This is one of the highlights on the trip! Although everyday kinda has a lot of highlights. But today we get to see up close the Eucharistic Miracle of Santarem from 1247.
It’s well documented and has been studied by atheistic scientists to verify that yes, it’s real blood - living blood. Read the story for all the scientific details. Read below for my retelling of how it came to be.
St Stephens
A lady thought her husband was cheating on her so she went to the local fortune teller. The fortune teller asked for her to bring her a consecrated host (the holy Eucharist) and she’d tell her. The lady went to mass and instead of consuming the Eucharist she stuffed it in her headscarf.
On the walk back to the fortune teller people kept asking why her head was bleeding! She beelined for home instead and stuffed the bloody Eucharist and scarf into her dresser.
That night the dresser shook and shone a bright light! She then confessed to her husband what she’d done. The got the parish priest who took the bloody host back to the tabernacle.
The faithful can now go pray here.
Royal Basilica of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Commissioned by the Queen, this Basilica was the first church in the world dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Behind the tomb of the Queen is…
Largest nativity scene in the world.
Commissioned in year 1781, read full story and description here.
My own observance:
The slaughter of holy innocents is the first thing I see - it’s right at eye level for me.
Then tucked back around the corner is a bar scene with men gambling and drinking. It shows that the world is still going on. Not everyone is aware that God Himself has come down to earth!
The colonial guy seems out of place. I’m assuming he represents the present time and how the birth of Christ is for each one of us.
The shepherds are awakened by the angels
The best scene in the middle of it all:
Poor Clare Convent and
Orphanage
Back in 1920, this was simply an orphanage and not a convent. When Jacinta became ill with the Spanish flu she was brought to Lisbon for surgery. Lisbon had the best children’s hospital around.
They say the infection on or near her lung (I didn’t pay good attention here) was so bad she smelled and people move away from her on the train ride.
Her mom had other kids to take care of so she left Jacinta in Lisbon at this orphanage.
She spent 12 days here at the orphanage before being transferred to the hospital.
This is her bed.
The only time the nuns saw Jacinta cry was when the sister went to move that chair next to her bed to another spot. “Oh please don’t move that chair. That’s where Our Lady sits when she visits me.”
Jacinta was comforted by the Blessed Mother throughout her suffering.
No disney princess can top this “tower window” to look out. Little Jacinta was able to open this and look into the church that had the Blessed Sacrament there in the tabernacle.
Today, this is a convent for Poor Clare nuns. They make most of the holy bread for mass for the entire country!
Estafani Hospital
In mid-19th century Lisbon, amidst cholera and yellow fever outbreaks, Queen Stephanie sought to establish a dedicated children's hospital. Though she died prematurely, King Peter V honored her vision, resulting in the construction of the renowned Queen Stephanie's Hospital, considered a model of its time.
Our Lady had asked Jacinta if she was ready to go to heaven or wanted to stay a little longer to suffer for poor sinners. Jacinta, still a child, chose to stay.
She was brought to this hospital for surgery and because her heart was weak didn’t get anesthesia. She was awake the whole time 2 ribs were removed. She dedicated her pain to the conversion of sinners.
Can you imagine!
She died the next day.
We prayed in the place she died which is now a hallway then it was a large ward with beds lined up. Then we visited the hospital’s chapel and heard from the priest.
What’s with suffering?
I’ve been getting questions. And it’s not something I fully understand myself. I’m not about to seek out suffering. Let’s try to break it down from my understanding.
Colossians 1:24
Nothing is actually lacking in Christ’s suffering of course. We can unite our sufferings - big and small - to His for the salvation of souls. Some people are asked to suffer more than others. Fr Mike talks about it a bit here. I’ll share as I learn more.
…
That was a big day! We came back to the hotel for debriefing in the hotel bar with my new friends!
Comments