Now this I agree with!!! Both of our communions would be better off focusing on the why, which you so interestingly state in your post, instead of the how, which, other than what Christ and Paul tell us, is a mystery.
Jon
Here is “WHY”
Can it be true? Is Jesus Really in Catholic Holy Communion?
Jesus Willed to stay with us. Mt. 28: “18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me… and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
The gift from God, of God (His Son, Jesus the Christ) and for God, in that it is the greatest source of grace, leading to our eternal salvation.
When the Catholic priest or bishop pronounces the words: “This is My Body…. This is My Blood” two miracles take place. First the priest is momentarily miraculously transformed into Christ Himself, as it is Christ who makes the transformation (Transubstaniation…Catholic theological term) of what appears to be ordinary bread and wine, into the very Flesh and Blood of Jesus Himself. Thus we proclaim that what was, is no more” The second miracle. Jesus Himself, not a sign, and not a symbol: Jesus Himself is made present. All that remains are “the accidents” that is to say the appearance of bread and wine.
John: Ch. 6:
52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 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; 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed
66 after this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. (Deciples …not Apostles.” no longer” means that they deserted Jesus and His teaching.) 67 Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Jesus didn’t say …oops, “you didn’t understand what I was trying to say.” He simply asked ‘do you not understand, not believe and wish to go away (desert Me)?
Saint Paul: 1st. Corinthians 11:
27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 for any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.
33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—34 if any one is hungry, let him eat at home–lest you come together to be condemned. Paul is saying this “this not a meal! It is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Himself.” Were he not saying this, why would one be” condemned” for eating what is only ordinary bread, and drinking ordinary wine? NOT!
Only through the window of Divine Love, can one even come close to understanding why God did this.
Heb. 2: “5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6* It has been testified somewhere, “What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou carest for him? 7 Thou didst make him for a little while lower than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one.”
Desiring to do more, to be more, to save more; Christ became our Bread and our Drink. God didn’t settle for (dare I say) “just” becoming a man like us in every way but sin. Jesus the God-man, didn’t just die for us. No, God who promised to be “with us until the end if time,” (Mt. 28:20), Willed to become an inanimate object, ordinary bread and wine.
Why did Jesus allow Himself to be born as a small, helpless, baby? Remember he was “laid in a manger.” What is a “manager? Something that hold food. Where did this take place? Lk. 2: “15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And what does the work “Bethlehem” mean in Hebrew?” It means, “house of bread.”
Jesus came to us as a tiny harmless baby, so as not to scare or to intimidate us. For the very same reason, he assumes the appearance of bread and wine. Mt. 11: 28 ”Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Jesus loves us too much to scare us, to force us, but loves us so very much that He desires to lead us to Himself.
This, my friend can only be understood through the window of Divine Love!
Love and prayers,
Pat
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I just wanted you to spell it out. So instead, I’ll ask the question: I am inferring into your comment that you are questioning their faith. Is my inference right or wrong?
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