Belief in the Eucharist as Jesus’ Body

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Does anyone have any good resources for those who are struggling to believe that the Eucharist is the Body of our Lord? This is something that I have been struggling with lately. I know that I should believe and I want to believe, but for whatever reason it has been a struggle to fully believe. If you could pray for me and all those who struggle with this as well it would be very much appreciated.
Thank you and God Bless!
 
Bishop Barron has videos about this. Go to YouTube.com and do a search for “Bishop Barron real presence”.

Some books are:
Catechism of the Catholic Church (can be found on internet)
Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (can be found on internet)
Credo of the People of God by Saint Paul VI (can be found on internet, quite short)
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (can be found on internet, a flip book version)
YOUCAT – Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church
YOUCAT for Kids. (I have an Australian edition published in 2019. It has simple explanations for children. But it also more information for parents. Question 77 is “How does Jesus get into bread and wine?”).
 
There are a few books on the various Eucharistic miracles - or a short online perusal of the facts of Lanciano, Orvieto, Buenos Aires, etc., etc., etc., could be good.

Oh, and God said it. He’s there, He’s just hiding, a bit like in the Incarnation… Hiding in plain sight.

-K
 
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Are there any saints who struggled with the belief of Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist?
 
God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), and omnipresent (everywhere at once).

At the Holy Eucharist, the priest invokes the Holy Spirit to trans-substantiate the bread and wine into the literal body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Knowing that Jesus is spiritually omnipresent, of course He can indwell a piece of bread which we can bodily consume.

In the end, you must step forward in spirit, and embrace this belief, which will have life-enriching benefits for you. But, it is not unlike the first step of faith you made to believe in Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior.

Satan will fill your mind with all manner of rational objections to you embracing this faith.

John 6: 48 - 58

48 I am that bread of life.

49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

The only way you can eat the flesh of Jesus and drink his blood in 2020 is at the Roman Catholic Holy Eucharist. Jesus said "Except you come to me as a child (not as a “struggling” adult) you shall not see the kingdom of heaven." Simple, child-like faith is needed.
 
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None comes to mind with this specific issue, though the great Rhineland mystic Blessed Henry Suso had deep temptations against faith for some 10 years.
 
Reading John 6 is a great place to start! I also recommend reading the Passover story. Many don’t know this, but the Jews were not only instructed to brush lambs blood over their door posts to escape the angel of death, they ALSO had to eat the flesh of the unblemished lamb. This is how we partake in the new covenant!

I also recommend Scott Hahn’s books on the subject… you should listen to his talk titled “the 4th cup” or read his book with the same title!

Praying for you! Do not fear! Your doubt in the Eucharist doesn’t change the reality that it is Christ in the flesh. Receive him regardless and do so reverently and with care. Prepare yourself! God is good. Veni Sancte Spiritus
 

St. Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110 A.D.)​

I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the Bread of God, WHICH IS THE FLESH OF JESUS CHRIST , who was of the seed of David; and for drink I DESIRE HIS BLOOD , which is love incorruptible. ( Letter to the Romans 7:3 )

Take care, then, to use one Eucharist, so that whatever you do, you do according to God: FOR THERE IS ONE FLESH OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST , and one cup IN THE UNION OF HIS BLOOD ; one ALTAR , as there is one bishop with the presbytery… ( Letter to the Philadelphians 4:1 )

They [i.e. the Gnostics] abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that THE EUCHARIST IS THE FLESH OF OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST , flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in his goodness, raised up again. ( Letter to Smyrnians 7:1 )

St. Justin the Martyr (c. 100 - 165 A.D.)​

We call this food Eucharist; and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true and who has been washed in the washing which is for the remission of sins and for regeneration [Baptism], and is thereby living as Christ has enjoined.

For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by Him, AND BY THE CHANGE OF WHICH our blood and flesh is nourished, IS BOTH THE FLESH AND THE BLOOD OF THAT INCARNATED JESUS . ( First Apology , 66)

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 350 A.D.)​

For just as the bread and the wine of the Eucharist before the holy invocation of the adorable Trinity were simple bread and wine, but the invocation having been made, the bread becomes the Body of Christ and the wine the Blood of Christ … **( Catechetical Lectures 19 [Mystagogic 1], 7

Once in Cana of Galilee He changed the water into wine , a thing related to blood; and is His changing of wine into Blood not credible ? When invited to an ordinary marriage, with a miracle He performed that glorious deed. And is it not much more to be confessed that He has betowed His Body and His Blood upon the wedding guests ? ( 22 [Mystagogic 4], 2 )

Do not , therefore, regard the Bread and the Wine as simply that ; for they are, according to the Master’s declaration, the Body and Blood of Christ. Even though the senses suggest to you the other, let faith make you firm. Do not judge in this matter by taste, but – be fully assured by the faith, not doubting that you have been deemed worthy of the Body and Blood of Christ . ( 22 [Mystagogic 4], 6 )

Much more…
http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/father/fathers.htm
 
pretty much all the apostolic churches share the belief of real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Catholic, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and Assyrian Church of the East.
 
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