John 6:53, what does it mean?

[Kmon23]

"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” (John 6:53, New American Bible).

What does this mean, that those who do not eat his flesh and blood do not have life?

For context, I am waiting to enroll into RCIA. I cannot wait to partake in the Eucharist, the true flesh and blood of Christ, once I am received into the church. However my mother (general Christian) is against my conversion because she thinks I am doing less than spectacular in school because of my zeal and interest in Catholicism. I should honestly just have studied harder, and is not necessarily because of Catholicism. Anyways, she recently told me that our Blessed Virgin Mary and the Eucharist do not matter because they don’t affect my life and that studying hard and finding a job etc. does.

So this made me think, what does it mean that someone does not have life if someone does not eat Jesus’ flesh and blood?

 

[Richard_White]

The Holy Eucharist is truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which you already (thankfully) know.

This passage, therefore, means that eternal life is not within you if you do not receieve Jesus in Holy Communion during the life. This, plus the fact that the Eucharist is truly Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, God the Son and the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity Who is the One and only God, is why the Eucharist is the “source and summit of Christian life.”

The passage has nothing to do with the phrase “having a life” in terms of earthly life. It means sharing in God’s eternal life in Heaven, which is our ultimate goal.

 

[Sonny89]

"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” (John 6:53, New American Bible).

What does this mean, that those who do not eat his flesh and blood do not have life?

For context, I am waiting to enroll into RCIA. I cannot wait to partake in the Eucharist, the true flesh and blood of Christ, once I am received into the church. However my mother (general Christian) is against my conversion because she thinks I am doing less than spectacular in school because of my zeal and interest in Catholicism. I should honestly just have studied harder, and is not necessarily because of Catholicism. Anyways, she recently told me that our Blessed Virgin Mary and the Eucharist do not matter because they don’t affect my life and that studying hard and finding a job etc. does.

So this made me think, what does it mean that someone does not have life if someone does not eat Jesus’ flesh and blood?

Peace and all good to you!

Our Divine Lord is the Bread, that came down from Heaven & those who partake of it shall never die & shall hunger no more. Our Lord wants us to have life to the full and in order to do this. we need to eat His Flesh & Blood, which are real food & drink for the life of the world.

Obviously someone can have physical earthly life without being Catholic & eating & drinking Our Divine Lord’s Flesh & Blood (everyone pre Last Supper & all non Catholics since then) but in order to have the fullness of life (that is, spiritual life & a share in the Divine Life of God), it is necessary to receive the Eucharist worthily (as St Paul teaches, receiving it unworthily is eating & drinking a condemnation).

So all those who don’t partake (or don’t partake worthily) of the Eucharist don’t have life in them, their soul is not fed & watered by spiritual nourishment in the Eucharist, the source & summit of our Christian life. “Truly, if the angels could be jealous of men, they would be jealous for one reason-Holy Communion” St Maximilian Maria Kolbe

God Bless

 

[KjetilK]

Anyways, she recently told me that our Blessed Virgin Mary and the Eucharist do not matter because they don’t affect my life and that studying hard and finding a job etc. does.

Well, she is wrong. First seek God.

So this made me think, what does it mean that someone does not have life if someone does not eat Jesus’ flesh and blood?

It means that the Eucharist is the primary way in which Christ offers us his life. And without him, you cannot be saved.

One thing I find interesting is that some Reformed claim that Christ only meant this ‘spiritually.’ The problem is that met with John 6:51, this entails docetism. Christ says: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” If this is meant only spiritually, than that means Christ’ flesh, which he gave for the world on the Cross, was only spiritual (or something similar).

 

[UbiCaritas15]

“the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you to make atonement on the altar for yourselves, because it is the blood as life that makes atonement.” Lev 17:11

Nothing on earth could be more important than what the Trinity was planning from the foundations of the world.

 

[chimo]

"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” (John 6:53, New American Bible).

What does this mean, that those who do not eat his flesh and blood do not have life?

For context, I am waiting to enroll into RCIA. I cannot wait to partake in the Eucharist, the true flesh and blood of Christ, once I am received into the church. However my mother (general Christian) is against my conversion because she thinks I am doing less than spectacular in school because of my zeal and interest in Catholicism. I should honestly just have studied harder, and is not necessarily because of Catholicism. Anyways, she recently told me that our Blessed Virgin Mary and the Eucharist do not matter because they don’t affect my life and that studying hard and finding a job etc. does.

So this made me think, what does it mean that someone does not have life if someone does not eat Jesus’ flesh and blood?

It is to my understanding that when we receive the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion He also imparts into us another Deposit of the Holy Spirit. The more you receive Jesus the more Holy Spirit you can also receive. The presence of the Holy Spirit rises in you. Since the Holy Spirit is the Giver of Life it is the same life which our Lord Jesus means when you can this life within you. St. Seraphim of Russia said the main purpose of our life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. That means we need to receive Him more often so as to get to the level when Fullness is obtained. The best means of receiving the Holy Spirit is at each Mass and Divine Liturgy when we receive the Lord Jesus. Also by working with what we receive in the Mass and the Divine Liturgy we can increase the Sanctity of the Holy Spirit within us. We do as St. Seraphim often taught by “trading the time” meaning we are to do worthy works of mercy. By “trading” our time one can increase their Sanctity as the Scriptures say as often as they perform acts of mercy in prayers, deeds and words.

 

[Mary_Ellen]

Anyways, she recently told me that our Blessed Virgin Mary and the Eucharist do not matter because they don’t affect my life and that studying hard and finding a job etc. does.

Your scholastic studies are important to your earthly life but nothing is more important than your eternal life. Our earthly lives last only 70 or 80 years, just a drop in the bucket when compared with the thousands upon millions of years we will live in either eternal joy or eternal damnation. Your studies of Catholicism and your pursuit of the Eucharist affect your eternal salvation. They certainly **do **“affect your life.”

Remember to honor your parents and if you are a minor and your scholastic studies are slipping due to negligence you’ll need to obey your mom, buck up and put in the work to get your grades up. A good education will serve you well in your future vocation, whatever that may be.

 

[Sonny89]

It is to my understanding that when we receive the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion He also imparts into us another Deposit of the Holy Spirit. The more you receive Jesus the more Holy Spirit you can also receive. The presence of the Holy Spirit rises in you. Since the Holy Spirit is the Giver of Life it is the same life which our Lord Jesus means when you can this life within you. St. Seraphim of Russia said the main purpose of our life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. That means we need to receive Him more often so as to get to the level when Fullness is obtained. The best means of receiving the Holy Spirit is at each Mass and Divine Liturgy when we receive the Lord Jesus. Also by working with what we receive in the Mass and the Divine Liturgy we can increase the Sanctity of the Holy Spirit within us. We do as St. Seraphim often taught by “trading the time” meaning we are to do worthy works of mercy. By “trading” our time one can increase their Sanctity as the Scriptures say as often as they perform acts of mercy in prayers, deeds and words.

Peace and All Good

Thanks for this post chimo, it really touched my heart .