Is communion really the body and blood of Christ

[Luvtosew]

God is present everywhere at all times. Do you kneel when receiving communion, I know years ago we had rails and had to kneel , but most people don’t nowday.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

God is present everywhere at all times. Do you kneel when receiving communion, I know years ago we had rails and had to kneel , but most people don’t nowday.

God is present in the Eucharist. I’m curious to know if you believe you are receiving Christ’s body and blood.

 

[Cat_Herder]

God is present everywhere at all times.

Then what was the point of Calvary or the Incarnation?

Do you kneel when receiving communion, I know years ago we had rails and had to kneel , but most people don’t nowday.

All Catholics kneel at the Consecration (unless physically unable to) and bow when receiving.

 

[Luvtosew]

This discussion isn’t about Christianity 101 but about communion. Actually we use to kneel a lot longer years ago before communion, I’m a cradle Catholic so I"m familiar with the Catholic Mass.

 

[Cat_Herder]

This discussion isn’t about Christianity 101 but about communion.

The Eucharist is absolutely Christianity 101. Yes, God is spiritually present everywhere but He has made Himself more present under certain circumstances, such as when two or three are gathered in His name. So there is a hierarchy of levels of presence. God is present everywhere, but is more present when two or three are gathered, or when someone is reading the Gospel, and so on. The Incarnation of Christ is right at the top level because Christ, Who is God, was present in His Sacred Humanity–His Body and Blood.

The Bible says that Jesus is present in His Body and Blood in the Eucharist as well.

 

[Luvtosew]

The Eucharist is absolutely Christianity 101. Yes, God is spiritually present everywhere but He has made Himself more present under certain circumstances, such as when two or three are gathered in His name. So there is a hierarchy of levels of presence. God is present everywhere, but is more present when two or three are gathered, or when someone is reading the Gospel, and so on. The Incarnation of Christ is right at the top level because Christ, Who is God, was present in His Sacred Humanity–His Body and Blood.

The Bible says that Jesus is present in His Body and Blood in the Eucharist as well.

I certaintly agree people should go to Church and receive Holy Communion and pray and worship together, no problem at all with that.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

OK, so you are dodging the actual question being asked. I am going to assume that you do not believe in Real Presence via transubstantiation.

 

[Luvtosew]

OK, so you are dodging the actual question being asked. I am going to assume that you do not believe in Real Presence via transubstantiation.

I’m sorry I didn’t mean to dodge your question, I wish I did, I really do.

 

[Cat_Herder]

I find those who do not believe in the TRUE PRESENCE have in fact been unable to believe that JESUS is GOD, they are in fact athiests in heart and are refusing to give to GOD all the power and love that is HIS by being GOD - not by our understanding. They in fact make GOD “all man” without being “all GOD” and thus no man can be bread.

I will take the above as you not meaning it. Because I believe in the Real Presence Spiritually (mystery) and I do not believe in transubstantiation does not mean I am an
Athiest, and I take offense at that and also to insinuate the OP’s dtr is one as well and
not even knowing her, is well I just don’t know what to say, except that is not a Christian thing to say. By the way , just because you believe in transubstantiation does not make you a Christian.

I’m sorry I didn’t mean to dodge your question, I wish I did, I really do.

But then the question arises: if you reject transubstantiation then do you believe that Christ is really present at all to some greater degree than He is generally present anywhere else?

I think your answer is (paraphrasing) ‘yes, but not any differently than He is anywhere else’ which of course is a negative answer.

But then you said that you believe that He is “spiritually” present in post 11.

So you have contradicted yourself.

Look, I can tell this is an uncomfortable topic. Jesus Himself said it was:

[BIBLEDRB]John 6:64-65[/BIBLEDRB]

You’ve hung around in this thread, which is admirable, and you may have looked at my Quick Answers, but words and questions can only get so far. Go over to MassTimes.org and look for an Adoration Chapel in your area. There is no pressure, you can go anytime in the hours specified (if it’s perpetual, then 24/7/365) and more than likely there will only be a few people if you don’t go when there is a Benediction going on. Go there and see what and Who you find.

