Is Jesus Biologically present in the Eucharist?

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To help us better understand this mystery, here are some pertinent excerpts of the St. Thomas’ Summa (including miracles where the accidents become flesh):

newadvent.org/summa/4076.htm

Notice, the presence is real, whole, substantial, and sacramental–but not local or dimensive.

Having looked up the definition of “biologically” that term really doesn’t make any sense here. One can’t really answer yes or no. The term simply cannot be applied to describe a presence.

But, if I gather correctly what some might mean by “biologically” I’m thinking that would fall under local or dimensive (since they describe physical attributes like the science of biology does.) In that case He is not present biologically.

But, if what is meant is that the substance of His glorified body is present, then yes, He is present biologically.
 
If by “biological” you mean “manifesting the accidents of biology,” then no, he is not present biologically, because he is present under the accidents of bread and wine.

But if by “not present biologically,” you mean, “his body is not really there,” that is wrong. His body and entire being is there, present and hidden under the accidents of bread and wine.

But also keep in mind that the accidents of bread and wine, after consecration, do not inhere in Jesus. Those accidents are present, but they do not inhere in any substance.
 
Hi, I am late to this conversation and am struggling with the term “accidents of bread and wine.” Could someone please clarify what is meant by this?

Thank you so much!
Krista
 
kmleo said:
Hi, I am late to this conversation and am struggling with the term “accidents of bread and wine.” Could someone please clarify what is meant by this?

Thank you so much!
Krista
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“Accidents” means “appearances.” Accidents or appearances are what is perceptible to our senses, and by extension, measurable by any scientific instrument.

We can never directly get at the true substance of a thing. We know things by their appearances–what we perceive through our senses. Those are not the thing itself, but the appearances of it.

In the Eucharist, the substance changes, while the appearances remain.
 
I actually rather forcefully made the argument some time ago on these fora that Christ was not physically present in the Eucharist.

I accept now that I was completely wrong. Although I meant no heresy by it, I forgot something essential:

Christ’s Body and Blood are by their very nature physical things.

These physical things are substantively present under the accidents of bread and wine.

Reception of the Eucharist is not cannibalism if cannibalism is defined as the consumption of the accidents of Flesh and Blood.

We do not consume the accidents of Flesh and Blood, but we do consume the true, physical substance of these things.
 
Hello All,

I have read all of your comments, mainly because I struggle with this issue from time to time. Mainly it is the physical part of Jesus being there in a human way.

After all this reading, my realization, my faith takes me to this:

Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity… this is Christ in his glorified body, not the earthly, physical body. As Jesus entered heaven, He received a new glorified body, one that only 2 of his apostles have seen. Remember the Transfiguration…This is the body & blood that I believe is in the Eucharist. It is not of human flesh and blood. Human flesh and blood has limitations

Do I believe Christ is present in the Eucharist? Yes. Because He said so! But I am not eating him in the human form for surely that would be cannibalism!

His Glorified Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity is way beyond our scientific understanding. Trying to prove that the Eucharist is indeed human flesh negates the FULLNESS of HIS PRESENCE.

HIS PRESENCE IS BEYOND HUMAN FLESH & BLOOD

So take and eat with confidence, that no matter your beliefs, you are indeed partaking of Christ in all of his glory!
 
I think there is a mystery here because there are Eucharistic Miracles where the body of Christ has actually changed into living flesh. Just another thought to add to the many…

Your brother in Christ,

“If you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire!” --Saint Catherine of Siena
 
SirOscar said:
…Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity… this is Christ in his glorified body, not the earthly, physical body. …
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You are correct when you say that it is His glorified body, but it is also His physical body. (Jn 20:27)
SirOscar said:
As Jesus entered heaven, He received a new glorified body,
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No that it is not correct. He kept the same body; however His body became glorified.
SirOscar said:
…one that only 2 of his apostles have seen. Remember the Transfiguration…
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Untrue! Several of the apostles have seen is glorified body (Mt 28:16-20, Mk 16:14, etc.)
SirOscar said:
…This is the body & blood that I believe is in the Eucharist. It is not of human flesh and blood. Human flesh and blood has limitations…
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Untrue! (Lk 24:39)"…Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have."
SirOscar said:
…Do I believe Christ is present in the Eucharist? Yes. Because He said so! But I am not eating him in the human form for surely that would be cannibalism!..
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Untrue! (Jn 6:52-58) " The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?” 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. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. 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. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
SirOscar said:
Trying to prove that the Eucharist is indeed human flesh negates the FULLNESS of HIS PRESENCE…
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Not completely correct! It simply limits our thinking to His human nature and so it really limits the praise that we should give to Him.
SirOscar said:
…HIS PRESENCE IS BEYOND HUMAN FLESH & BLOOD

So take and eat with confidence…
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Absolutely correct!
 
Hello Cristiano,

Thank you for correcting my misunderstandings. I am young to the catholic teachings.

