A EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE

CHRISTIANITY / EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES

On March 5, 2023, there was a Eucharistic miracle - multiplying of the Host - during the distribution of communion... it was reported immediately by an extraordinary minister who was a last-minute substitution for the Pastor (whose thumb was bandaged before the Mass). The Pastor is Rev. Joseph Crowley of the St Maximilian Kolbe Parish at St Thomas Catholic church in Thomaston, CT. This parish was previously known as St Thomas Parish until a merger and was the last parish served by Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus. 

This video is the beginning of the 3/12/23 Homily where Fr Crowley reviews the details of the Miracle that he witnessed at the 3/5/23 10am Mass.

I don't really pay much attention to eucharistic miracles, because they can often times be more of a distraction than a blessing, but I think this little miracle at St Thomas Catholic Church is significant, and for real.  

As far as miracles go, this was a small one: communion hosts kept multiplying in the chalice, instead of running out as communion was being served.  And it happened to just one minister.  That's it.  That's the whole miracle.  No, it's not a big deal, but it's significant.   

Miracles like this point to "multiplication" stories reported in the gospels:

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.  When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.  Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”  But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”  They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”  And he said, “Bring them here to me.”  Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.  And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.  And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

- John 14:13-21 ESV

There are two very important spiritual lessons to be learned from these stories:

1. JESUS WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU, IF YOU KEEP YOUR ATTENTION ON HIM.   Five thousand men, not including woman and children, followed Jesus out in the wilderness to hear Jesus teach.  They were not concerned about food, for they were hungry for something far more important than food: spiritual truth.   But Jesus, seeing their "hunger" for the word, had compassion on them, and gave them food for their stomachs as well as food for their souls.   By following Jesus, all their needs were taken care of.  

2. JESUS HONORS THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIS COMMANDMENTS.   Jesus had a few of his own "commandments" that he issued, in addition to those made famous by Moses in regards to "The Ten Commandments".  One of those commandments was to remember his sacrifice on the cross whenever you broke bread and drank wine.   Despite all its problems and failings, the Catholic Church is really good at following and obeying that particular command of Jesus.  Hence, Jesus wasn't going to allow a Eucharistic minister to run out of hosts in his willingness to follow Jesus' command.   So the minister witness a small miracle, just to let him and the congregation know that Jesus appreciates their act of obedience.   

While some, including Father Joseph Crowley, the priest in this video, will say that "transubstantiation" is the bigger miracle of the Eucharist, we can wonder if that's really true.   Transubstantiation  is the doctrine that states that the host and wine really do become the body and blood of Jesus when the priest blesses the elements.  The problem is that doctrines and dogmas are not miracles, but teachings of facts and information.  And obeying the teachings of Jesus are not miracles either, that's just what you should be doing as a believer.  

But the multiplication of hosts, even though it's a very small miracle, is still a miracle, in that it flies in the face of nature itself, as miracles should.  By consuming a substance, you do not, under any circumstances, get more of it.   That's how you know a real miracle has taken place.  There is no doctrine or dogma that states that communion hosts must multiply during a mass.  

So what's the message of this miracle?  What's the point?   It's just Jesus way of letting his church know that he appreciates their obedience to his commands.  And that by doing so, he will certainly take care of all their needs.   It's no more complicated than that. 

We are conditioned to think that miracles only occur if they are prayed for.   But in the biblical texts, there are multiple cases of miracles occurring without anyone asking for one.   God does not need us to ask for miracles, sometimes he just sends one because he wants to bless people.   Most likely, that's what happened at St. Thomas Catholic Church.   

So, if you have a need, ask God to help out.  Maybe he will take care of you like he took care of the Eucharistic minister in Connecticut.  

As for me personally, there is a bigger message here.  St Thomas is apart of the parish of Saint Maximilian Kolbe.  St Kolbe was a Polish priest who was martyred at a concentration camp during World War II.   I think I need to pay closer attention to this saint, and learn more about his life and ministry.   

J. P. SEARS FINDS GOD

CHRISTIANITY / TESTIMONIES

My absolute favorite videos on YouTube are those of people's honest testimonies of how they found God.    Lately, some of the biggest names of YouTube have been finding God!   J. P. Sears has 2.8 million followers, and is extremely well known for his political satire.   Well, an interesting thing has happened as he's had to deal with the sh*tstorm of COVID stupidity during the past couple of years: he realized that evil is quite real.   And if evil is real, then perhaps God might be real as well...

COMMENTARY ON JUDGES 2:1-5

BIBLE / OLD TESTAMENT / JUDGES

A small passage, but it has HUGE ramifications: 

Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,  and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done?  So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”  As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept.  And they called the name of that place Bochim. And they sacrificed there to the Lord.

- Judges 2:1-5 ESV

The story here is simple, as it is tragic.  When God brought the Jews out of Egypt, he told them, multiple times, that they were to completely wipe-out all the people that were living in the Promised Land,  but they refused to do this.  Instead, they allowed them to continue living in the land, and even started hanging out with them, and inter-marrying with them.  This was a direct violation of God's command, and God was not happy.  As a result of their compromise, the Jews brought unnecessary pain and suffering upon themselves.  

Amongst today's bible scholars, God is often criticized for his no-compromise policy with the evil inhabitants of the promised land.  He is called, by some, a genocidal maniac, and a monster.  Killing all the people of a given land offends our modern sensibilities.  But God told the Israelites multiple times that these people needed to be killed, because they were evil.  The Israelites were to carry out God's wrath on a people who were anti-God,  but they refused. 

