Another question on th Eucharist

[roseproject]

Can someone give me a good explaination why we aren’t cannibals when we eat Jesus’ flesh during Communion?

 

[Monica4316]

the early Christians were actually called cannibals and that’s also why the disciples left Jesus in John 6… (but He didn’t correct them and say He meant it symbolically! ).

It really is Jesus’ Body and Blood, but the reason it’s not cannibalism is because Jesus is risen (His Body is glorified, not like ours, and one with His Spirit) and also because the Eucharist keeps the appearance of bread and wine. (though the bread and wine are no longer there after the Consecration).

 

[Carlan]

Can someone give me a good explaination why we aren’t cannibals when we eat Jesus’ flesh during Communion?

Hello RP,we are not being cannibles in the sense that we kill, cook and eat humans.

We are recieving Jesus , Body, Blood , Soul and Divinity into ourselves really and spiritualy .He conscecrates himself into the appearences of bread and wine through the Priest who is acting in his person on the alter, It is a miricale of mystery.

I feel there is someone reading this out there who can give you a better explanation.God bless you with peace, Carlan

 

[Carlan]

the early Christians were actually called cannibals and that’s also why the disciples left Jesus in John 6… (but He didn’t correct them and say He meant it symbolically! ).

It really is Jesus’ Body and Blood, but the reason it’s not cannibalism is because Jesus is risen (His Body is glorified, not like ours, and one with His Spirit) and also because the Eucharist keeps the appearance of bread and wine. (though the bread and wine are no longer there after the Consecration).

Monica, thank you, I think that is very good, Peace, Carlan

 

[Victorious]

The Body and Blood of Jesus are given to us under the appearances of bread and wine precisely to remove as an objection the deep-seated horror of cannibalism that God Himself planted in us.

Also, each and every visible particle of the Host or drop from the Chalice contains His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, whole and entire, so it’s not as if we get a chunk of His arm one day, and a bite out of His leg the next.

 

[EmeraldWings]

Can someone give me a good explaination why we aren’t cannibals when we eat Jesus’ flesh during Communion?

we do not really eat His “flesh” as you might if you were, lets say, “feasting” on another human being, we do not “eat” Jesus like we would breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we instead receive Him, we go to Him, and He comes to us, and He comes into us whole, not partly, it’s not a “piece” of his flesh we receive, it is Jesus Christ, body, blood, soul, and divinity, it is not a “meal” in the physical sense, but a union with God, *“You have united O Lord, Your divinity with our humanity, and our humanity with Your divinity” *

also, cannibalism is the eating of dead flesh, Christ is not dead and does not decrease in size, He comes into us whole and then leaves after about 15 minutes,
Jesus entering through the mouth is symbolic also of how He is the food for our soul and nourishes us, and what other way could there be? a sacrament is a physical means of obtaining grace, and so what other physical manner could we receive Him?
we do not know what happens to the Eucharist after we eat it, whether it is absorbed completely by our body, or disappears, no one knows.
but we also do not know exactly in what manner God changes the bread and wine into His Body and Blood, although it is truly His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, physically and spiritually present, we do not understand it’s mysteries and cannot claim that it is cannibalism when we cannot even understand transubstantiation in the first place.

well, i don’t know if that explains it very well, but it’s certainly something i’d like to bring up with my priest :3 he’s always got good answers for things like this.

ok hope this helps, take care.

 

[Carlan]

I have loved reading everyone’s beautiful descriptions and understanding of the real presence of our Lord Jesus in the Eucharist.Peace, Carlan

 

[Monica4316]

Also I was thinking, that it’s not like we only receive His Body and Blood, but also His Soul and Divinity as well… in the Eucharist, we don’t just eat His flesh, but He unites Himself with us and is fully present in the Host. He is alive there, we can talk to Him. In that way it’s not like cannibalism at all… rather it’s a way to be united with God, closer than anything else we can experience on earth.

God bless

 

[Luke_K]

Well there is no getting around it: we’re eating a person’s flesh and blood. In that sense it is cannibalism. But there are key differences.

When we eat Jesus’ flesh, no one is hurt. No life is taken away. Nothing is diminished. Rather, new life is created within us (sanctifying grace). What is lowly is raised up. Receiving the Eucharist is more like a blood transfusion or kidney transplant than cannibalism. Another person freely shares a part of their body to give life to another, without hurting their own life.