Communion as the literal body and blood

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divinefaith

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I know this is what we believe but how has this been backed up?
 
If you’re looking for some microscopic, scientific proof, then there is none.

We believe what we believe. That’s why it’s faith. I’m not really sure what kind of explanation you’re looking for. There are explanations that go very deep in theology, as far as transubstantiation goes, but even then, they’re majorly flawed, because trying to explain something divine in human terms is near impossible.
 
then what makes the Church conclude its literally the body and blood? I’m looking Scriptural or any other evidence.
 
divinefaith said:
then what makes the Church conclude its literally the body and blood? I’m looking Scriptural or any other evidence.
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This IS my body, this IS my blood.

Not, this IS A SYMBOL FOR… IS.

I don’t know… maybe the language is too clear.:):)🙂
 
Since you seem to want something realistic to grab onto, you might look up the Miracle of Lanciano or the Miracle of St. Gennaro.

A small and intriguing book you may enjoy:

‘Jesus Our Eucharistic Love’ by Fr. Stefano M. Manelli,
1996,
Academy of the Immaculate,
Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate,
www.marymediatrix.com
 
It worries me a little that you may be confusing ‘literal’ with ‘physical’. The church does not teach that the Real Presence is physical. It is ‘real, true and substantial’, (See the Catechism and other documents)

.It is not physical in the usual sense. It is a sacramental Presence.
 
paperwight66 said:
It worries me a little that you may be confusing ‘literal’ with ‘physical’. The church does not teach that the Real Presence is physical. It is ‘real, true and substantial’, (See the Catechism and other documents)

.It is not physical in the usual sense. It is a sacramental Presence.
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It depends what you mean by not physical in the usual sense.

Does it look, feel, taste, smell, even sound like bread and wine? Yes.

But it isn’t bread and wine with the True Presence tucked in there somewhere.

It IS the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Body of Christ doesn’t look like bread, bread looks like Christ. 🙂
 
You need to separate out ‘accidents’ and ‘substance’, Dan.
 
This is a subject which has seen us go to war and burn people at the stake ever since the reformation. We believe that Jesus Christ is truly present in Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in every part of the Sacred Elements. Beyond that, it’s down to what you mean by “literal”. Following the Act of Consecration, the Sacred Elements still have the appearance and texture of bread and wine and I am sure that if anyone was sacrilegious enough to perform a scientific analysis they would be chemically and physically identical to bread and wine. We say that they “become” the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, but what we mean by “become” is largely a matter of semantics.

If there are no more postings from me, it’s because the Traditionalists have burned me.
 
Im trying to resolve this now before my questioning escalates to doubt and denial. I was taught that Eucharist is actually the Body and Blood of Christ but still in the physical appearance of bread and wine. So we literally do consume our Lord’s flesh but it only stays like that until its digested within us I think.

I’m starting to question why we believe this. Sure we can back it up by Christ’s words at the Last Supper but some things in the Bible are not taken literally. So in that case, what else do we have in scripture to point to the belief that it is literally the Body and Blood?

Margie, I have heard of such miracles taking place. This has kept my belief in the Church’s teaching 🙂
 
divinefaith said:
I know this is what we believe but how has this been backed up?
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your thread title does not accurately state the belief in the real sacramental presence of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, whole and undivided, of the glorified Jesus Christ under the forms or accidents of bread and wine in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is backed up by Christ’s own words, notably in John 6 and at the Last Supper, and through the unbroken teaching and practice of the Church as described in the rest of the NT in various places, and reiterated in the teachings of the Fathers of the Church.
 
The best proof that Jesus is being absolutely literal when he refers to his body and blood is found in John chapter 6, what is often called The Bread of Life Discourse. Basically Jesus feeds the 5000 with the miracle of the loaves and fishes before heading off to the other side of the lake by boat. The crowd, impressed by the free lunch seek him out on foot. When they arrive Jesus assures them that it is not ordinary food which he came to give, but heavenly. He says to them

:Jn 6: 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’

The crowd understandably balk at this talk of eating Jesus ‘ flesh saying:

‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’

Jesus however insists:

Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

The crowd leave, saying they cannot accept this teaching. Jesus however does not call them back say “listen I was speaking symbolically” rather he turns to the Apostles and says to them:

Jn 6: 67: ‘Do you also wish to go away?’

In other words far from recanting or softening his teaching or explaining that he was using a metaphor, he states that even the Twelve must accept this or leave.

Peter wisely speaks on their behalf:

Jn 6:68 ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.

This is the most clear cut case of literal teaching you will find anywhere in scripture. The challenge for us is the same as Peter, accept Christ at his word.

The best explanation I have heard on this topic is a talk by Dr Scott Hahn, entitled :’ The Fourth Cup ‘

Highly recommended.
 
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