Have you ever stopped to consider what actually happens when we receive Holy Communion? To the human eye, it appears to be a simple piece of unleavened bread. Yet for over two thousand years, the Catholic Church has taught the reality of Transubstantiation: that in the Eucharist, Jesus Christ is truly, substantially present – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

Sometimes, God allows remarkable moments in history to remind us of the divine reality hidden just beyond our physical sight.

When Science Encountered the Sacred

A widely recounted story from the early era of space exploration highlights this mystery. During research into body energy fields and the physiological impacts of space travel, scientists utilized specialized aura-imaging technology (often linked to early Kirlian photography and biofield imaging techniques explored by researchers like Dr. Valerie Hunt and Dr. Thelma Moss in medical settings).

While monitoring a terminally ill patient in a hospital room behind a two-way mirror, scientists observed the patient’s energy field steadily diminishing as death approached.

Suddenly, a man entered the room holding a small pyx in his pocket. As he extracted the sacred host to administer Viaticum (the final Holy Communion given to the dying), the monitoring cameras were overwhelmed by a sudden, intense flash of light that filled the screen.

Astonished, the researchers ran into the room to investigate what had blinded their equipment. They found no flashbulbs or electronic devices, only a priest giving Holy Communion to a dying man. Following the reception of the Eucharist, the camera showed the patient’s aura glowing with renewed brightness and vitality.

The profound reality of what took place moved the chief scientist conducting the study so deeply that he spent his later years discerning a call to the Catholic priesthood.

St. Faustina and the Rays of Divine Mercy

This encounter with divine light mirrors the mystical revelations given to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, the Apostle of Divine Mercy, in the 1930s.

In her Diary, St. Faustina repeatedly recorded visions of the Sacred Host radiating brilliant light during Mass and Eucharistic Adoration:

“I saw the Lord Jesus exposed in the monstrance. In place of the monstrance, I saw the most glorious face of the Lord… and from the Host there came forth two rays, just as in the image: one red and the other pale. They were shining brightly, but transparent.”

— Diary of St. Faustina, Paragraph 441

When Jesus explained the meaning of these two rays to St. Faustina, He revealed their direct connection to the Sacraments:

• The Pale Ray represents the Water that makes souls righteous (Baptism and Reconciliation).

• The Red Ray represents the Blood which is the life of souls (The Holy Eucharist).

Every time we attend Mass, the Heart of Jesus opens up to pour these exact same rays of mercy, healing, and life-giving energy into our souls.

We Are Invited to Feast Every Single Day

We do not have to wait for the end of our lives to experience the transforming power of God. At the Divine Mercy Shrine in Lower Chittering, Holy Mass is offered daily, providing a sanctuary where you can step away from the busyness of life and feast on the living presence of God.

Whether you have been away from the Church for many years, are looking for a parish home in our growing region, or are simply searching for truth, peace, and real purpose: our doors are open to you.