On two separate occasions Catholics on retreat at a parish in Jacksonville, Florida, have reported remarkable images in and around exposition of the large Host known as the Blessed Sacrament.Posted on 07/14/2004 6:12:39 AM PDT by NYer
On two separate occasions Catholics on retreat at a parish in Jacksonville, Florida, have reported remarkable images in and around exposition of the large Host known as the Blessed Sacrament.
The events were recorded at St. Joseph's Church in the Mandarin area of the city and join a growing number of reports concerning Eucharistic phenomena from around the world -- as if to remind that world of the True Presence.
A few days ago we reported the spiritual benefits of adoration in front of the Host and quoted a woman who claimed to see a radiant mist in connection with it. The phenomena often go beyond that, to reports of details visual effects witnessed -- as in the case of Jacksonville -- by dozens of people.
The events began on November 6, 1999, and were also witnessed by priests, including Father Bernard Ahern, a retired Navy chaplain who recounted that in the midst of the retreat -- the middle of Saturday afternoon -- a woman came into the room "hysterically" crying that she had seen Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, which was exposed during the retreat.
"I then went into the chapel myself to find out what was happening, and I, also, saw the Face of Jesus in the Eucharist," the priest told two chroniclers of the events, who produced a booklet on the occurrences. "The color of the image was a sepia color, a light brown and white. There were many other people who also saw Him. I was skeptical and thought that there might be some shadows in the back of the monstrance, or light in front of it causing the image. But I found no basis for this after checking the surrounding area, and realized I saw what I saw."
The admission of witnessing such an event by a priest is a rare event at a time when clergy are often more skeptical than even secular authorities and at a time when seminaries have all but extinguished training in mystical theology. Actually the events were first initiated when a woman named Cathy Duncan -- like Father Ahern wondering at first if it was just shadows from the sun or candlelight -- saw the Face of Christ earlier in the day and had it confirmed around dinnertime when she ran into the woman referred to by Father Ahern, who was in the chapel and blurted out, "Do you see Him?" -- referring to the remarkable image.
Duncan noted that by now the sun had gone down and the candles had been burning all day, changing their angles.
It wasn't the candles.
Later in the day the Host turned a very bright red that appeared to be glowing -- according to witnesses. There were about 35 retreat participants in the first event along with thirty or so retreat givers and women who had attended previous retreats. About a third presented formal testimony. So dramatic was this event that it made a secular newspaper, The Florida Times-Union, which noted that "most of those interviewed recounted seeing Jesus' Head and Shoulders, though the level of detail varied." Some said they saw features -- ears, eyes, mouth; others glimpsed a vaguer silhouette.
"I looked at the Host and noticed the color was not the usual color of off-white but was light pink in the center, which became darker and darker until it reached the rim where it was deep red," said yet another observer, Trish Kessler, describing a resemblance to the Shroud of Turin. "I felt like I was walking in the Holy of Holies."
"I was in shock, and yet so happy," added Cherrie Martinez. "I saw with my own eyes the silhouette of the Sacred Heart. It was like a pencil drawing of His hair, head, and shoulders. This shows how powerful prayers are!"
It also indicated the reality of the True Presence -- long a point of contention between Catholics and Protestants. Similar events have been logged from Canada to Venezuela and Australia.
In Jacksonville, even former Baptists -- often loathe to report such manifestations -- were witnesses.
One, Chrys Sills, also observed what she described in the monstrance as an apparition of the Turin Shroud.
Others reported the Host glowing brightly despite the dark room and some said the Host appeared gold. "I stood in front of the monstrance and saw Jesus' Face as an outline in silhouette," reported Helen Targonski, a woman who had recently lost a husband to cancer. "I saw the top of His Head with a crown of thorns and His Face faintly but His eyes were more predominant, looking straight out. His eyes looked real and were radiating with tremendous love. Everywhere I looked, I saw other members kneeling and crying or lying prostrate."
The message: God is with us even in our most trying moments.
It was spiritual bedlam and it repeated itself at the same church four years later, during a men's retreat from October 18 to 19, 2003.
In a series of events that some like to compare to an historical occurrence in Bordeaux, France [left, a witness], the men reported similar images -- pencil-like etchings -- on a cloth placed behind the Blessed Sacrament as a white backdrop.
"These pencil drawings began to develop into very distinct and clear images," noted one newsletter from Journey to Our Father Ministries. "Some people saw them in black and white, while others saw them in various shades of gold. Witnesses first saw an image of a lamb, which was over the shoulders of Jesus. Many people saw Jesus' Image as a side view looking right and down, while others saw Him in a frontal view. One person came nearer and said, 'Do you also see the baby Jesus?' You could see the baby Jesus, then a dove, and then Mary, and also God the Father. All these different images were visible within the overall image. The detail was so great that you could actually see the individual hairs on God the Father's Head."
While in both cases many of the images were sketched, at least one person saw an entire image in color.
Once again, the Host was "glowing." During the Rosary, a picture of Mary reportedly moved.
The theme of the retreat was "Open the eyes of my heart."
On the way home, as one couple boarded their car, on the radio was the song, "Open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see You"!
Each person felt as if he or she had a personal experience -- often seeing something uniquely his or her own. "This was a day that would forever change my life," said one of the former Baptists. "Not because I saw what I already knew was there, but to know that He is with us every minute that we take time to spend with Him."
