Miracle

While I was in Portugal, I decided to take a day trip from fatima to the town called Santarem. Santarem is home to st. Stephens church which houses the miraculous Eucharist from the 13th century. It was only an hour bus trip and once I arrived, although there are no signs pointing the way (or nice yellow arrows), I was ableto find the church easy enough. As I came down an old narrow cobblestone street that had modern stores on it, I approached the outside of a church which looked a bit run down. Most churches on my trip that I have visited were well-maintained but this church needed a capital campaign fund. I do not know the age of the church but it is at least 800 years old based on when the miracle happen. As I entered st. Stephens, the church was empty except for three other people. I walked on the side and prayed at the side altar. The church interior by the altar has been well-cared for but funds for the columns which house beautiful sculptures have not been well-cared for.

Out of all the churches I have been in, this church holds one of the most remarkable miracles and yet like so many things in life; if we were to judge the outside we would walk by to a large magnificent church instead of this humble church. The comparison for me of this church and the miracle inside is also how we see people. The exterior appearance or that first layer that people put on to protect themself or hide themself really does not matter, it is what is on the inside which matters. If only we took the time to get to know the miracle that each person carries on them in the inside. Reasons I love the camino - we never looked at the outward appearance.

Well, the man at the church came and took me and the husband and wife from Columbia to see the Eucharist miracle. We walked up by the altar and entered a side door which took us up some steps and we waited directly behind the altar in the back room while the gentleman unlocked the door. I waited off to the side to allow the others to go before me and I wanted to wait to see the Eucharist until it was my turn to bow before it.

I prayed while I waited asking god to prepare me and if any doubting Thomas was within me that seeing this would remove that obstacle to my faith. You see since Christ instituted the last supper, Christians have celebrated this profound act which brings Christ body, blood, soul, and divinity to us in the form of the Eucharist (the bread). During Christ's time in the bible we see not all could accept this teaching and left Christ. Had Christ not meant what he said or had the people misunderstood, Christ would have called to them or taught his disciples what he really meant but we see from what he says to his disciples this is what he meant. It has only been the last four years that I truly understood and believed in the Eucharist the way that Catholics since Christ have viewed the Eucharist. The bread is not a symbol but it is truly christ transformed and offered for us - body, blood, soul, and divinity. During the past four years, as I learned more and grew, I used the miraculous Eucharist to teach the youth and now I have the chance to see the miraculous host with my own eyes.

After the other two went, they waited at the base of the stairs for my turn. As I looked up and saw the host, I went to my knees before being able to ascend the stairs for a close look. The emotion of the moment is truly not able to be explained. As I got up and began to climb the stairs, I was very slow. I would have thought, knowing me, I would have rushed up but instead I was very slow. As I got to the top, I just looked at this piece of host that had been consecrated into the body of our lord and then as a sacrilege was to take place the host began to bleed and transformed the people of that community.

For my non-catholic friends, the host is a small piece of bread which on the altar by a priest is consecrated and becomes the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our lord. There have been more than one Eucharistic miracle over the centuries and modern day scientist have tested them and they point towards truth not hoaxs. This host over many years would every now and then have blood come forth from it. It is sealed and held for veneration since very early on and pilgrims come on pilgrimage to see it.

Well at the top and gazing into the Eucharist, I then climb down the stairs and returned to my knees with the other two pilgrims. We all were looking up at the Eucharist when the husband started the Gloria which the wife and I joined in. I then returned to the main part of the church and just sat there praying. Looking at the tabernacle and the place where the Eucharistic miracle is kept. As I read my bible in the church it came so vivid and alive to me as it has never before.

I then returned back to fatima in time for mass at the convent, where I was able to receive our lord in the Eucharist. It was wonderful seeing the Eucharistic miracle but the real miracle is everyday all over the world, Catholics are able to receive Christ. I know on this journey, the days I get I attend mass and receive Christ are better then days I do not. People on the camino could also notice a difference not only with me but others when we went a couple days without a mass verses when we came from mass.

The photos are some postcards they had at the church.