Did you ever doubt the doctrine of "the real presence"?

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I am a Protestant on the way home. Yesterday, as I have a few days’ vacation and more time than usual, I went to weekday mass. The mass was so perfectly beautiful,
and there was a moment, at elevation, where I thought: “If there was only one true thing in this world, it would have to be this - Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist.”

I don’t know. To me it has something so compelling, so real, so objective.

I recall a moment, a few years ago, where I went to mass with my mother in her parish. Next to us there was a grandmother with her grandson, maybe 4 or 5 years old. At elevation, she whispered to him : “Look, that’s Jesus” - and the little boy stood straight on the pew and looked at the host, completely transfixed. I saw the look of awe and wonder and love on his little face and thought: “This has to be true”. Looking back, it was probably one of the turning points which started my journey home.
 
Askme said:
Did you ever doubt the doctrine of the real presence?
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I wouldn’t say I doubted it. I never knew it.

After the birth of my 1st daughter there was no doubt in my mind that there was someone greater than us that deserves to be acknowledged, praised, & adored. I knew that was God but didn’t know how.

That started my quest to find a reason to go to “church” & worship the one true God. I couldn’t find a good reason to go to a Baptist church as opposed to a Pentecostal church or even a Jewish synagogue.

I watched a lot of TV (before YouTube) & bought a lot of books. One book I bought was Eucharistic Miracles by Joan Carroll Cruz.

It is a book full of events where the sacred host became actual flesh & blood. Even so my heart was so numb I didn’t get it. I knew nothing of the doctrine of the real presence.

After a few years I came across the doctrine & realized the literal belief of Catholic teachings. Still, my heart was hardened.

One day I was just reading through the Gospel of John. Chapter 6 verse 53 to be exact, Our Lord wiped the scales from my eyes and it all came together.

I have not doubted from that moment.
 
No.

I always believe when the priest lifts the host, it is Jesus crucified for my family and me and all who believe Him.
 
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Dominusvobiscum1 said:
However, I have at certain times had struggles believing in my heart. I’ve actually expressed feelings of sadness to the priest I meet with. I’ve explained sometimes I go to adoration and I feel like I am just looking at a wafer of bread .
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DV1 yes I know this feeling too. We know it is Christ. But we struggle with our eyes. My solution this evening was to read the lyrics of the hymn by St Alfonsus Liguori . I hope it helps you too. Couple of the best known verses omitted for space.

O Bread of Heaven, beneath this veil
Thou dost my very God conceal:
My Jesus, dearest treasure, hail!
I love Thee and, adoring, kneel;
Each loving soul by Thee is fed
With Thine own Self in form of Bread.

My dearest God! Who dost so bind
My heart with countless claims to Thee!
O Sweetest love, my soul shall find
In Thy dear bonds true liberty.
Thyself Thou hast bestowed on me;
Thine, Thine for ever I will be.

O Mighty Fire, Thou that dost burn
To kindle every mind and heart!
For Thee my frozen soul doth yearn;
Come, Lord of love, Thy warmth impart;
If thus to speak too bold appear,
‘Tis love like Thine has banished fear.

O Sweetest dart of love Divine!
If I have sinned, then vengeance take;
Come pierce this guilty heart of mine,
And let it die for His dear sake
Who once expired on Calvary,
His heart pierced through for love of me.

Beloved Lord, in Heaven above
There, Jesus, Thou awaitest me,
To gaze on Thee with endless love;
Yes, thus I hope, thus shall it be:
For how can He deny me Heaven,
Who here on earth Himself hath given?
 
Now that I’m Catholic, no. I do know that I don’t fully acknowledge/appreciate the importance and gravity of real presence. Need to work on that gift.
 
Oddly enough, while I experience doubt at some of the doctrines and teachings in these times, the Good Lord has seen fit to preserve me from doubting the Eucharist. Which is a blessing like no other. Because while the doctrine defies the senses and perhaps even logic, the Eucharist is what keeps me in the Church. If I ever doubt it, I’ll be in danger of being lost.
 
In a way, yes. Many times. I’ve always struggled with things that require faith and belief. However. I know it’s true because I know the Catholic church is true. If the Church says something to be true, then it has to be. Either all of it is true or none of it is. It’s by the grace of God that allows me to believe it. Sometimes I have thoughts as simple as “How can this possibly be?” and “This is crazy. What makes me so sure this, this wafer is God?”. There’s been times that I didn’t go up to receive because I felt my mind wasn’t right. There’s been times where I’ve recieved and treated it as if it wasn’t God. (I think going to a church that uses the communion rails has helped a lot with this.) So, do I know it to be true?Yes. Do I believe it? I try my best. Hope this helps.
 
Never any doubt. I attended an Adoration Chapel for over a year and i sure sense Jesus being there. I am not Catholic because it is so hard for an adult senior to be included, so I can not take communion or even become Baptized. They say it takes two years. I turned down Baptism at my own evangelical church because the Catholic faith is so beautiful. i wish I could do that so much! It’s interesting that people take communion all the time and do not believe in “the real presence”. I do believe with no doubt and I sadly can’t even experience that.
 
Justin_Mary said:
I have not doubted from that moment.
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I have to change my answer. Thinking on this again.

After I learned about the Catholic belief in the real presence I was confirmed fully into the Church. After a short while (18 months maybe) I felt overwhelmed by a lot of things & practicing the faith didn’t make much sense to me. I’d miss one Mass a month, then two… then I’d go a month… then I got to the point where I hadn’t been a practicing Catholic for over 8 years.

I can’t imagine believing in the real presence & not practicing. So I guess I doubted for over 8 years.
 
IdaCatholic said:
. . . while the doctrine defies the senses and perhaps even logic, the Eucharist is what keeps me in the Church. If I ever doubt it, I’ll be in danger of being lost.
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I say the same thing about the Resurrection of Christ. Peace to you.
 
I think so , when I was away from the Church for 20+ years. I don’t know if it was doubting it or just not thinking it was important (yes, I know how bad that sounds)
 
With all my mistakes and regrets in life, I’m happy to say NEVER! And, that includes the years I was far from the Church!
 
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