Holy
Communion, the True Body and Blood of our Lord...
The
blessed in memory Demetrios Panagopoulos (1916-1982), who was enlightened by
God to preach, had even preached at the Hospital “Sotiria”, where others did
not approach for the fear of tuberculosis. There he was accompanied by the
priest Fr. Dimitrios Papantonis, who offered the sacrament of confession to the
tuberculosis patients and celebrated the Divine Liturgy for these patients.
One
day a doctor, somehow troubled, who was listening to the sermons, approached
the preacher and said:
- Mr.
Panagopoulos, it is impossible for the priest to consume the remaining contents
of the Holy Communion from the holy chalice. So many tuberculosis patients
received Holy Communion from this, and as it is well known, tuberculosis is
transmitted by saliva. So what does the priest do with the Lord's Body and
Blood that is left over? Does he pour it into the special drain of the church,
(where holy vessels are washed so not to be desecrated)? But isn't that a great
sin?
-"Such
a thing never happens," the preacher countered. Christ is not infected
with germs, and there is no risk of infection from the Holy Mysteries.
But
the doctor could not believe it. Mr. Panagopoulos then urged him to attend the
next divine service, and at the end to stand somewhere to see the priest's movements
at the time of the consumption of the holy gifts. So it happened. The doctor
saw with his own eyes the priest consuming the contents of the holy chalice
after he had given Holy Communion to the patients. He even saw him adding wine
two or three times, making sure that no trace of the Lord's Body and Blood
remained in the chalice. Since then, the doctor not only believed, but also
went to church and received Holy Communion with the patients.
From
the book "Miracles and Revelations from the Divine Liturgy" published
by Holy Monastery of Parakletos.
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