Posted on 03/24/2006 6:06:40 AM PST by marshmallow
DALLAS. A “host” kept in a jar of water for four weeks grew fungus and bacterial colonies in a natural process, a laboratory report concluded about an incident in a local parish church that created public speculation.
A March 23 letter from Dallas Bishop Charles Grahmann to the pastor of St. James Parish relayed that what some were calling a ‘miracle’ of a host “contains nothing of a supernatural nature.”
The letter to Msgr. Mario Magbanua states: “At my request the object you submitted to me, around which there was heightened publicity, was presented to Dr. Marcy Brown Marsden, chairman and associate professor of biology, University of Dallas, and Dr. Frank Doe of the same department, for tentative identification and characterization of the object.”
The bishop said that after analysis was done he was provided with their conclusion.
They told the bishop: “We conclude that the object is a combination of fungal mycelia and bacterial colonies that have been incubated within the aquatic environment of the glass during the four-week period in which it was stored in the open air.”
The bishop further wrote: ““From this conclusion the phenomenon was of the natural order and contains nothing of a supernatural nature. Thus, you need to remove yourself from any further activity surrounding this matter and its exaggerated claims.”
The incident began about a month ago when a young boy received the Eucharist at Mass and then became sick in the restroom. Ushers who checked on him found the intact host in the bin.
The ushers reportedly summoned Msgr. Magbanua, who came to retrieve the host. He put the host in water to dissolve, where it remained unseen until March 19. Its appearance had changed, viewers said.
Within hours people were coming to the church to see the host, which is located in a low-income area and has approximately 2,000 registered parishioners.
Fueled by telephone and e-mail stories saying a miracle had occurred, as well as media reports, curious scores of the faithful hoping to see something extraordinary began to show up.
Among those was Shirley Vilfordi, a member of St. Rita Parish in Dallas. She was among those who suggested people should not be too quick to rush to conclusions, and thanked those who took quick action to discover the truth.
“We praise God for our beloved church who wants to investigate these things thoroughly rather than falsely mislead the faithful,” Vilfordi said as the investigation was ongoing.
There have been other cases in past years when a host received fungal and/or bacteria contamination when it was not properly consumed and/or disposed.
Church officials said the matter is now closed and called on faithful to end any further speculation.
People had a hard time believing it 2000 years ago and I guess they still do. Though back then people had the decency to stop calling themselves followers of Christ.
So what you are saying is that physically, it is still wheat, but spiritually it is the flesh and blood of Christ?
If it still has the physical and chemical properties of bread, then why do Catholics worship it?
So Christ got moldy? One would think God would have an interest in preserving the flesh of his son from mold. But perhaps he got busy elsewhere.
When I was about thirteen, I flattered myself that I had thought of angles to this Eucharist business which had never occurred to dummies like Thomas Aquinas. ("You could toast a host. Does that mean God is toast?") etc. Of course I'm ashamed of that now, but on the other hand, that kind of shallowness is so typical of the know-it-all adolescent.
It's like regarding the Trinity as some kind of math puzzle instead of realizing that it points to a far deeper reality.
It's not about math. It's about love.
"The first thing that must strike a non-Christian about a Christian's faith is that it is all too daring. It is too beautiful to be true: The mystery of Being, unveiled as absolute love, coming down to wash the feet and the souls of its creatures; a love that assumes the whole burden of our guilt and hate, that accepts the accusations that shower down.. all the scorn and contempt that nails down his incomprehensible movement of self-abasement -- all this absolute love accepts in order to excuse his creature before himself......" (Hans Urs von Balthasar)
For love of us, the Son of God endured being stripped and whipped, crowned with thorns, spat upon, spiked up on a piece of wood, and knifed through the heart.
Now He comes veiled in bread, to be mocked by scorners, handled by the ignorant, imbibed by hypocrites, and received by the unworthy. He's fallen into the hands of sinners again: no, he has placed himself in the hands of sinners, , in obedience to His Father and for our salvation.
His extreme vulnerability --- the Supreme Being's extreme vulnerability --- His willingness to expose Himself to any indignity in order to rescue us from sin and death --- it's unspeakable, unthinkable ---
Oh yes. Google has 13 references for that phrase, and they're not even all Catholic. Traditional, beautiful language. And a poetic parallel to "veiled in flesh," as found in the traditional hymn:
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Born in Bethlehem, you know. Bethlehem, the House of Bread.
Thank you for your thoughtful and polite responses to those on this thread. I generally avoid these types of threads because many of our "Christian" brethren become so hateful.
I disagree. A validly ordained priest who has become a Satanist can most definitely have the right intention to do what the Church intends, consecrate the Eucharist. Even though he is consecrating the Eucharist for evil purposes, he still intends to consecrate the Eucharist. There is no point in desecrating or committing sacrilege against a piece of bread. In fact, some Satanists and Satanist priests know very well that transubstantiation is real more so than many other non Satanist Novus Ordo parish priests I know.
But you know - I looked all through my Catholic Bible (yes I still use it over the KJV,NIV) and cant find an epistle or letter or gospel to say we need to become Catholic.....everything I see says become a Christian
There is only one Church, the one Christ established, the one you are protesting as a Protestant minister.
You have been well indoctrinated. Too bad it wasn't with the truth.
"In John 6 it says that most of His hearers walked away from Jesus when he said, "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you do not have life within you."
That statement was made in John6:54 and you have misquoted the verse as well. The disciples left him, not because of what he had said in vs 54, but because of what he said in vs 65.
You need to learn to follow the context and not cherry pick scriptures to fit your particular doctrine.
The Church was established before the New Testament written, and there is only one Church.
"The Church was established before the New Testament written, and there is only one Church."
And that would be the church Christ came to establish and which was first proclaimed at Penticost AD 30. The Catholic church came into being about 200 to 300 years later.
"As for Donatists, well "contending" with them is easy: "
My Donatist statement was in reference to our discussion from a few weeks ago on the homosexual priest thread where I was (politely) called a Donatist.
I understand the logic behind murphE's statement, but wonder if it is accepted Catholic (or Orthodox) thinking on the matter.
In Catholic or Orthodox theology, what exactly does a priest do to change the host into the flesh? By what power do they do this? How do they access that power?
(K, I think this is going to come back to your statement regarding the difference with which we view sacramentalism.)
"I understand the logic behind murphE's statement, but wonder if it is accepted Catholic (or Orthodox) thinking on the matter."
Like I said, it would depend on what a satanic mass is and what is meant by an apostate priest.
"In Catholic or Orthodox theology, what exactly does a priest do to change the host into the flesh? By what power do they do this? How do they access that power?"
I can't speak to Latin Rite Catholicism, especially now with their Novus Ordo, but in the Orthodox Divine Liturgies, it is the Holy Spirit which consecrates the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. The priest calls upon The Father to send the Spirit down to do that. His authority is by virtue of his ordination. The section of the Liturgy is called the "Epiklesis" and a relevant snip is as follows:
"(Secretly said by the Priest). . . Again we offer unto thee this reasonable and unbloody service and beseech thee and pray thee and supplicate thee: send down thy Holy Spirit upon us and these Gifts here spread forth.
(The Priest signs the Holy Bread with the sign of the Cross, saying quietly:) And make this bread the precious Body of thy Christ:
(The Priest makes the sign of the Cross, saving quietly:) And that which is in this cup, the precious Blood of thy Christ:
(The Priest makes the sign of the Cross over both the Holy Gifts, saying quietly:) Changing them by thy Holy Spirit: Amen, Amen, Amen."
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