Miraculous Communions

MIRACULOUS COMMUNIONS

aint Juliana Falconieri was always most lessed Imelda Lambertini, from childhood, devoted to the Holy Eucharist. In the last already showed a great love for the days of life, a stomach ailment which had afflict- Eucharistic Jesus but the chaplain reminded her SBed her for a long time, as it became more acute, that she could only receive Communion when she prevented her from receiving Communion. turned 14. Nevertheless on May 12, 1333 Before her death in 1341, she asked that a conse- (Ascension Vigil), she went to Mass and presented crated Host be placed on her chest, and as she herself to receive Holy Communion. The priest recited a prayer, the Host disappeared and left a ignored her completely but the Lord wished to violet mark, as if it had been branded there. She grant the desire of little Imelda. A Host radiating was beatified in 1678 and canonized in 1737. light rose up in flight, and stopped in front of Imelda. After she received the Body of Christ, her ne day, Saint Lucia Filippini was making pure white soul flew straight up to heaven. her way to Pitigliano, near Grosseto, to Blessed Imelda is Patroness of First Communions. supervise a school for craftsmen which she had Ofounded. First, however, she stopped at the church of the Franciscan Fathers to attend Holy Mass. So great was Lucia’s desire to receive Jesus Saint Bernard exorcising a woman with the Blessed in the Eucharist that the Lord wished to reward Sacrament, The Hieron Museum her with a miracle. When the priest was breaking the large Host in half to place a small fragment in the chalice, this very part escaped his hand and flew into the air, radiating light, and came to rest on the tongue of the future saint. Today, the shrine where the miracle took place is under the care of the devout Filipini Saint Bonaventure receiving Saint Secondo, before dying, recei- Sisters. Communion from the hand of ving Holy Communion brought an Angel, The Hieron Museum by a dove, The Hieron Museum One of the miraculous Communions of Saint Jerome

In earlier times, eight years old Blessed Emilia Bicchieri was the Saint Maria Francesca of the was too young an age to receive foundress of the Dominican Five Wounds, in the last years the Eucharist, but St. Gerard Third Order Regular and always of her life, was prevented from Magella could not resign himself nurtured a great love for the participating at Holy Mass to the fact and would weep with Blessed Sacrament. One day, because of a severe illness that such desolation that Heaven itself Blessed Thomas of Cori while she was taking care of a left her bed-ridden. There were was moved to pity. One night, (1655-1729) at age 22, entered fellow Sister who was very sick, many episodes in which some Saint Michael approached him, the Franciscan Order of Friars she lost track of the time and so of the priests, especially Father placed a white Host on his tongue Minor, at the monastery of the arrived at the end of the Holy Bianchi, saw a piece of the like the one the priest had refused Most Holy Trinity in Orvieto, Mass, thus missing Holy consecrated large Host and a to give him, and vanished from Italy. In his apostolate, he was Communion. At that point, she small amount of the consecrat- sight. The following morning, distinguished by his exemplary began to express her regret to the ed wine disappear during their happy and triumphant, Gerard Blessed James of Montieri (Giacomo da Montieri), lived for long periods practice of the Christian virtues. Lord for not having been able to Mass; it was the saint’s admitted candidly: “The priest of time being nourished only by the Eucharist. Jesus Himself gave him Several times during Mass, receive Him, and suddenly an Guardian Angel who brought refused me Holy Communion, Holy Communion on various occasions. An early 16th-century painter he had various apparitions of Angel miraculously appeared to her Communion. but last night St. Michael the depicted the miracle in a well-proportioned picture in which Jesus can the Child Jesus. her and gave her Communion. Archangel brought it to me." be seen giving Holy Communion to Blessed James.

uring her stay at Proceno, the he biographer of Saint Clare of lessed Angela of Foligno recounted that Dominican Saint Agnes Segni would go Montefalco recounts in the acts for her “on one occasion I saw Christ under the into the monastery garden alone to pray near an canonization process that “one day Clare came guise of a small child, who nevertheless appea- DTBolive plant. One Sunday morning, she was up to Holy Communion without her mantle. red great and majestic, like a king: It seemed immersed in prayer from the break of dawn and Sister Giovanna rebuked her harshly, saying to that, seated on his throne, he held in his hand only after several hours realized that it was a her, ’Go away - I don’t want you to receive Holy something like a symbol of authority [...] Then, feast day and that she was obliged to attend, Communion.’ Hearing these words, Clare reali- when the others knelt down, I did not do so, attended Mass in the monastery choir. zed that she was without her mantle and felt and I don’t know if I ran up close to the altar or However, an angel of the Lord came bearing an such bitter regret that after she returned to her if I could not move from sheer delight and immaculate Host and gave it to her in Holy cell, she wept bitterly. And while she was contemplation, and I experienced great regret Communion. This incident was repeated on praying amid her tears, Christ appeared to her that the priest put the Host back on the altar so other occasions as well. and, embracing her, gave her Holy quickly.” Communion, leaving her deeply consoled.”

The painting represents Saint Frances of Rome with some of her companions in ecstatic wonder at the Monstrance from which radiant One of the miraculous Masses of St. Gregory the Great, in The great mystic St. Teresa of Avila often enjoyed visions beams of light emanated (Civic Art Museum) which Christ appeared Crucified (Diocesan Museum of Tier) of heaven during Holy Mass