Every Mass is a very special moment of UNITY, of COMMUNION for our parishioners, it is an ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST! That encounter can transform us and feed us for the rest of the week. We listen to Jesus through the Gospel. The altar represents Jesus Himself (the Sacrifice). The priest represents the person of Jesus when celebrating the Mass. Jesus HIMSELF comes at every Mass: through the Holy Spirit and the words of Consecration, JESUS comes and humbles himself in the EUCHARIST, Body, Soul and Divinity. The Assembly together represents the BODY OF CHRIST, in which we are all called to partake in the HOLY COMMUNION. Jesus becomes part of us! WE BECOME ONE IN THE EUCHARIST!
Another fruit so far has been the interest many of you have shown in past Eucharistic Miracles. Some of you have referred to the excellent presentation of one our former seminarians at OLHOC (Joseph Salser) on some of the most famous Eucharistic miracles that have occurred in the last 2,000 years. Certainly, we could organize a similar presentation focusing on the resemblances and differences with what happened in our parish and was discovered last Friday, April 23rd, the very day 34 of our Youth received fully the HOLY SPIRIT through their CONFIRMATION at OLHOC.
I received more written comments on the Eucharistic miracle in the last few days. Through social media, a large number of people (including beyond Waldorf) have become aware that something special has happened in our parish. Comments were received from as far as Oklahoma and California. As more information will be shared in the coming weeks, our little miracle will impact more and more people.
Please keep writing to us. I will quote here a very insightful, recent comment from one of our own parishioners, "Upon viewing the picture of the host (my hear leapt!), and hearing the accompanying facts, my faith response is as I mentioned before (orally), How many instances do I/we walk up to receive the Eucharist, with a "rote" attitude, saying "AMEN", then returning to my seat ready to move on with my day? Seeing the picture was a "WAKE UP CALL", an earth-shaking REMINDER OF not what I am receiving, but WHO I AM RECEIVING!!!!! Thanks be to God!"
Our little miracle is a major sign from God reinforcing for all of us the REAL PRESENCE of the Body and Blood of Christ Eucharist. JESUS is asking us to strengthen our preparation before our personal Encounter with HIM at Mass. When you come to Mass, be aware that JESUS is awaiting to meet YOU! Prepare yourself for that encounter with GOD himself: 1. Meditate in advance on all the readings, but especially the Gospel 2. Go to CONFESSION if you have committed a grave sin since your last confession (including missing Sunday Mass unless for health reason and having received earlier Eucharist in a state of grave sin). 3. Arrive early at Church, at least five minutes before Mass begins so that you can put yourself in the presence of the Lord and be prepared to welcome the Celebrant as he enters the Church in procession.
Latest developments ...I did send the two pictures (see pictures below) of the "host with blood" to the Archdiocese of Washington but have not yet heard back from them. We have also begun an experiment beginning last Thursday morning: we put a non-consecrated host in water in same conditions as the consecrated "host with blood". After six full days, there was an apparent softening of the non-consecrated host (dissolution is beginning) but there has been no changes at all in the color, which tends to demonstrate that the color change in the consecrated host was entirely based on the fact that it had become the Body of Christ (see picture below) ...Since the consecrated "host with blood " is now dissolved, we do not have any other means to test the authenticity of the miracle. However, one could base that authenticity upon the amazing similarities with the recent Eucharistic miracle in Buenos Aires: host inadvertently dropped by one parishioner at communion during Mass, then recovered by another parishioner and given to one of the parish priests, who put it to dissolve in water in a ciborium, and then the pastor discovering the host had begun to dissolve and had clear spots of blood (August 1996). Our Parish Council will discuss the OLHOC "miracle" later this week and make suggestions for additional follow-up. Stay tuned!
Heavenly Father, send Your Spirit upon us and help us to remain ONE with YOUR SON! May you help us understand and apply in our daily lives the recent SIGN You gave us about the REAL PRESENCE of the BODY and BLOOD of JESUS in the EUCHARIST!
One in Christ,
Fr. Alain