In today's world, where we tend to be so removed from our spiritual nature, and God himself, it may be difficult to believe in this daily miracle. Let me ask you another question. Do you believe God can work miracles? If so, could he not do the aforementioned without batting an eye (not that God has eyes, per se)?
Let me quote Jesus himself on this matter:
(John 6:48-58)
"I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread whih comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."
The jews then disputed among themselves, saying. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."
I would say that Jesus was very clear here. He is not speaking figuratively. He emphatically states we must actually eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to have eternal life and for Him to live within us. He was speaking so literally, in fact, that his audience could not believe him and were shocked. If he were speaking figuratively, they would not have reacted the way they did. As Jesus compared the bread which he was giving them to the manna which fed the Jews daily for forty years, he tells them He (as the bread) must be eaten daily. We even say this in The Lord's Prayer!
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread …
Jesus is very explicit in what he wants his followers to do. He does not ask his people to drink something else or eat something else, and only do it occasionally. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood through the consecration of the bread and wine by the priest on the altar has ALWAYS been the teaching of the Catholic Church ~ I'm talking since the beginning. The actually beginning. You know ... since Christ himself.
The Council of Trent, which was held from 1545-1563, in response to the Reformation that was occurring throughout Europe, stated:
"Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council now declares again, that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation."
I will leave you with a quote from St. John Chrysostom:
"Let us in everything believe God, and gainsay him in nothing, though what is said be contrary to our thoughts and senses…Let us act likewise in respect to the Eucharistic mysteries, not looking at the things set before us, but keeping in mind his words. For his word cannot deceive."
St. John Chrysostom was telling us that it is difficult for our earthbound minds to understand Jesus' words, but to not question it for they are Christ's words. He "cannot deceive".
God bless you all and may you love Christ even more through the eucharist He freely gives us every single day of every year in every Catholic church all around the world! ~+ Katherine
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| John Chrysostom (349-407 AD) Preaching in Constantinople |
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