Help a non-Catholic understand the Eucharist from a Catholic perspective

[Justin_Mary]

I like his books because they are written from the point of view of a convert. He understands what Protestants think and how they were formed in their faith. He and his wife have been Catholics for about 2 decades now (wow time flies!).

I like Scott Hahn because he shows the good that is Protestantism & how Catholicism is the fulfillment of their beliefs. He shows you the holes & gaps, & then fills them in.

 

[JimG]

The basis for this belief is from Jesus’ own words in the Gospels, especially in the accounts of the last supper and in John chapter 6, plus the account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus said it. We can choose to believe him or not.

 

[MNathaniel]

God bless you brother!

I asked questions EXACTLY like yours on my way into Catholicism. Even the ‘cannibalism’ angle, haha. And the word “gross”!

I won’t add too much to what others are saying here (apart from: there are good answers to your question, and if you don’t find it here, keep looking. Don’t walk away. After receiving a bad answer as a teen I walked away sad… and didn’t realize until years later, when I met educated Catholics, that the Church had good answers). Also, even after receiving good answers, sometimes it takes time for God to grow us in the ways that are necessary for us to understand the answers. (At least, that’s how it is for me.)

We can summarize by saying we believe the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ (not just a symbol of him) because he told us so… and when many disciples walked away from him because of exactly what you’re saying (they correctly interpreted him as literal, and considered this cannibalism, and ‘gross’; a famously “hard teaching”)… he didn’t call them back and explain that he was using a “metaphor” (as he explained at other times, when he used metaphors). Rather, he doubled down, and started using even more literal, graphic language (I think the Greek is “gnaw”), and allowed any disciples to walk away who didn’t accept this.

And the Church has always preserved this understanding, from the beginning, although the articulation of it has developed over time (especially settling on the terminology of ‘transubstantiation’, following the Aristotelian distinction between ‘substance’ and ‘accidents’).

What I’d especially add though, is that while attempting to ‘understand’ through head knowledge is a good thing… in my personal experience, sitting in Adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, helped me develop my understanding on a different level, and ‘get there’ in my heart. I remember before becoming Catholic, still trying to work so many things out. And my local parish offered Eucharistic adoration, and I went three times (for an hour each). I remember the first time, I felt silly: like I was “praying to a cracker”. The second time, I felt like I was doing Jesus a favour: spending time with him, sitting awake like his disciples failed to do when they fell asleep in the garden of Gethsemane. The third time… I realized Jesus was doing me the favour, sitting there with me. And I’ve been grateful ever since, for the supreme graciousness Jesus shows us in condescending to sit with us at all hours and in all locations and circumstances, and to even feed us with his own eternally living body, by which we become ‘one body’ with him as in the marital union, Jesus the bridegroom and we, the Church, his spouse…

So that’s what I’d suggest, if you feel open to it. At the same time as trying to work through ‘understanding knowledge’ on the rational level… Jesus is a person. And we are social creatures. And there’s just, something to sitting there with Jesus. Learning to appreciate him sitting there with you. It’s transformative.

Anyway, it was for me. And grew my understanding beyond what it was when I just ‘thought about it’.

 

[jochoa]

What is the basis for this belief. What are the benefits of the elements being the literal body of Christ vs a representation or symbol of Christ? For those who believe it is the body of Christ why would you drink/eat it? Couldn’t that be seen as catabolism? Or at-lease as gross? When does the church believe that the elements become the body of Christ?

What is the basis for this belief?
Sacred Scripture, see John 6.

What are the benefits…? Why? Isn’t that cannibalism… or at least gross?
One phrase I like that summarize all of these questions is: You are what you eat.
The Eucharist is really “You, Christ!” The bread and and wine become Christ!
In the Eucharist, we consume God, therefore it is not cannibalism. It is similar to humans eating a different species, except the Eucharistic species is divine, rather than plant or animal species.
The more we attentively consume the Eucharist, the more we become the Eucharist: This is Holy Communion, and it is amazing!
One of the countless benefits of the Eucharist being the actual Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus is the forgiveness of sins.
Prior to Mass, a priest will hear confessions. Then during the Mass, the priest will physically transfer the sins to the Eucharist, which will be sacrificed at the altar for the just punishment of said sins.
Without this union of Reconciliation and Eucharist, a symbolic communion becomes vain/empty of actuality.

Also, it is heaven to witness, receive, become and share the life of Christ occurring during the Mass:

 

[jochoa]

What are the benefits of the elements being the literal body of Christ vs a representation or symbol of Christ?

Another simplified approach to recognize the difference is to read literal as actual and representation/symbol as pretend, and you get: What are the benefits of actually receiving Christ versus pretending to receive Christ?

Thanks for sharing the wonderful questions!

 

[jburns513]

In the Gospel of St John, whenever those hearing Jesus misunderstand or disagree with Him, He explains the meaning.
In Chapter 3, He explains to Nicodemus that “born again” as being a spiritual rebirth. In Chapter 11, when He says Lazarus is “asleep” and the Apostles question why then are they rushing to Bethany, He explains that he meant Lazarus had died.
In Chapter 6, when the Jews murmured about His declaration of the Bread of Life, He doesn’t explain it as symbolic or metaphorical, but doubles down — staying that His Body is true bread and his Blood true drink…SEVEN TIMES.