Receiving Christ in the Eucharist

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Our most recent RCIA get together had a great discussion on the Eucharist. We each took a turn in describing what the Eucharist means to us. Or for those non Catholics on the journey what they think of it so far. It was a very spiritual time. I was wondering if anyone here would like to share their experiences as well. What it means to you. How it affects your life and so forth. I guess you could call it a testimonial to the Most Holy Eucharist.

God Bless
 
Ignites in me a powerful will to avoid sin and practice virtue – cling to what is good.

There is absolutely no room for me to boast. None whatsoever. Apart from him I can do nothing.

C
 
Not only is it a means of grace but it is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ Himself – the most powerful, intimate means and source of grace there is.
Catholics have seven sacraments. They are Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, Confession and the Eucharist. These are all powerful, efficacious means of grace. But it is the last one which has to offer intimate physical supernatural union with Christ himself. It is the most powerful means of grace within the entire Church!
It is a shame when people go to church they hold loud squawking conversations and ignore our Lord completely it seems. At Mass they receive and adore Him but the rest of the time it seems He is just part of the furniture. If I need to speak with Father usually I just follow him into the sacristy. But in Church – that’s no place to hold a coffee klatsch. It is a house of prayer where the Son of God indeed abides.

Conster
 
I’ve been Cathiolic for almost two years know and I must admit that I still struggle with the concept of the Real Presence. Indeed, as the Gospel of John tells us the people said “this is a hard teaching”. It just seems so unnecessary to think we are eating God. During Mass I can accept that God is present in the bread and wine, just as he is present everywhere else. But, I am struggling with the necessity of us seeing him AS the bread. I would have a very hard time doing a Eucharistic adoration. I guess my belief on this matter boils down to “if you say so, but I can’t see it”. I’ll just have to take the Church’s word for it.
 
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Tmaque:
I’ve been Cathiolic for almost two years know and I must admit that I still struggle with the concept of the Real Presence. Indeed, as the Gospel of John tells us the people said “this is a hard teaching”. It just seems so unnecessary to think we are eating God. During Mass I can accept that God is present in the bread and wine, just as he is present everywhere else. But, I am struggling with the necessity of us seeing him AS the bread. I would have a very hard time doing a Eucharistic adoration. I guess my belief on this matter boils down to “if you say so, but I can’t see it”. I’ll just have to take the Church’s word for it.
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Believing in something you can’t see is the very definition of faith. We believe it because Jesus Christ said it, not because the Church says it.

-Michael
 
I know many who question whether Jesus meant to actually EAT Himself though, as apparently there are many passages which refer to “eating God” in Scripture (I can find them out exactly if necessary) which are clearly meant in a different manner. The most common objection, though, is that Jesus meant the Word as we hear at the beginning of John’s Gospel; and so it is the Word we should “eat” and not Jesus Himself.

I welcome all arguments to this train of thinking…

(IMO Jesus is certainly spiritually if not bodily present in the Eucharist)
 
…just as he is present everywhere else. But, I am struggling with the necessity of us seeing him AS the bread.
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Tmaque,

I know it is a hard saying, but the grace of God will lead us to that truth. Our Lord himself said; " I am the living bread, whoever eats this bread will live forever." and again in another passage he said, " I am the bread of life." and again, “For my flesh is true food and my blood true drink.”

The ealry Church testifies to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. They who heared the preaching of the Apostles like Ignatius of Antioch, and a lot many others. There’s no doubt to their Catholic faith, and the Church has perfectly preserved, not only the priesthood, but the confection of the Eucharist. How thankful we are to the Catholic Church!

Pio
 
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Psalm89:
Do Catholics believe the Eucharist is a means of Grace?
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Lutherans do too. Very few other Protestants believe it is a means of grace.

After recieving the communion in yesterdays service, I wondered how the “means of grace” would effect me each time I take it in a metaphysical sense.
 
I really urge you to read Scott Hahn’s *The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. *He is a former Protestant who converted to Catholicism, he explains better than anyone I have ever read the significance of the Eucharist beyond what I have ever thought. This book is a must read, you will never feel the same about the Mass and the Eucharist again!
 
