Eucharistic miracles in the Orthodox tradition

[Bonifatius]

Dear brothers and sisters in the Orthodox forum,

I came across a question in a German forum and did not have an answer: Roman-catholic spirituality brought forth many Eucharistic miracles as part of their belief in the real presence of our Lord in the consecrated bread and wine (like bleeding hosts, people sustained only by consuming a consecrated host and no other food nor drink etc). Anglicans also believe in the real presence but do not have any Eucharistic miracles (afaik). Is anything of that kind known in the Eastern churches?

Many blessings,
Boni

 

[Moros]

Yes. Perhaps someone else will give examples.

 

[gzt]

Some contemporary elders on Mt. Athos were reported to live only on the Eucharist. I don't recall any others.

 

[Xpycoctomos]

My priest made it very clear that the host turning into visible flesh is not considered a good thing in the eastern tradition. He really couldn't give details as to why. He said the Eastern Fathers have just always seen it as a bad omen. IT has happen where the body has become a small real looking body. Generally when things like this have happened, there is something sinister going on in the priests life and such an experience has usually been followed by serious consequences including defrocking the priest. He said he prayed this would never happen to him.

At the same time he made it clear that he is not commenting on the Catholic Church, neither supporting nor criticising their tradition. He just made it clear that this is not a good thing in the Orthodox Church.

I'm sorry I have to be so vague on this. My priest didn't get much into details and when he talked about it, it was almost as if he were talking about the most fearful, creepy and horrible thing you can talk about. So I take his word for it for now. If anyone finds any references to this happening in the East and what the Fathers have to say about it, I would be really interested.

John

 

[InnerPhyre]

It can be both a good or bad thing in western tradition as well. Many times hosts have begun to bleed when sacriledge is committed against the Eucharist. One that comes to mind occured when a woman stole a consecrated host to give to a devil worshipper who promised to put a curse on her unfaithful husband. She stole the host, and kept it in a drawer beside her bed. She woke up in the middle of the light to streaming light coming from the drawer and when she opened it, the host was bleeding profusely. She immediately rushed it back to the church from which she stole it. It's still on display in a monstrance above the Altar in a small church in Portugal, so I'd say that the significance of bleeding hosts might be the same in the West as it is in the East....not necessarily a good thing.

 

[Matrona]

My priest made it very clear that the host turning into visible flesh is not considered a good thing in the eastern tradition. He really couldn't give details as to why. He said the Eastern Fathers have just always seen it as a bad omen. IT has happen where the body has become a small real looking body. Generally when things like this have happened, there is something sinister going on in the priests life and such an experience has usually been followed by serious consequences including defrocking the priest. He said he prayed this would never happen to him.

Priests have much more responsibility prior to celebrating Divine Liturgy (remember, in the old countries, it's more common not to partake of the Eucharist very often, but the priest who celebrates DL has to receive every week for obvious reasons) than laypersons and minor clergy do. When a priest falls, it has much more dire spiritual consequences.

So, I'm guessing that when such an incident happens it means the priest has failed to live up to his responsibilities, or that his faith in the Real Presence has faltered, and such a manifestation would be a warning of some kind of the priest's impious behavior?

 

[Xpycoctomos]

So, I'm guessing that when such an incident happens it means the priest has failed to live up to his responsibilities, or that his faith in the Real Presence has faltered, and such a manifestation would be a warning of some kind of the priest's impious behavior?

Yeah, that's what my priest was basically saying. Well put.

Innerphyre, good example. I guess I just want to stress, though, that it seems (according to my priest) that in the East this is never seen as a good thing. But I am not trying to puch this on western piety. It seems that God often manifests Himself differently according to the culture. Perhaps this is an example of it, perhaps not. Since I am not Catholic, I really don't have much right to speculate.

John

 

[Photios]

I recall a couple of instances, but I don't remember where I read them. The first had to do with two of the Desert Fathers wandering whether or not the Prescence was there. They prayed heavily about it and saw the host as a very small child's body, and the wine as blood.

The second relates to St Cyprian of Carthage. There was a bad persecution around that area, and a debate about bringing those who had given in back to the Church. One woman spontaneously combusted upon her partaking of the Eucharist wrongly, and another who had taken it home, as was a local custom, had the special box for this pupose shoot flames when she opened it.

I guess that was actually three, but these are the only things I have heard of in this particular vein.

 

[elizabethevangeline]

In Inquirer' Class our priest said if he was ever cutting into the bread loaf (can't remember the spelling of the actual word) and it started to bleed, he was supposed stop the Liturgy and call the Bishop immediately. His body language was like "step awaaay from the alter". He made a comment about the Eucharist is a bloodless sacrifice we offer...

