The Bread & Wine
Healing in the Eucharist

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you:
The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said,
“This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood;
do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
1Corinthians 11:23-26

From the age of 6, when I first received Communion, and up to this very day, the Eucharist has been an important part of Sunday service for me. At each Elevation, the lifting up of the Bread and Wine, I whisper to Jesus,

"My Lord and My God!"

I have always felt that something special and powerful was happening during this time. It did not seem possible to me that this moment of time in our Lord's life, captured and relived weekly and daily in the Eucharist by so many Christians, could be just another moment in time.

Today, as a member of The Order of Saint Luke, and as a member of the healing team at my own Church, I believe strongly that there is healing in the Eucharist. And so I continue on in the belief that I have held, since childhood.

One Sunday morning, as I sat in my pew at Saint Michael's, quietly preparing to receive Communion, this thought came to me: Something special happens in the Eucharist. Wondering at these words, I went forward.

Kneeling at the Communion rail, my wafer in hand, I waited to receive the Wine from our Chalice Bearer. When my turn came, Virginia leaned towards me, quietly saying those words that I had heard so many times before,

"The Blood of Christ Shed for you".

But this time, when she spoke, I heard those age-old words in a new way. And, as she moved on to the next person, and to the next, her words continued to echo and to burn in my heart,
"The Blood of Christ, Shed for you."
"The Blood of Christ, Shed for you."

Through Virginia's words, the Lord was speaking to me, clearly and intimately, telling me

That He had shed His Blood. For me.
That He had poured out His Blood. For me.
That He had died. For me.

I felt so very blessed. And it was preparation for more to come.

In our home on Friday mornings, I am presently leading a group of Christians through the OSL Bible Study Project. Through these dear Christians, I was invited to attend a Healing Mass on May 21st at St. John Fisher Catholic Church. The Celebrant was Fr. Lou Cerulli. When I finally read the announcement in The Gazette's Religion Calendar, I knew I was to attend.

The teaching was on Healing in the Eucharist. Fr. Cerulli walked us through each step of the Eucharistic Rite, providing us with little yellow cards to use as a guide, and giving insight, understanding, and revelation to what I now knew to be true:

There is healing in the Eucharist.

And I received a special healing that evening. In prayer, I saw myself as a small child, holding tightly to my father's hand, at the airport in Aruba. You see, my father was leaving us to establish a new home for us in Canada. But all I knew as a child was that I was being separated from the father I loved so much. As Fr. Cerulli prayed for us, a sense of peace came over me, and the knowledge that My Heavenly Father was with me.

In that same peace, I went forward to be anointed with oil, and from there, to ask a prayer team to pray with me: To give what I feel called to do into the Lord's hands, and to ask Him to be Lord of it all. Such joy and peace filled my heart as they prayed for me.

Having studied the history of the Christian Church with EFM, I now know full well, the price that so many had to pay, to hold on to this ancient rite; The Eucharistic Rite is one that has endured for centuries.

Imagine what Good News this would be to so many who are struggling, with hurt, with sin, with pain: A ministry tool that they can avail themselves of, whenever and wherever we come together to celebrate the Eucharist. What a precious gift the Lord has given to us, His Church!

I would like to close with Father Cerulli's own words:

"If we truly knew and understood what is going on each time the Eucharist is celebrated,
we would be knocking down the doors of the Church to get in." Fr. Lou


To know more about Healing in the Eucharist and about the ministry work of Fr. Lou Cerulli, please call or visit:

Peace, Freedom & Healing Ministry
(514) 484-1675

To God be the Glory.

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