In 1263, a German priest named Peter of Prague stopped in Bolsena during a pilgrimage to Rome. Though a devout priest, he struggled with doubts concerning the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. While celebrating Holy Mass at the tomb of St. Christina, the consecrated Host began to bleed, staining the corporal and altar with blood.
This extraordinary Eucharistic Miracle was investigated by Pope Urban IV, who declared it authentic. One year later, the Feast of Corpus Christi was established, and St. Thomas Aquinas was commissioned to compose the magnificent hymns and liturgical texts that continue to inspire Catholics throughout the world.
Yet this sermon reminds us of an even deeper truth: the greatest miracle is not the Host bleeding, but the miracle that occurs at every Holy Mass when bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ while retaining the appearances of bread and wine.
Drawing upon Sacred Scripture, St. Thomas Aquinas, the Fourth Lateran Council, and the Council of Trent, this homily explores the doctrine of Transubstantiation, the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena, the origins of Corpus Christi, and God’s immense love manifested in the Blessed Sacrament.
“The Eucharist is the Tree of Life, and its fruit is Christ Himself.”
00:00 Introduction
00:16 Peter of Prague and His Doubts About the Eucharist
01:32 The Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena
02:07 Pope Urban IV Investigates the Miracle
02:41 The Origin of the Feast of Corpus Christi
02:58 St. Thomas Aquinas and Eucharistic Hymns
03:29 Relics of the Miracle Preserved Today
04:02 Was the Bleeding Host Really the Miracle?
04:34 What Happens at Consecration
05:21 The True Miracle of the Holy Eucharist
05:59 God’s Love Revealed in the Blessed Sacrament
06:08 The New Tree of Life
06:51 Why Christ Gives Us His Flesh as Food
07:02 St. Thomas Aquinas on the Eucharistic Species
07:42 The Sacrifice of Calvary Renewed at Mass
08:04 Why the Eucharist Should Inspire Wonder and Gratitude
08:26 The Real Presence: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity
08:36 The Meaning of the Miracle of Bolsena
08:58 Closing Prayer
