The Holy Eucharist

"Whoso eateth (Greek: τρώγω; transliterated "trogo") My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth (Greek: trogo) My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth (Greek: trogo) Me, even he shall live by Me. This is that bread which came down from Heaven: not as your fathers did eat (Greek: phago) manna, and are dead: he that eateth (Greek: trogo) of this bread shall live for ever." (John 6:54-58)

Some Protestant scholars agree with the Catholic Church that Jesus was speaking literally about the Holy Eucharist in John 6 because He not only uses the word "real" when He speaks about how we must eat His flesh and drink His blood for eternal life, but He also uses a Greek word τρώγω ("trogo") which literally means "gnawing" or "chewing" or "munching". This means that Jesus was not speaking symbolically or in a strictly spiritual sense as though we only receive Him in the form of "abstract" Communion. 

As the Protestant historical-critical scholar, Rudolph Bultmann, says: “It is a matter of real eating and not simply of some sort of spiritual participation.” (The Gospel of John, 236)

Recommended Reading: 

Verses and Commentaries on the Eucharist from 

ScriptureCatholic.org's page on the Eucharist

https://www.scripturecatholic.com/the-eucharist/

The Eucharist in Scripture by Marty Barrack

http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/June scrip/a6.html

---

Eucharistic Miracle

Lanciano, Italy 8th Century A.D.

Ancient Anxanum, the city of the Frentanese, has contained for over twelve centuries the first and greatest Eucharistic Miracle of the Catholic Church. This wondrous Event took place in the 8th century A.D. in the little Church of St. Legontian, as a divine response to a Basilian monk's doubt about Jesus' Real Presence in the Eucharist.

During Holy Mass, after the two-fold consecration, the host was changed into live Flesh and the wine was changed into live Blood, which coagulated into five globules, irregular and differing in shape and size.

The Host-Flesh, as can be very distinctly observed today, has the same dimensions as the large host used today in the Latin church; it is light brown and appears rose-colored when lighted from the back.

The Blood is coagulated and has an earthy color resembling the yellow of ochre.

Various ecclesiastical investigation ("Recognitions") were conducted since 1574.

In 1970-'71 and taken up again partly in 1981 there took place a scientific investigation by the most illustrious scientist Prof. Odoardo Linoli, eminent Professor in Anatomy and Pathological Histology and in Chemistry and Clinical Microscopy. He was assisted by Prof. Ruggero Bertelli of the University of Siena.

The analyses were conducted with absolute and unquestionable scientific precision and they were documented with a series of microscopic photographs.
These analyses sustained the following conclusions: 

• The Flesh is real Flesh. The Blood is real Blood.
  
  
• The Flesh and the Blood belong to the human species.
  
  
• The Flesh consists of the muscular tissue of the heart.
  
  
• In the Flesh we see present in section: the myocardium, the endocardium, the vagus nerve and also the left ventricle of the heart for the large thickness of the myocardium.
  
  
• The Flesh is a "HEART" complete in its essential structure.
  
  
• The Flesh and the Blood have the same blood-type: AB (Blood-type identical to that which Prof. Baima Bollone uncovered in the Holy Shroud of Turin).
  
  
• In the Blood there were found proteins in the same normal proportions (percentage-wise) as are found in the sero-proteic make-up of the fresh normal blood.
  
  
• In the Blood there were also found these minerals: chlorides, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium.
  
  
• The preservation of the Flesh and of the Blood, which were left in their natural state for twelve centuries and exposed to the action of atmospheric and biological agents, remains an extraordinary phenomenon.

---

Fig. 1 - Eosine x 200. Overall histological aspect of a Flesh sample with fibers collected in bundles with longitudinal orientation as it occurs in the outer surface layers of the heart.

Fig. 2 - Miracle Heart in Lanciano. Mallory x 250. An artery and, very close, a branch of the vagal nerve.

Fig. 3 - Miracle Heart in Lanciano. Mallory x 400. Evidence of the "Rough" aspect of the endocardium; the syncytoid structure of the myocardial tissue.

	Fig. 4 - Elution-absorption test x 80. Above:  Hemagglutination test on blood sample in  Lanciano:  on the left, anti A serum used; on the  right, anti-B  serum. Below: hemoagglutination test on  a Flesh  sample in Lanciano: left, with anti-A  serum, right,  with anti-B serum. It appears thus that  the Flesh and the Blood in Lanciano belong to  AB blood group. Fig. 5 - Electro-phoretic pattern of Blood proteins  (Cromoscan photometer). The profile of serum  fractions is normal and superimposable to that of a fresh serum.   In conclusion, it may be said in that Science, when called upon to testify, has given a certain and thorough response as regards the authenticity of the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano.  http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharsti/mir/lanciano.html For information, books, pamphlets, slides, postcards,  and souvenirs of the Sanctuary, please apply to: Santuario del Miracolo Eucaristico Frati Minori Conventuali 66034 Lanciano (CH), Italy Telephone: (0872) 713189 Other Lanciano Links of Interest: www.miracoloeucaristico.eu  www.miraclerosarymission.org/lanciano.html