So what can we learn from this passage here in the 21st century?  

What we can learn is this: we must never, ever compromise with those things that will take us from a pure and focused devotion to God.  Once you start compromising with the things of the world, you will end up in a world of hurt.   

As Christians, we know there are a bunch of things in this world that are far less than Christian, even (sadly) other Christians!   Many of these things are obvious: illicit sex, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, pornography, violence, godless political movements, and so on.   But in this world of mass media and high speed internet access, we must always be on guard for all sorts of things that can easily upset our equilibrium.  

It's no fun playing defense constantly.  It's tiresome, boring, frustrating, and it just plain wears you out.  Hence, one needs to adopt the policy that God gave to the Jews: you are to go on the offense.  You are to take no prisoners.   You are to conquer all that is laid out before you, and be victorious.  And God will grant you victory.   

Now that does not mean that you have license to finish the job that the Jews left unfinished, and go kill every ungodly person or wishy-washy woke-a-doke "Christian" you can find.  The rules have changed since the time of Moses and Joshua, though the mission has not. You must confront godlessness where-ever you find it.  And the primary "land" that you have been given to conquer is yourself, your family, and your household.   

The weapons of are warfare are not swords, guns or knives.  Rather the offensive that we are to engage in requires bibles, prayer, spiritual books, wise men and woman, sacred music, good churches, and even more prayer.  Our battlefield is the spiritual realm, and we fight our battles on our knees.  But it's much easier to fight those battles when you empty your life of all distractions from your task.   

Be merciless in getting rid of anyone or anything who is exerting a negative influence in your life.  

Be merciless in getting rid of any TV or radio show that just pushes your buttons and manipulates your emotions.   

Be merciless in getting rid of any books or magazines that don't feed your soul and refresh your mind.  

Be merciless in getting rid of any internet podcast, blog or website that isn't telling you the absolute truth.   

Be merciless in avoiding any company trying to sell you things that openly supports the cultural Marxism of wokism.  

Be merciless in working against any politician or political leader who pushes a cultural Marxist / woke agenda.  

Be merciless in getting rid of any food or beverage that provides empty calories without any healthy benefits.   

Be merciless in getting rid of any music or movies that don't encourage you and lift you up.   

Be merciless in your pursuit of discipline, prayer, spiritual reading, and godly people.   Hold on to such things tightly!

Be merciless in your pursuit of God.  Do not allow anything to get in your way, but pursue Him no matter what.  

And be merciless in raising your voice and condemning the godless sin and violence that has overtaken the earth at this hour.  

When God saw that that Jews were happily compromising with the very people he wanted dead, he brought pain and suffering on them all.   Eventually, God will have had enough of the evil in this world, and he will act.  There's no doubt about it.

Right now you need to choose who's side you want to be on.  There have always and forever been just two sides: that of the world, or that of God.   Choose wisely!   And the consequences of your choice will be felt not only here on earth, but in the life to come, and for all of eternity. 

2023-03-21
- Pseudo Boethius

    


Gavin Ashenden & Rod Dreher in conversation."Culture, Crisis & the Catacombs.'Catholic Unscripted#4

CHRISTIANITY / WOKISM

This is one of the most interesting conversations I've encountered on YouTube.   Dr. Gavin Ashenden and Rod Dreher talk about the necessity of today's Christians going underground, because of the profound evil in today's society.   

The both understand that things are going to get a lot WORSE in the near future, as far as Christianity is concerned.   Both men are warning anyone who will listen that we have to take action to prepare for what's coming down.

Both these men are absolute treasures.   

This is MUST SEE TV!!!

Wokeness is as old as the Bible itself. The remedy is even older.

CHRISTIANITY / WOKISM

The Fathers of Mercy, who seem to be located in the tiny little Kentucky town of Auburn, have some of the best homilies I've ever heard from everyone.   There have been some great Catholics who have come out of Kentucky, as strange as that may seem.  

Here, Father David Wilton teaches on the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.   

It's ALWAYS good to hear Christian leaders speaking out against the cultural marxism that is the fake religion of wokism.  

This is MUST SEE TV!!!


Ashenden-Scripted: 'Witch-hunts' become saints-hunts' - SNP politics & the new v the old religion.

CHRISTIANITY / CANCEL CULTURE

Dr. G. Ashenden is one of the VERY FEW Christian leaders who constantly and forcefully speaks out against the false religion of wokism.  In this video, Ashenden points out what many of us are noticing: the witches are now out hunting down the saints.   

Back in the good old days, Christians went on "witch hunts" to purge their community of those who practiced the dark arts.   But in this day and age, we now have witches going on "saint hunts" to purge their community of those who pursue holiness.  

The LGBT / Woke / Progressive religion will not tolerate the existence of Christianity, as it's mere existence is de-facto condemnation of their life style.  Hence, orthodox Christians must be eliminated from the public square.  The only "Christians" that are allowed in public discourse are those "Christians" who echo the woke agenda.   

PATRIOT NURSE: The Church is DYING: What's NEXT for the United States

CHRISTIANITY / END-TIMES 

Everyone's favorite patriot, PATRIOT NURSE, brings up a sore, but very real subject: the great retreat of Christianity in the West.   The Christian church is dying a slow, but steady death, even in the United States.    

Premiered Mar 16, 2023

In this video, Patriot Nurse discusses the effect of the Church in retreat in the United States, and what the decay in morality portends for us as a nation, a people and a land. What will befall us when we turn our back upon our Founding?