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Miracle of Eudcharist of El Escorial Spain

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Published: 20Mar2010
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What is El Escorial?

El Escorial was originally a grand monastery, the Royal Monastery of Spain in honor of the Spanish Martyr, San Lorenzo, or St. Lawrence. The concept of this masterpiece of Spanish architecture came to King Philip II, as he fought a fierce battle against the French in St. Quentin, France in 1557. He vowed, if he were victorious, he would build a splendid Monastery in honor of the Saint, on Spanish soil. Actually, he accomplished a double task with one action. He had also promised his father, Charles V, that he would provide a burial place for him and his ancestors to come. The cornerstone was placed on April 23, 1563. Four years later, on the Feast of the Holy Innocents in 1567, the first six Religious brothers were admitted to the Monastery as custodians.

It became the pet project of King Philip of Spain.

Various queens and princesses were the first to be buried inside the tombs of the Monastery. During a visit of the King to the Monastery, on June 14, 1575, the foundations of the main church were begun. The same month, the King donated the Library to the Monastery. It contained 4,000 volumes. And then the King was given a special Gift, which he in turn, gave to the Monastery of El Escorial. It was a Miracle of the Eucharist.

The Story of the Miracle of the Eucharist of El Escorial

Heretics broke into the Cathedral of Gorcum with the intention of desecrating the Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, in whatever way they could.

They stole into the Tabernacle. They opened the Monstrance, and took out the Consecrated Hosts. The more contemptible and horrible their vile actions became, the more excited they got, the more outrageous their behavior. It was an escalating madness, a craze which accelerated, the more they profaned the Eucharist.

They built up this great fever, and smashed the Hosts with a vengeance. It was the scourging of Jesus once more, at the Pillar, the crowning with thorns, the mockery He and His Mother endured at Calvary.

The final blow came when one of the heretics threw a Consecrated Host on the floor, and stomped on It with his boots. The bottom of the boot had spikes on the sole, to help grip the road when there was mud on the ground.

The spikes punctured the Host in three places, and small drops of Blood emerged from the Consecrated Host.

The attacker went into shock.

He couldn't believe his eyes, the sight before him.

He looked around. His companions behaved in the same way, staring in amazement at what had happened. He went down on his knees to pick up the Host, but was afraid to touch It.

He knew now that there was a living Being inside that Host, and that Being was God.

He began to sob loudly. He got up and ran for all he was worth. He wanted to put as much distance between him and what he had done, as possible. His friends followed suit, and in a matter of minutes, the Cathedral was as empty and silent as it had been before the molestation had taken place.

There was only one big difference now; a bright shining Host was laying on the floor, with three drops of crimson blood slowly oozing from it.

Once in the vestibule of the Cathedral, the heretic and perpetrator could go no farther.

He didn't want to be here; his friends didn't want him to be here. They kept warning him that they needed to escape or the authorities would be coming soon.

But try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to leave the Lord alone in that condition. He had to do something; tell someone. The Lord was melting his heart of stone. Did he see the Lord bleeding instead of a Host? He shrugged off the warnings of his friends, and went in search of a priest. He found John Van der Delft, a Dean of the church. He confessed his crime to the Dean. Together they went back to the Altar, where the Body of the Savior lay on the floor, gleaming in the light, the red blood spots glistening against the moonlight which poured in the window. Both men realized that it would not be safe to leave this miraculous Form of the Body of Christ here in this church. The climate of the city was so anti-Church, they were sure the Host would come to harm.

They got on their horses, and left the city, the Miraculous Host wrapped carefully in a sack. They went through the dark night to the imperial city of Malines, and the convent of St. Francis.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the Miracle of the Eucharist of Holland became very famous. People came to the Franciscan convent from all over the country to pray before the Blessed Sacrament in this Miraculous form. That was the fortunate part. The unfortunate part is that It became too celebrated, too well-known for Its own safety. The custodians of the Miraculous Host knew they had to protect It from those who would destroy It and the Church.

Bob and Penny Lord are renowned Catholic authors and television hosts on EWTN, Global Catholic television. They are prolific writers about the Catholic faith, especially the Saints for which they have been dubbed "experts on the Saints." For more about the Shrines of Spain go to: http://www.experience-catholic-pilgrimages.com/shrines-of-spain.html

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