For a long time the parish priest of Moncada in Spain had
celebrated Mass without any scruples of conscience, when suddenly he
became the prey of a violent doubt as to whether he had been rightly
ordained. In his distress, to allay his doubts he determined to put
his case before his bishop. He immediately set out on foot and
journeyed to Valencia, the seat of the diocese. In this place it
pleased Almighty God to deliver him from his trouble, and to give him
light and peace by means of a very remarkable miracle.

The priest had been appointed to say Christmas Mass. He had reached
the awful moment of Consecration, and with trembling hands took the
host and pronounced the words of transubstantiation with a quivering
voice. As he raised the Sacred Host aloft, and knelt again in
trembling adoration, the cry of a little five-year-old child rang out
from the congregation: "O Mama, what a lovely child! See there, Mama!
He is up on the altar." A little lad nearby, apparently forgetful of
everything else, stood upon the chair and clapped his hands with joy.
The boy's mother was embarrassed and bade him hush, for no one else
had seen the vision of beauty; only the innocent child saw it when
the Sacred Host was raised on high. Again and again he entreated his
mother to look. "Such a beautiful child, Mama," he whispered, "just
like the little baby over there in the crib."

The mother and child awaited to hear a second Mass which was said by
the same priest at dawn, and again at the Elevation the little boy
exclaimed, "Oh, there he is again, Mama, don't you see? The priest is
holding him up in his hands and now he has laid him on the altar!" The
mother bade the child be silent; she could not see anything, the great
grace being granted only to her little son.

The priest completed the Christmas offering by saying the third Mass.
At the Elevation the boy was all excitement, and the same scene was
enacted as before. The happy mother repeated this strange occurrence
to others, and through them it reached the ears of the priest himself
who, it may be believed, was greatly comforted thereby. However, his
scruples were not entirely removed. He doubted whether the child
might not have been deceived, and therefore he requested that the
little boy be cross-examined by him. But the answers of the child
were so accurate that he found no reason to doubt the reality of the
manifestation. Full of joy and filled with gratitude towards God, he
invited the little boy and his mother to be present as often as
possible at his Mass, and on each occasion the miracle was renewed.
As doubts still lingered in his mind, he resolved to receive a final
convincing proof. Taking three particles with him to the altar, he
placed two upon the corporal and consecrated them, leaving the third
one unconsecrated but within reach. After Holy Mass was ended he
called the little boy to the altar, and asked him if he saw the
divine Infant in either of the particles, and, if so, in which. "Oh
yes, Father," said the boy, "there He is! See, He is stretching out
His hands." The little fellow seemed quite ravished with delight. On
pointing to the other host the priest asked: "And what about it? Is
the Divine Infant also in that other host?" The child answered, "No."
"But are you sure?" queried the priest. "Oh yes, Father, there is
nothing there." At the last manifestation the peace of the good
priest returned to him. Unrest and scruple vanished from his mind
forever, and for the remainder of his life he served God with greater
love and piety.