Book Review: A Cardiologist Examines Jesus-The Stunning Science Behind Eucharistic Miracles

The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As this month draws to a close, consider adding the book A Cardiologist Examines Jesus:The Scientific Science Behind Eucharistic Miracles to your library. This book, written by cardiologist Dr. Franco Serafini and published in 2021 by Sophia Institute Press, examines the scientific findings revealed by tests performed on consecrated hosts in five situations that have displayed elements of physical change, usually referred to as "Eucharistic miracles."

The changes in the consecrated hosts range from dripping blood to actually becoming something entirely different, namely human heart tissue. Although Dr. Serafini interprets the findings as a doctor, he also reflects on the meaning we can understand from them. This is what sets this book apart from others about Eucharistic miracles. Dr. Serafini himself intended in the beginning to simply publish the scientific facts about the testing, somewhat akin to the data reports of other scientific results. To his enormous surprise, he found something far greater. In discussing the relationship between the physical and the spiritual, Serafini promotes the seamless union between the material and the nonmaterial. He writes that the problem of today is not science, but scientism, the act of turning science into a god who will provide us with all the anwers, even the meaning of life. Serafini notes that "a rational God created an ordered and comprehensible world so that a rational man could understand the nature surrounding him." It is when we elevate science into the realm of what it is not intended to be that we are led astray. 

Serafini talks about the relationship between science and faith, resulting in what he calls "bio-theology" (the theological reflection on biology) and shares the complex patterns that emerge with punctuality, regardless of the "historical time or geographical location." A serious consideration of bio-theology, of reflecting on the meaning of a biological system based on its specific role, is called for. In his own words, his findings were "surprising, at the very least."

The book is written in a conversational style by a cardiologist who deeply understands both the science behind the investigations as well as the Catholic symbolism and meaning of a consecrated host. He himself ponders "How can I cut into the Sacred Heart, knowing that this small sample will be destroyed?" This book will reawaken the conviction of the Real Presence in any Catholic, and at least provide a great deal of rigorous scienctific testing and conclusion to a nonbeliever.  It's available in Kindle or paperback formats, and is appropriate for older high schoolers and up. 

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