 

[Wiffey]

The priest at my former parish told a story once about a priest in Greece who had lost his faith in the Real Presence in the Eucharist...one day after the consecration he looked in the chalice and saw real blood and flesh. He was horrified, put the chalice away and went immediately to see his spiritual father, who told him to REPENT and return to his church. After a few days of fervent prayer & repentance, the contents of the chalice once again appeared as bread & wine...then the priest consumed them (and NEVER doubted the Real Presence again!).

 

[MariaRegina]

My Godmother told me a true story that happened several years ago.

Once there was a Catholic who attended the Divine Liturgy in a Greek Orthodox Church on the West Coast. She decided to secretly approach at communion time even though the priest had mentioned that only those Orthodox who had been baptized, chrismated and married (if married) and who were in good standing in the Orthodox Church, and those who had confessed recently and had fasted from midnight were able to receive Holy Communion.

So she ignored what the Priest said and approached anyway. When she approached the pirest, a tongue of fire came from the Holy Chalice, but the priest didn't see the fire, only the lady, who opened her eyes wide and backed away momentarily. The Priest then asked the lady if she was an Orthodox Christian and she said, 'No.' Then he asked her to kiss the Holy Chalice and see him after the Divine Liturgy. She did and started taking catechism lessons and within six months she became Orthodox.

This miracle was worked for her benefit and for the benefit of the priest. The priest was not repentant and no longer believed -- he was defrocked about a year after this incident because his heart was hardened. Our Lord tries to convert all to Him, but some people will not open their hearts.

I cannot mention names so please don't bother to question me. Just pray for the defrocked priest, that he may return to the Orthodox Church. And, yes, I knew this priest, and if I mentioned his name, many would know who he was. So please don't ask.

Lovingly in Christ,
Elizabeth

 

[Xpycoctomos]

what was the priest supposed to be repentant of?

 

[MariaRegina]

what was the priest supposed to be repentant of?

If I reveal his name or the reason for his defrocking, that would be gossip.

We must pray for our priests, that they won't fall into temptation. I just mentioned this case because a lot of miracles happen as a wake up call for those who are losing the faith or rationalizing sin in their lives.

This miracle of fire also affected me profoundly. If God the Holy Spirit can act through an unworthy priest (and who among us is holy except Christ) to change the blessed bread and wine into the Precious Body and Blood of Christ, then that is the greater miracle. Blessed be God forever.

God allows miracles to be worked through our sinful human hands and voices.

Thank you Lord Jesus for giving us the Holy Eucharist.
How great is our God.

 

[Rilian]

There was a Eucharistic miracle associated with St. John of Kronstadt, but I can't recall it offhand.

 

[Marjorie]

I have heard many stories of an otherworldly light appearing around the Body and Blood of Christ, but unfortunately I have no sources.

In IC XC,
Marjorie

 

[Xpycoctomos]

If I reveal his name or the reason for his defrocking, that would be gossip.

We must pray for our priests, that they won't fall into temptation. I just mentioned this case because a lot of miracles happen as a wake up call for those who are losing the faith or rationalizing sin in their lives.

This miracle of fire also affected me profoundly. If God the Holy Spirit can act through an unworthy priest (and who among us is holy except Christ) to change the blessed bread and wine into the Precious Body and Blood of Christ, then that is the greater miracle. Blessed be God forever.

God allows miracles to be worked through our sinful human hands and voices.

Thank you Lord Jesus for giving us the Holy Eucharist.
How great is our God.

?????? Well, I certainly don't want you to gossip. it's just the way you wrote the post made it seem that the reason he was to be repentant was obvious. I wasn't asking out of curiosity. it honestly felt like I was missing part of the story you intended to share. I thought it was related to the story you were telling. I didn't realize it was separate. Apologies

John

 

[prodromos]

Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen!

I do recall hearing of once when the bread and wine of the eucharist actually took on the appearance of flesh and blood. The priest and monks of the monastery very carefully disposed of it by hollowing one of the legs of the altar and sealing it inside.

There is another case of a monk who had doubts about the bread and wine truly becoming Christ's flesh and blood where the contents of the chalice indeed took on the appearance of flesh and blood. The monk's response was to beg God to change its appearance back to that of bread and wine as there was no way he could consume under that appearence. Indeed it did change back and he was able to commune, no longer harbouring any doubts.

I think you will find the Orthodox approach to such miracles is very different to the Catholic approach.

John

 

[walking.away.123]

At my priest's first public liturgy in Taiwan there was a Russian woman who had been brought by a friend. She was baptised Orthodox but hadn't been to church since childhood and didn't know anything about the Church. I'm not sure at what point this happened, I assume during communion, but she saw the bread appear as flesh. No one else saw it. Later, the lady became involved in the Church again. I don't think it had anything to do with the faith of my priest, he belives firmly in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist (when he was in Greece he once had to consume the host another priest had carelessly left out and it was filled with rat poopie). If anything, I'd think it was just God's way of revealing Himself to this woman.
S.

 

[Bonifatius]

Dear all,


many many thanks for your answers. They helped me a great deal!



Boni