Neapolitans hold their breath on the Feast of the great patron San Gennaro, St. Januarius. There is a relic of dry blood which, as the Cardinal Archbishop moves the reliquary, liqufies and visibly flows again. When it doesn’t… bad things happen, such as earthquakes.
This year, just hours ago, the blood of San Gennaro liquified again.
Here is a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhTXJ95QMqM&feature=player_embedded \
A news account with photos HERE
St. Alphonus de Liguori wrote in Victory of the Martyrs:
The Neapolitans honor this saint as the principal patron of their city and nation, and the Lord himself has continued to honor him, by allowing many miracles to be wrought through his intercession, particularly when the frightful eruptions of Mount Vesuvius have threatened the city of Naples with utter destruction. While the relics of St. Januarius were being brought in procession towards this terrific volcano, the torrents of lava and liquid fire which it emitted have ceased, or turned their course from the city. But the most stupendous miracle, and that which is greatly celebrated in the church, is the liquefying and boiling up of this blessed martyr’s blood whenever the vials are brought in sight of his head. This miracle is renewed many times in the year, in presence of all who desire to witness it; yet some heretics have endeavored to throw a doubt upon its genuineness, by frivolous and incoherent explanations; but no one can deny the effect to be miraculous, unless he be prepared to question the evidence of his senses.
A better video, but from last year:
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The priest this morning expressed skepticism in that the blood is really Januarius’ and that it liquifies. He did assure that he believed that Jesus’ performed miracles.
So whose blood does he think it is, and how would that make it less miraculous that the blood looks new after centuries? Sheesh, people, if you’re going to be a skeptic, do it right.
More to the point, if one doesn’t have anything edifying to say, and one doesn’t have any proof or in-depth knowledge as an authority or scholar on the question, why would you bring it up and be skeptical in public, as a priest? Do you really have nothing better to do than to fiddle around with people’s beliefs for your own amusement, or are you just taking out your own doubts on other people? I’ve said some things to vulnerable people that I’ve regretted later, but at least I didn’t say it as a representative of Jesus Christ Himself.
@PeggyR: I do not know anything about the priest of whom you wrote, and I hesitate to label him as prone to Modernism, but in general it is typical for someone with Modernist leanings to claim a belief in miracles in principle, and then to cast doubt on all specific instances of miracles. A classic example is the Gospel Miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes, where a Modernist would reduce the “miracle” to Jesus inspiring the people to share the food they already had. Not to say we shouldn’t investigate the veracity of miraculous claims… However, when the celebration of a miracle is sanctioned by the Church, it would seem prudent to defer to the judgment of the Church.
Dear Banshee,
at least I didn’t say it as a representative of Jesus Christ Himself
and at least you did not have, as priests have, a multiple-years education which should, by the nature of it, include some practical training in precisely what to say and what not on such matters theoretically open to free opinion, including how to treat pious beliefs.
Ah, but maybe the education itself is the problem instead of the solution of course. There certainly has been the rumour around that popular religion, pious beliefs on less important matters, and affection for miracles are all superstition and adverse to true Christianity. Nothing new under the sun, of course, Emperor Joseph had the same attitude.
This was one of the events that Catholic school kids like to know about – for some reason it is one of those things that are never discussed. The sense of awe and wonder, following a video and a discussion about it, are are worth a thousand words or more.
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Auguri a tutti napoletani !