Jesus took Peter, James & John…three (sorry I said 2 originally) of this disciples with him and showed himself in all his glory…I am assuming that this was his Glorified Body in all of it’s Divinity, not his resurrected body, as Jesus was resurrected to a flesh and blood earthly body.(at least I was taught this, but I was not raised Catholic)

Is not the glorified heavenly body different from the resurrected earthly body?

Is Jesus, at the right hand of the Father in heaven, in his glorified body or his fleshy resurrected body?

I know these questions are off the topic of the Eucharist, but thought I would ask what your opinion is on this.

Any insight is always helpful!
 
I reeeeeeeeally wish you guys would go check out the stuff available on the net about the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano. It throws off believers and non-believers alike! But that is what miracles are supposed to do - break all the rules and lead us to step away from the ordinary and encounter the extra-ordinary!

Here, once again is the sight: therealpresence.org/eucha…/lanciano

Peace,

Gail
 
The point is not whether or not Jesus’ body is glorified.

A glorified body has characteristics which we do not at present have, but will in heaven.
He was able to pass through walls, be in more than one location, rise into heaven.

But his body was, and is, still a physical body. It is the same body which we receive in the Eucharist.

The point is that his entire body (and entire being) is present under the appearances of bread and wine. We can see and perceive the appearances, but not the body. It is hidden under, but not within, the appearances of bread and wine.

Length, width, heigth, spatial location, temporal location–these are all accidents–appearances. That is why 2000 people in a church are all able to receive Jesus’ ONE body (for he has only one body), yet under the appearances of 2000 communion hosts.
 
Hello Christiano

Your Comment:" No that it is not correct. He kept the same body; however His body became glorified."

Yes, Jesus took his body with him to heaven…and in all of his glory it is no longer human flesh and blood. It BECAME glorified.

It is now something totally different that what we know flesh and blood to be.

The human body cannot be divided a million times over and the remain whole, Where as a Glorified body can.

Peter, James and John saw Jesus in the Fullness of his Glory. They saw his body glorified and knew he was something other than human flesh and blood. That is why it did not shock them when Jesus said my flesh is real food and my blood real drink. They understood that Jesus was not asking them to eat human flesh and drink human blood. Jesus would not ask them to disregard the Law of his Father in Heaven! and he does not ask us to do it either!

I will still with confidence partake of the Eucharist knowing that I am receiving Jesus in The Wholeness of His Glory.

Take and Eat and see the Goodness of the Lord~
 
SirOscar said:
Hello Christiano

Your Comment:" No that it is not correct. He kept the same body; however His body became glorified."

Yes, Jesus took his body with him to heaven…and in all of his glory it is no longer human flesh and blood. It BECAME glorified.

It is now something totally different that what we know flesh and blood to be.

The human body cannot be divided a million times over and the remain whole, Where as a Glorified body can.

Peter, James and John saw Jesus in the Fullness of his Glory. They saw his body glorified and knew he was something other than human flesh and blood. That is why it did not shock them when Jesus said my flesh is real food and my blood real drink. They understood that Jesus was not asking them to eat human flesh and drink human blood. Jesus would not ask them to disregard the Law of his Father in Heaven! and he does not ask us to do it either!

I will still with confidence partake of the Eucharist knowing that I am receiving Jesus in The Wholeness of His Glory.

Take and Eat and see the Goodness of the Lord~
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This response misses several points.
1, With God, all things are possible.
2. Nature was created by God.
3. God is not subject to the laws of nature which is his creation.
4. All creation rather, is subject to God.

So many mistakenly try to limit the Eucharist by the laws of nature. When you do this, you forget, you are dealing with the Divine God, Creator.to whom all things are subject. You cannot limit God by nature as nature does not control God’s actions or state of being in any way whatsoever. He is the potter. We are the clay.
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B
 
JimG said:
**The point is not whether or not Jesus’ body is glorified.

A glorified body has characteristics which we do not at present have, but will in heaven.
He was able to pass through walls, be in more than one location, rise into heaven.

But his body was, and is, still a physical body. It is the same body which we receive in the Eucharist.

The point is that his entire body (and entire being) is present under the appearances of bread and wine**. We can see and perceive the appearances, but not the body. It is hidden under, but not within, the appearances of bread and wine.

Length, width, heigth, spatial location, temporal location–these are all accidents–appearances. That is why 2000 people in a church are all able to receive Jesus’ ONE body (for he has only one body), yet under the appearances of 2000 communion hosts.
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Thank you for posting this Jim!
 
The Church teaches that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, not in the bread and wine. For the bread and wine cease to exist. They are only appearances.

The Church also teaches that he is physically, spiritually and even psychologically present.

This mysery is called transubstantiation. The substance of bread and wine are replaced with the substance of Jesus, his humanity and his divinity. His humanity is obviously physical. There is not human being who is not physical.

Now, to understand and explain this mystery in the most perfect words is very difficult.

It is as difficult as explaining how Jesus can be fully human without having a Y chromosome and yet he must have had a Y chromosome, because he was male. But where did it come from and how? He had no biological father.

There are some questions that should be allowed to stand until we reach Heaven. Otherwise, we’ll drive ourselves nuts.

JR 🙂
 
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