Let us approach the Eucharist and ask for the Blessed Virgin’s intercession so as to adore Her Divine Son as He ought to be adored. Let us love Him as She did when She bore Him in her virginal womb.
“Ah… But I don’t believe this story!”
“Well, I’m telling you the honest truth! Come with me and you’ll see!”
Heading to the town square, the two friends were able to watch the extraordinary event that took place there.
Challenged by an unbeliever
We are in Rimini, in the mid-13th century, during a troubled time, when heresies provoked divisions and hostilities. A certain man named Bonvillo dared to deny, before St. Anthony of Padua, the real presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ under the species of bread and wine in the Sacrament of the Altar.
Without a moment’s hesitation, the Blessed preacher posed this question to the unbeliever with whom he was arguing: “If your donkey worshipped the true Body of Christ under the Eucharistic Species, would you believe the truth about the Sacrament of God?”
A donkey? Some of our contemporaries might think this to be utter foolishness; to choose such an animal to be arbiter in a theological dispute… But in those days, men believed in God, even though many did not respect Him, and even offended Him. Most importantly, they would all pay attention to a holy wonderworker, like the one present there.
Intrigued, the man replied: “I will not feed my donkey for two days, and on the third day I myself will bring it to the public square. On one side I will place some tasty oats for it, and on the other you will stand with the Host that you say is the Body of Christ. If the donkey ignores the oats and kneels before the Host, I too will gladly confess with my mouth and heart the truth of the Eucharistic Sacrament.”1
The donkey kneels in adoration
Full of wisdom and discernment, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, St. Anthony accepted the proposal!
For two days the donkey was left unfed, and on the third day it was brought before a large crowd.
With the coveted oats on one side of the square, and on the other the pledge of our Redemption in the hands of St. Anthony, the animal solemnly approached the adorable Body of Jesus and knelt at the preacher’s feet. And this sign of adoration of the Sacred Species only ended when the priest ordered the animal to get up.
Another miracle had been performed in the history of the Church, proving the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist! Thanks to this prodigy, the heretic was converted, and the crowd that had witnessed it was filled with reverential fear, astonished to see a crude beast manifesting such respect and adoration to the Blessed Sacrament.
Mystery that surpasses our reason
“What you do not grasp, what you do not see, courageous faith confirms, beyond the natural order.”2 Thus, St. Thomas Aquinas describes, with poetic verse, this mystery which transcends our reason, bringing man closer to the supernatural and helping him to participate in heavenly joy already on this earth.
Nevertheless, to have faith in such a mystery we must, before all else, approach this Sacrament, benefiting from its effects. Although we do not see Him with the eyes of the body, it is certain that when we come into contact with Jesus in the Eucharist He will help us to see Him in some way with the eyes of the soul.
Let us allow ourselves to be assumed by the presence of the One who loves us infinitely and desires solely our good. Grace will make us understand how accessible He is and that for this love to be manifested depends on us.
God wishes to be respected!
If every man likes to be treated well, what can be said about the Creator of the universe, who humbly hides himself under the Eucharistic Species? If we render filial respect to those who engendered us, should we not have even greater respect for Him who created us, drawing us out of nothing?
Out of love, God has made himself food that takes possession of and transforms us into divine tabernacles. He has given us divine life and the joy of His presence in the Holy Eucharist. In return, He desires to be loved and respected in this august Sacrament.
The first step for us to give Him all the due honour, glory and adoration is to believe that Jesus is as present there as He was long ago when He walked the streets of Jerusalem and Capernaum, preaching, pardoning and performing miracles.
How many churches have been erected to worship Him! How many hymns, songs and prayers of devotion to His Eucharistic mystery have been composed over the centuries! How many miracles, cures and deliverances worked through His Real Presence! How many, many silent, profound and life-changing graces are infused through the reception and adoration of the “Bread of Angels”!
In the face of so many benefits, why doubt?
Let us ask the intercession of Mary Most Holy to adore her Divine Son as He ought to be adored. Let us love Him as She did when She bore Him in her virginal womb. Let us desire to be, like the Mother of God, pure tabernacles in which God’s presence becomes especially perceptible in times of difficulty and trial. Finally, let us be a living monstrance in which Christ will be respected, glorified and adored by those who approach us. ◊