 

[Luvtosew]

CAT Hearder,
Yes I believe Jesus is more present in the holy communion same as I believe like you said when two or more are gathered in his name in worship and prayer , I believe its a mystery , whatever may happen in the element happens, not for me to know and I never needed to know , but just to take it in faith and I believe the most important thing is how we receive the host, in humily and awe and love for him and remembering how he suffered for us at Calvary., and we are saying when we receive that we are reaffirming our life to him and receiving his spiritual presence, if that makes sense. I take it how he said it at the last supper and we are remembering him. Just like the yearly Passover the Jewish did and still do today (minus the sacrifice) , they remembered how God led them out of Egypt. So we remember how Jesus died for our salvation.

Now never being present at a Protestant church, I would hope they have the Communion in a respectful manner as the CC does, but I know from reading some don’t, but I’ve read how some do too so I don’t know. No one should take Communion lightly and everyone so be properly taught in what it signifies. It is truely a sacrament and needs to be respected.

 

[Cat_Herder]

CAT Hearder,
Yes I believe Jesus is more present in the holy communion same as I believe like you said when two or more are gathered in his name in worship and prayer , I believe its a mystery , whatever may happen in the element happens, not for me to know and I never needed to know ,

We have to go by what’s in the Bible. Paul asked his disciples:
[BIBLEDRB]1 Corinthians 10:16[/BIBLEDRB]
Obviously he expected those disciples to know the answer to the question. And it wasn’t first-century Powerpoint to help us remember Calvary.

No one should take Communion lightly and everyone so be properly taught in what it signifies. It is truely a sacrament and needs to be respected.

But the Eucharist does more than signify. Marriage is also a sacrament. But marriage is not just a signification. It effects a real change on the man and woman so that they become husband and wife. All sacraments cause some kind of change. Yes there is a ritual. Yes the ritual uses symbolism. But the ritual actually DOES SOMETHING and in the case of the Eucharist, Christ is made present so that those present can partake of His Body and Blood and offer the same to the Father. The Eucharist is the fulfillment of the following prophecy:

[BIBLEDRB]Malachi 1:11[/BIBLEDRB]

The only clean oblation or sacrifice is Calvary, but that was once for all in one place and at one time. Yet the Prophet says unambiguously that in the future, everyone in all places and at all times will share in this one clean oblation. Obviously then, Christ’s Body and Blood sacrificed on Calvary must be actually, really, and truly made present so that we can all partake of and participate in the sacrifice. That is what the Eucharist is and does.

 

[upbeatjonm]

I believe in the real presence. My question that entered my mind today is this: why to we leap from “this is My Body, this is My Blood” as Jesus said to “body, blood, soul and divinity” ? How do we get the soul and divinity from scripture?

 

[Cat_Herder]

I believe in the real presence. My question that entered my mind today is this: why to we leap from “this is My Body, this is My Blood” as Jesus said to “body, blood, soul and divinity” ? How do we get the soul and divinity from scripture?

Jesus is resurrected and immortal; His Soul cannot be separated from His Body. As for His Divinity:

[BIBLEDRB]Colossians 2:9[/BIBLEDRB]

 

[japhy]

I believe in the real presence. My question that entered my mind today is this: why to we leap from “this is My Body, this is My Blood” as Jesus said to “body, blood, soul and divinity” ? How do we get the soul and divinity from scripture?

The soul of Jesus is present with His body and blood because His body and blood are not dead but living, and the soul is the animating (life-giving) principle of the body. In other words, Jesus is present in His complete humanity in the Eucharist, and that means His soul is present.

The divinity of Jesus is present with His body, blood, and soul, because His divinity is hypostatically united to His humanity. (Google “hypostatic union” if that term is new to you.) Put simply, the divinity of Jesus cannot be separated from His humanity: He cannot be somewhere as God and not as man, or vice versa. Thus, wherever His humanity is, His divinity is too.