[resources: Jesus Unveils His True Presence Within the Holy Eucharist, by Jim and Barbara Wasel, adoregod@ids.net]
[see also Secrets of the Eucharist]
I know that is true for the Catholic church. It is not true for mine. I did not mean to imply that your belief was such. I was only correcting the Orthodox part of the statement.
Does it not maintain the physical appearance of Bread?
I have read that after consumed it is again bread.
I believe according to the bible that Christ lives in me and I in Him. That is not a short lived event, once a week but one that has existed since I believed , I will one day meet the Father in Christ and His righteousness.
I consider myself a little "c" catholic. How's that? ;^)
Transubstantiation reflects Roman Catholic faith in the literalness of the words of the Bible.
Jesus (omnipotent God) said: "This is my body; this is my blood." And again Jesus said: "I am the bread of life;" "My flesh is true food; my blood is true drink;" "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood ...;" etc.
Roman Catholics take Jesus at His word: the bread is his body; the wine is his blood.
From the Apostles at the Last Supper until today, the bread and wine of Eucharist looks and feels and tastes like bread and wine in the eating and drinking.
Similar to all of God's Word, faith is essential. Faith in what? In the words of Jesus even though the bread does not look, feel, taste like flesh; even though the wine does not look, feel, taste like blood.
Medieval philosophers and theologians sought simply to label this simple biblical faith: Jesus said that bread is his body and wine is his blood even though it did not appear to change into visible flesh and blood.
Transubstantiation means the substance part of the bread and wine elements changes; but the accidental parts--sight, taste, smell, touch--do not. Catholics believe that since Jesus said it and He is God, he can do it. They believe! "Transubstantiation" merely labels it.
In everyday life, it is not at all uncommon to believe in things man cannot perceive by the senses: wind, electricity, love, peace, etc. All the more when Jesus says it.
I'm not Roman Catholic- see my post below for my disagreements with transubstantiation- but to answer your question: no, there is nothing wrong with didatic purposes in any rite. The Anglican Carolina Divines made it a point that the Liturgy- including the Eucharist- should very much work towards the ediffication of faith. However, it is wrong to reduce the Eucharist to nothing more than an aid to faith in the sense that a picture is an aid to faith, or even a sermon. There is more to the Eucharist going on than a sermon in bread and wine. When Paul said that we partake of Christ's body and blood in the bread and cup, he did not mean that we are led to think about Him in it- though we are led to think about Him, and, hopefully, to exercise faith in Him (without which the sacrament will not aid you). Paul, I believe, meant this by what he said: that the bread and cup are truly our partaking of Christ's Body and Blood, through the Spirit (and hence spiritual in the true sense!).
Disagreements are to be expected. Attacks, well, that’s a different matter.
Why are you more focused on Paul, rather than on the Gospel, which proclaims the Truth?
The beloved disciple, John, the last of the New Testament writers, wrote his Gospel in the 90's. John was an eyewitness to the events of the Last Supper (Jn 6:30-68).
Hence Catholic Christian belief in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the eucharist rests upon the literal meaning of the words of the Last Supper as recorded by the Evangelists and Paul.
The uniformity of expression across the four authors affirms the literalness. Belief in the real presence demands faith--the basis of new life as called for by Christ throughout scripture. But faith in signs conferring what they signify is the basis also for the Incarnation--appearances belying true meaning. The true significance of the real presence is sealed in John's gospel. Five times in different expressions, Jesus confirmed the reality of what he means.
The best way a person can make a clear literal point is repetition of the same message in different ways. Jesus did this. Those around him clearly understood what he was saying--cannibalism and the drinking of blood--both forbidden by Mosaic Law.
Had these disciples mistaken the meaning of Jesus' words, Jesus would surely have known and corrected them. He didn't. They had clearly understood his meaning--Jesus' flesh was to be really eaten; his blood to be really drunk.
Which was that "demonic" comment: disagreement or attack?
And yet Christ was both God and man.
With God all things are possible, so the possibility is there, however, why would He say "this is" when he meant; "this is also"?
I'm actually just poking Mar for old times sake, we've gone round on the whole Catholic vs. Orthodox understanding of the Eucharist not to long ago. I'm comfortable with the accidents and substance understanding of the Eucharistic mystery and She's comfortable with her understanding.
That is true (again, LOL). Like one of those movies where the people keep doing and saying the same things repeatedly.
Ah. So you did remember! I wondered. :-)
Thank you. There are no leavening agents at all. Very True.
I just love pondering the mysteries of faith!
Howling’s post said “ All attacks on the Blessed Sacrament and the Church are demonic.”
Please note the words “All attacks”. He did not say all disagreements are demonic.
Howling’s post said “ All attacks on the Blessed Sacrament and the Church are demonic.”
Please note the words “All attacks”. He did not say all disagreements are demonic.
I think a similar mystery is present in the Eucharist- the true hypostasis of the elements is body and blood. Thus when Jesus said "This is my body" He was speaking the absolute truth. Yet it is not improper for us to recognize that two realities are present, though now in one miraculous hypostasis of Body and Blood.
Do you realize that by your statement, you are implying that Paul is lying and deceiving and presenting a false gospel? It isn't a matter of one is Truth and the other isn't. They both are.
Your headline is misleading. They weren't Baptists. The story says, "former Baptists".
The headline at the source: PRIEST AND DOZENS OF OTHERS WITNESSED UNUSUAL IMAGES IN BLESSED SACRAMENT
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