I can do no better then to quote saints. One of whom said that that every labor in life should be directed toward receiving the Holy Eucharist. If we directed every labor, thought and action toward cultivating our lives in a way so that we can more worthily (through the merits of Christ’s sacrifice) receive Christ in the Eucharist, think of how much better all our lives would be and the effect that our lives would have on our family, friends and strangers. When we speak of the Eucharist we are speaking of “the source and summit of Christian life” (Lumen gentium, no. 11; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1324). It is only through the Eucharist that we can be assured that we truly have Christ within us. It is only through true repentance through the sacrament of confession that we can receive the Eucharist and its benefits of which eternal life is the ultimate goal. The Holy Spirit cannot truly be within us and work though us and affect our lives fully unless we lessen our attachments and debt to sins, which can only be done through the sacraments. It is only through the Eucharist that we can have true peace, because through it we receive Christ, The Prince of Peace.
 
The most common objection, though, is that Jesus meant the Word as we hear at the beginning of John’s Gospel; and so it is the Word we should “eat” and not Jesus Himself.
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“My flesh is true food, my blood is true drink…”

When Jesus gave his Bread of Life discourse - who were the ones who deserted Him?
The ones who could not accept this teaching of Jesus. They understood he meant it literally and could not accept it.

The Apostles passed this teaching on to the early church.
If you read the writings from the first generations of the Church you will find the doctrine of Real Presence.
The notion that the eucharist is merely symbolic is a relatively new concept that was not accepted by the first christians.
 
The Eucharist is the nourishment of the soul. It so nourishes the soul that it overflows with grace. This grace then nourishes our brethren as we give it away. The pass on of grace is know as the work of the Lord. We can hoard grace and God can not be out given. This why Catholic talk about works.

This why I love my church.
 
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Tmaque:
I’ve been Cathiolic for almost two years know and I must admit that I still struggle with the concept of the Real Presence. . . … I guess my belief on this matter boils down to “if you say so, but I can’t see it”. I’ll just have to take the Church’s word for it.
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Blessed are those who have not seen, but yet believe"
 
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teresas1979:
I know many who question whether Jesus meant to actually EAT Himself though, as apparently there are many passages which refer to “eating God” in Scripture (I can find them out exactly if necessary) which are clearly meant in a different manner. The most common objection, though, is that Jesus meant the Word as we hear at the beginning of John’s Gospel; and so it is the Word we should “eat” and not Jesus Himself.

I welcome all arguments to this train of thinking…

(IMO Jesus is certainly spiritually if not bodily present in the Eucharist)
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I imagine this is similar to the objection of those that would stone Jesus after He said “before Abraham was, I AM” in claiming His divinity. This also ties into the charge of blasphamy at the trial.

God would not lower himself to take the form of a man. It is far benieth his dignity.

Do you believe: God would not lower himself to take the form of bread. It is far benieth his dignity?

God has the power, the desire, and told us that this he would do. So trust in the word of the Lord and believe.
 
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teresas1979:
I know many who question whether Jesus meant to actually EAT Himself though, as apparently there are many passages which refer to “eating God” in Scripture (I can find them out exactly if necessary) which are clearly meant in a different manner. The most common objection, though, is that Jesus meant the Word as we hear at the beginning of John’s Gospel; and so it is the Word we should “eat” and not Jesus Himself.

I welcome all arguments to this train of thinking…

(IMO Jesus is certainly spiritually if not bodily present in the Eucharist)
Click to expand...
I imagine this is similar to the objection of those that would stone Jesus after He said “before Abraham was, I AM” in claiming His divinity. This also ties into the charge of blasphamy at the trial.

God would not lower himself to take the form of a man. It is far benieth his dignity.

Do you believe: God would not lower himself to take the form of bread. It is far benieth his dignity?

God has the power, the desire, and told us that this he would do. So trust in the word of the Lord and believe.
 
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catholic-rcia:
Our most recent RCIA get together had a great discussion on the Eucharist. We each took a turn in describing what the Eucharist means to us. Or for those non Catholics on the journey what they think of it so far. It was a very spiritual time. I was wondering if anyone here would like to share their experiences as well. What it means to you. How it affects your life and so forth. I guess you could call it a testimonial to the Most Holy Eucharist.

God Bless
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At Mass I am made present at the foot of the Cross on Calvary.
At the Consecration we join the Angels and Stints and all of the heavenly hosts singing to God - Hosana, Hosana, Hosana in the highest heaven and earth are full of Your glory. . . .
And at the Eucharist I am united Jesus Christ Himself.
 
Tmacque,
Our Church teaches us that the Eucharist is " the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity" of Jesus Christ. That is official Church teaching, and that is what we believe. So is God in the bread? No. God IS the Bread, or better, the Bread is no longer bread, but God.

Peace,
Linda
 
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