From Martyrdom to Miracles, Our Lord throughout the centuries has been showing us proofs of His love and deep abiding presence in the Eucharist in the form of what is called “Eucharistic Miracles.”
To help us understand the nature of these miracles, let us return to the Gospel of John. After Jesus finishes his “Bread of Life Discourse” (John 6:22-59) many of Jesus’ followers refused to accept His teaching on His abiding and “Real” presence in the form of bread and wine (John 6:60). Jesus’ reply is for me the bridge that helped me “see” beyond what my limited senses could grasp. Rather than drawing these unbelieving disciples back by stating all He meant was purely symbolic, He takes it even further by pointing out this mystery can only be understood by the spirit, not the senses.
This deserves careful reading:
“Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him.” (John 6:61-64)
To unpack this succinct and very important key to understanding the Eucharist, take notice that when Jesus mentions “the flesh is of no avail”, he does not say “My flesh”. Therefore, He is merely stating that to understand the nature of his teaching one must look beyond the natural to the supernatural. It is for this reason, that throughout history Jesus has chosen to reveal the mystery of the Eucharist through miracles, that we may see and believe. For most of the Eucharistic miracles that have taken place over the centuries were to those who doubted and disbelieved his true presence.
A young man named Carlos Acutis who died at the age of 15 had such a love for the Eucharist that he complied and documented all the Church approved Eucharistic miracles in the world. So thorough was his research that I direct you to his official website that highlights in detail each miracle:
One of the approved miracles that is highlighted is the miracle of Bolsena, Italy which occurred in 1263. A German priest named Peter of Prague had doubts about the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. While celebrating Mass at the Church of St. Christiana in Bolsena, he had just begun to say the words of Consecration when blood began to seep from the Host onto his hands and the altar. At first confused he tried to hide the miracle but then went immediately to Orvieto where then Pope Urban IV resided. Upon investigation it was indeed deemed a miracle and to this day can be seen and venerated in the Cathedral of Orvieto. Here is a short but beautiful film about The Miracle of Bolsena.