Letters

Real Presence

Cedric Wright

Contents - Oct 2012 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The Year of Faith and Catechism of the Catholic Church - Michael Gilchrist Anglican Ordinariate: Melbourne ordinations: historic day for Church in Australia - Peter Westmore News: The Church Around the World Universities: Cardinal Pell's tertiary ministry at Sydney's universities - Br Barry Coldrey The Year of Faith and true unity of faith - Cardinal Raymond Burke Missions: Father Raphael: dynamic Nigerian parish priest - Madonna Brosnan History: Melbourne Catholics: Dr Mannix's impact - Patrick Morgan The new evangelisation and the culture of life - Anne Lastman Liturgical Music: Vatican II: Singing nourishes faith ... raises minds to God - Bishop Arthur Serratelli G.K. Chesterton on the decay of Western Christianity - Donald Boland Schools: Saint Mary MacKillop Colleges, Wagga Wagga: progress report - Charles Morton Letters: Information - Robert Bom Letters: Nuclear family - Leon Voesenek Letters: Harm-minimisation - Arnold Jago Letters: Financial capitalism - Peter D. Howard Letters: Christian unity - Andrew Sholl Letters: Real Presence - Cedric Wright Letters: Biblical assertions - Frank Mobbs Books: AN AMAZING LOVE, by Father Ken Barker - Br Barry Coldrey (reviewer) Books: Manual of Minor Exorcisms, Prayers for those in Spiritual Affliction, Porteous - Fr Nicholas Dillon Support: 2012 Fighting Fund Progress Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: The Year of Faith and the Church's missionary role - Fr Dennis W. Byrnes

For any sincere Catholic, the solemn moment of receiving the Blessed Sacrament in Communion is one of humble adoration and gratitude. As recorded by John in his Gospel (6:51), Our Lord told his listeners: "I am the living bread from Heaven ... whoever eats this bread will live for ever." And at the Last Supper, his words (as repeated by the priest at Mass) were: "This is my body, which will be given up for you." No "if's" or "maybe's".

This Real Presence of Our Lord in the Sacrament of the Altar is the badge of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church ... the main distinguishing feature of the Church founded by Jesus himself.

The Host is the true God, come down to us every day in the Holy Mass, and living with us in a hundred thousand tabernacles in Catholic churches the world over. What a wonderful and joyful privilege to receive Our Lord at the Altar daily ... and how important to prepare ourselves beforehand with prayer and penance!

Correspondents John Young and Theo Jorna (August AD2000) quote the overwhelming theological support for the Real Presence, and we might add the suggestion that anyone having doubts should read a most amazing book, Eucharistic Miracles, by Joan Carroll Cruz (Tan Books). This book (with an imprimatur) recounts 33 authenticated miracles involving the Blessed Sacrament through the centuries.

For example, in the year 1194, a woman at Augsburg, Germany, decided to take a consecrated Host home for private devotion. She kept it in a wax casing for five years, but her conscience eventually drove her to report the matter to her parish priest, who recovered the Host and returned it to his church.

When one of the priests opened the wax reliquary, he and his colleagues were amazed to find that the Host had become flesh and blood. They consulted the bishop, who ordered that the miraculous Host be placed in a crystal container. Returned to its original church, the living Host has been kept in perfect condition for 800 years, and special services are held annually on 15 May to commemorate the miracle and venerate the Host.

This is just one of the miracles which place the Real Presence beyond doubt ... some of them involving abused Hosts bleeding and showing other signs of life, and many have been preserved for adoration. Let no-one doubt, but believe!

CEDRIC WRIGHT
Mt Warren, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 25 No 9 (October 2012), p. 16