many episodes in which some of the priests, especially Father Bianchi, saw a particle of the consecrated large Host and a small amount of the consecrated wine disappear during their Mass; it was the saint’s Guardian Angel who brought her Communion.

Blessed Imelda Lambertini, from childhood, already showed a great love for the Eucharistic Jesus but the chaplain reminded her that she could only receive Communion when she turned 14. Nevertheless on May 12, 1333 (Ascension Vigil), she went to Mass and presented herself to receive Holy Communion. The priest ignored her completely but the Lord wished to grant the desire of little Imelda. A Host radiating light rose up in flight, and stopped in front of Imelda. After she received the Body of Christ, her pure white soul flew straight up to heaven. Blessed Imelda is Patroness of First Communions. aint Juliana Falconieri was always most devoted to the Holy Eucharist. In the last days of her life, a stomach ailment which had afflicted her for a long time, as it became more acute, prevented her from receiving Communion. Before her death in 1341, she asked that a consecrated Host be placed on her chest, and as she recited a prayer, the Host disappeared and left a violet mark, as if the mark had been branded there. She was beatified in 1678 and canonized in 1737.

In earlier times, eight years old was too young an age to receive the Eucharist, but St. Gerard Magella could not resign himself to the fact and would weep with such desolation that Heaven itself was moved to pity. One night, Saint Michael approached him, placed a white Host on his tongue like the one the priest had refused to give him, and vanished from sight. The following morning, happy and triumphant, Gerard admitted candidly: “The priest refused me Holy Communion, but last night St. Michael the Archangel brought Holy Communion to me."

Saint Bonaventure receiving Communion from the hand of an Angel, The Hieron Museum Saint Bernard exorcising a woman with the Blessed Sacrament, The Hieron Museum Saint Secondo, before dying, receiving Holy Communion brought by a Dove, The Hieron Museum One of the miraculous Communions of Saint Jerome Blessed James of Montieri (Giacomo da Montieri), lived for long periods of time being nourished only by the Eucharist. Jesus Himself gave him Holy Communion on various occasions. An early 16th-century painter depicted the miracle in a well-proportioned picture in which Jesus can be seen giving Holy Communion to Blessed James.