Catholic understanding of the Eucharist?

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Mortification

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I’m Catholic, I know what the Eucharist is and what it means, but I can’t figure out how to put it into words exactly for a friend who is asking.

He asks, “how is it that you practice it, how does it work, what is it meant to represent etc.?”

Here’s what my answer would be:

It isn’t meant to represent anything, as Catholics we believe the Eucharist IS the body and blood of Jesus Christ (maybe not scientifically but we believe that through the priest’s consecration, Christ is literally present in the bread & wine). It is in memory of him, as he says to do during the Last Supper.

You practice it after having made your First Communion. The goal is to receive it at every mass. If you have done something that would prevent you from receiving it at a mass (i.e. sinning), you are supposed to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving it the next time.

How it works? It is necessary for salvation (can someone on this forum please give me a reference where Christ says this or any other (name removed by moderator)ut as to “how it works?” These things escape me at the moment).
If anyone could please add, elaborate, or correct me, it would be MUCH appreciated. Thank you!
 
Mortification said:
I’m Catholic, I know what the Eucharist is and what it means, but I can’t figure out how to put it into words exactly for a friend who is asking.

He asks, “how is it that you practice it, how does it work, what is it meant to represent etc.?”

Here’s what my answer would be:

It isn’t meant to represent anything, as Catholics we believe the Eucharist IS the body and blood of Jesus Christ (maybe not scientifically but we believe that through the priest’s consecration, Christ is literally present in the bread & wine). It is in memory of him, as he says to do during the Last Supper.

You practice it after having made your First Communion. The goal is to receive it at every mass. If you have done something that would prevent you from receiving it at a mass (i.e. sinning), you are supposed to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving it the next time.

How it works? It is necessary for salvation (can someone on this forum please give me a reference where Christ says this or any other (name removed by moderator)ut as to “how it works?” These things escape me at the moment).
If anyone could please add, elaborate, or correct me, it would be MUCH appreciated. Thank you!
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Great start. There is a bit of terminology to help you. Philosophy distinguishes between the accidents of a thing and its essence.

The accidents of a car for example might be its color and texture…its essence is that it moves people on the ground.

“That without which it is not”…if a car can’t move people on the ground its essence is gone.

If it rusts and it runs, it retains its essence, even if its accidents are changed or retained.

The Eucharist is changed essentially or “substantially”. The accidents of the bread remain.

I think that is right and might help.
 
Mortification said:
How it works? It is necessary for salvation (can someone on this forum please give me a reference where Christ says this or any other (name removed by moderator)ut as to “how it works?” These things escape me at the moment).
If anyone could please add, elaborate, or correct me, it would be MUCH appreciated. Thank you!
Click to expand...
John 6: 48-68 (King James Version)
*48I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I 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. 52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

53Then 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. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This 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.

59These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

64But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. *

This is why as Catholics we believe so strongly in the real presence in the Eucharist. Many Non-Catholics see this passage as symbolic however Jesus has to repeat himself to his disciples to ensure they understand it is not symbolic. Their response “This is a hard saying” confirms that they took it literally not symbolic. This is hard concrete evidence that the Eucharist as we Catholics know it was exactly how Christ meant it to be. How other Christian denominations can continue to dispute John 6 baffles me.
 
Mortification said:
I’m Catholic, I know what the Eucharist is and what it means, but I can’t figure out how to put it into words exactly for a friend who is asking.

(can someone on this forum please give me a reference where Christ says this or any other (name removed by moderator)ut as to “how it works?” These things escape me at the moment).
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Code: 
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
36
But I told you that although you have seen (me), you do not believe.
37
Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
38
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.
39
And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it (on) the last day.
40
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him (on) the last day."
41
The Jews murmured about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,”
42
and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
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Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring 18 among yourselves.
44
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day.
45
It is written in the prophets: ‘They shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
46
Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.
47
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
48
I am the bread of life.
49
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
50
this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.
51
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
52
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?”
53
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
54
Whoever eats 19 my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
55
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
56
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
57
Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
58
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
 
The Eucharist does not represent anything at all. It isn’t a symbol. At the moment of Consecration, it comes into being. It truly is the body and blood of Christ.

Please watch the video linked to in my signature 🙂
 
Mortification said:
It isn’t meant to represent anything, as Catholics we believe the Eucharist IS the body and blood of Jesus Christ (maybe not scientifically but we believe that through the priest’s consecration, Christ is literally present in the bread & wine). It is in memory of him, as he says to do during the Last Supper.
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The eucharistic species (bread & wine) each become Christ, whole and entire. That is, one small circle of bread (a host) becomes all of Christ at the consecration. If the host is broken in half after the consecration, each piece is Christ whole and entire.

Christ isn’t present IN the species of bread. What appears to be bread isn’t bread at all anymore. It is Christ. If one were to chemically analyze a consecrated host, the results of the chemical analysis would be identical with the results of a similar analysis of the unconsecrated bread. That is because what something appears to be (no matter how closely you examine it) is not the same as what it is.
Mortification said:
You practice it after having made your First Communion. The goal is to receive it at every mass. If you have done something that would prevent you from receiving it at a mass (i.e. sinning)
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You mean grave sin.
Mortification said:
you are supposed to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving it the next time.
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“Must” is better than “supposed to” here.
Mortification said:
How it works?
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By receiving Christ in Holy Communion, you are getting as close to a union with Christ as is possible here on Earth. To receive Holy Communion is a very intimate act. You receive sacramental graces that can help you to increase in holiness and in your love for God.
 
