THE EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE THAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE CITIES OF ORVIETO AND BOLSENA AND THE INSTITUTION OF THE SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY OF THE LORD

Witness of the miracle of Bolsena, the Corporal of Orvieto is the "signature" of Jesus alive and true in the Eucharistic Bread, which sweeps away doubt and lets us penetrate those sacred mysteries which are reached through the reason of faith: Faith and Reason (faith and reason). Or as Saint Anselm of Aosta teaches: Faith seeking understanding (faith requires the intellect) which takes shape from the saying of Saint Augustine I believe in order to understand (I believe to understand).

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The Solemnity of The body of the Lord see the cities of Orvieto e Bolsena united in a profound inseparable combination. Because it's true, the prodigious sign took place in Bolsena, but the "cradle" of the Solemnity from which it was then established for the whole Church remains and is Orvieto. Just as Jerusalem cannot do without Bethlehem, in fact, there would be no resurrection without first the nativity, in the same way the Feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord would not have been proclaimed without the prodigious event that gave rise to it.

The history of facts we can summarize it like this: in the distant XIII century Peter, boemo priest, he was tormented by a doubt. He couldn't explain himself like during Holy Mass, through the transubstantiation, the bread and the wine could really change into the Body and Blood of Christ. Thus he undertook a long pilgrimage to Rome to pray at the tomb of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in the hope of finding an answer to his excruciating torment. Once in Bolsena he decided to celebrate the Eucharistic Sacrifice on the tomb of the martyr Christine. During the Eucharistic canon, on the words of the consecration of the sacred species, in her trembling hands the Host visibly became true flesh that, dripping copiously alive blood, he implored the corporal and some stones from the altar.

For a mysterious design of Providence, in those times the Supreme Pontiff resided in Orvieto Urban IV, present in his residence in Orvieto during that miraculous event. As soon as the Pope learned of the miraculous event, he instructed the Bishop to go to nearby Bolsena to examine what had happened and bring the signs of the miracle to Orvieto. Went down to the foot of the Orvieto cliff to go to meet the Bishop, on seeing the sacred Corporal the Pope knelt down moved and, taken into his hands with great veneration this Holy linen, he returned in procession to the Church of Orvieto among the songs of the people in celebration.

Urban IV, many years before the Bolsena events and of his election as Supreme Pontiff, met in Liège, in Belgium, Juliana of Cornillon. The humble religious shared with him some revelations she had received from the Lord. These concerned the need to establish a new liturgical solemnity in honor of the Holy Eucharist, Admirable Sacrament of the Love of God and His Presence. Dad, mindful of Giuliana's confidences and with the eyes of the heart still fixed on the Precious Blood imprinted on the Corporal, it was decided to establish by the City of Orvieto, with the bubble Pass out of this world of 11 August 1264 the feast of Corpus Domini extended to the whole Universal Church.

The Pope also asked Thomas Aquinas, well-known Dominican theologian, he was also then resident in Orvieto, to draw up the Divine Office of the new Solemnity. Thus were born the texts of the five wonderful Eucharistic hymns: the Put lingua which ends with the well-known Only then, the lodge Sacred Solemnities, the Bread of Angels, the You will find the word from above e O saving victim, which are still part of the Liturgy of the Church today.

Concerning the writing of hymns, tradition hands down a particular episode: Thomas Aquinas, before presenting himself before Urban IV to propose the hymn Put lingua, he went to the church of the convent of Orvieto to pray in front of the Crucifix. Thomas asked the Lord to let him know his "opinion" on what had been written. The Crucifix answered simply: «You wrote well about me or Tommaso, what reward do you want? The great theologian replied: “Nothing but yourself, o Lord”».

What it means for us today to celebrate this great Solemnity? The immediate reminder is to go back to what Jesus did and said at that last supper. We contemplate his gesture: He took some bread and said “this is me, take and eat."

A sign, the bread, which represents his life, what was his whole life: Donated bread, life given, not even a crumb of this life, not even an instant of his time did Jesus keep for himself, it was all a gift to the brothers. What does Jesus say to us when he declares “this is me, take and eat” that is, assimilate this life proposal that was mine. Eating that bread means "you welcome me into your life and by welcoming me you welcome the logic of Love that leads to the construction of a new world." Because every disciple who eats this Bread is willing to be completely bread of life for others as Jesus was and continues to be through us.

Witness of the miracle of Bolsena, the Corporal of Orvieto it is the "signature" of Jesus alive and true in the Eucharistic Bread, which sweeps away doubt and lets us penetrate those sacred mysteries which are reached through the reason of faith: Faith and Reason (faith and reason). Or as it teaches Sant'Anselmo d'Aosta: Faith seeking understanding (faith requires the intellect) which takes shape from the saying of St. Augustine I believe in order to understand (I believe to understand).

the Island of Patmos, 11 June 2023

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* Mons. Marco Nunzi (01.06.1964) he is presbyter of the Diocese of Orvieto-Todi and canon of the Chapter of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

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