Like all sacraments, the Eucharist has it’s roots in the Law, which God gave man…

In the story in Exodus Chapter 12 The Jews took the blood of the lamb and put it on their door so that the Angel of the Lord would passover them and not bring destruction to their family. The feast of unleavened bread occurs right after this, and celebrates the Jews being freed from bondage. Bread is also a symbol of life , because the Jewish forefathers ate manna in the dessert (which is a bread-like substance), and were saved from starvation.

Jesus tells us:
[BIBLEDRB]Matthew 4:4 [/BIBLEDRB]

And this is from here:
[BIBLEDRB]Deuteronomy 8:3[/BIBLEDRB]
And Jesus is the Word of God (John 1), so we cannot live if it is bread alone, apart from God (a mere symbol, as it was before).

Jesus explains:
[BIBLEDRB]John 6:47-51[/BIBLEDRB]

And so instituted the Eucharist the night before He died during the feast of the Passover:
[BIBLEDRB]Luke 22:19-20[/BIBLEDRB]

and Paul repeats this and tells us the meaning of it all:
[BIBLEDRB]1 Corinthians 11:23-27[/BIBLEDRB]
Note that Paul proclaims that if you eat and drink in an unworthy manner you are guilty of the body and blood of Christ. This can only be so if it is indeed the Body and Blood of Christ.

When we eat the Body and Blood of Christ we are in communion with Christ together in one body.
[BIBLEDRB]1 Corinthians 10:16[/BIBLEDRB]

The Hebrews kept the showbread in the temple, which was an offering to God:
[BIBLEDRB]Leviticus 24:5-6[/BIBLEDRB]

And we are temples of the Holy Spirit…
[BIBLEDRB]1 Corinthians 6:19-20[/BIBLEDRB]
and so we put the bread that comes from God, that gives life, into our temples. And that bread is Jesus the Christ, who is God. Therefore we are literally putting God into our temples (our bodies). When we partake in the Eucharist we proclaim our Lords Death and Resurrection (Life and Freedom from the bondage of sin) until He comes again.

I know this was long winded, but it takes a lot to explain it. I hope this helps.
 
At_Trent said:
The Eucharist does not represent anything at all. It isn’t a symbol. At the moment of Consecration, it comes into being. It truly is the body and blood of Christ.

Please watch the video linked to in my signature 🙂
Click to expand...
The Eucharist does re-present Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary.
 
Thank you all for such quick replies. I’ve modified my initial response and have changed some of the wording and have added more descriptive explanation as provided by you guys here, for my friend. 👍
 
=Mortification;8044001]I’m Catholic, I know what the Eucharist is and what it means, but I can’t figure out how to put it into words exactly for a friend who is asking.
Click to expand...
He asks, “how is it that you practice it, how does it work, what is it meant to represent etc.?”
Click to expand...
Here’s additional Information.

The practice is at the COMMAND of Jesus to do it in Memory of Me. And it takes the FORM of the Last Supper Meal where Christ introduced it.

It is a Gift From God [the Father] of God [the Son] to themselves in the Blessed Trinity.
It is a Mystery accomplisehd By God for us as the GREATEST source of Grace available on Earth because it is; IT IS Jesus Himself. The priest becomes 'alter Christi" at the instant of the transubstanuation. [Another REAL Christ]

It re-presents the Original sacrifice of Calvary [makes is actually and REALLY] present again and again. But now in an unbloody manner as Chrsit can only die once. IT IS the REAL Calvary experience; not a memorial, NOT a symbol, NOT some kind of sign: IT IS JESUS HIMSELF.

It is “the sum [totality of our Faith] and summit” of the catholic Faith Because it is God Himself.👍

Matthew 26: 26-28
And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body. And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins.

MARK 14: 22-24
And whilst they were eating, Jesus took bread; and blessing, broke, and gave to them, and said: Take ye. This is my body. And having taken the chalice, giving thanks, he gave it to them. And they all drank of it. And he said to them: This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many.

Luke 22: 19-21
And taking bread, he gave thanks, and brake; and gave to them, saying: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of me. In like manner the chalice also, after he had supped, saying: This is the chalice, the new testament in my blood, which shall be shed for you.

Paul 1 Cor.11: 23-29
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And giving thanks, broke, and said: Take ye, and eat: this is my body, which shall be delivered for you: this do for the commemoration of me. In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me. For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall show the death of the Lord, until he come. Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: [to be worthy of the privilege] and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, [condemns himself by freewill choice] not discerning the body of the Lord.

Exo. 16 “7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your murmurings against the LORD. For what are we, that you murmur against us?" 8 And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening flesh to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your murmurings which you murmur against him–what are we? Your murmurings are not against us but against the LORD.”

John 6:52 “ The 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. 56* He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.”

**“Heb 9:11-15 “**Brothers and sisters: When Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation, he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption”

If you need further info please PM me.

God Bless you,
Pat
 
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