Reverence for the blood and body

[dje101]

Hi all,

I hope I say this in a way that both makes sense and doesn’t offend anyone.

I have long since come to believe in the real presence. However, I find that, during mass when the host and wine are turned, I don’t have any…aww…of the presence. I find that I have to force myself to say “that is now the BODY AND BLOOD of our Lord”. I believe what Christ said in the gospels. I’m just finding it hard to have reverence for the Holy Eucharist. Has anyone else had this issue? And can you please give me some advice for the situation? I want to give the Lord and Eucharist the proper respect, I think I’m just finding it a bit difficult since I came from Protestantism, and am still used to seeing the Eucharist as ONLY symbolic, and therefore just bread and wine.

dje101

 

[SMHW]

I have long since come to believe in the real presence. However, I find that, during mass when the host and wine are turned, I don’t have any…aww…of the presence. I find that I have to force myself to say “that is now the BODY AND BLOOD of our Lord”. I believe what Christ said in the gospels. I’m just finding it hard to have reverence for the Holy Eucharist.

I’m not sure if I understand you quite correctly.

I would say that for most Catholics, their sense of awe and reverence is far more intellectual than emotional. If you are expecting to feel something then you may be disappointed. Such feelings really aren’t the norm for most most people. (At least not most of the time.)

If you intellectually understand how significant what Christ does for us by offering us his Body ad Blood then you are good!

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

Hi all,

I hope I say this in a way that both makes sense and doesn’t offend anyone.

I have long since come to believe in the real presence. However, I find that, during mass when the host and wine are turned, I don’t have any…aww…of the presence. I find that I have to force myself to say “that is now the BODY AND BLOOD of our Lord”. I believe what Christ said in the gospels. I’m just finding it hard to have reverence for the Holy Eucharist. Has anyone else had this issue? And can you please give me some advice for the situation? I want to give the Lord and Eucharist the proper respect, I think I’m just finding it a bit difficult since I came from Protestantism, and am still used to seeing the Eucharist as ONLY symbolic, and therefore just bread and wine.

dje101

You are not alone.
It is hard to believe even for craddle catholics.
I sometimes look up and wonder: “how is it possible that it is God there, the whole Universe there?”
It is not easy.
But, look, you do not have to do anything.
Christ is there to be eaten as a spiritual food. It is ex opera operato, it means it works even if you do not do anything…
Dont take it that hard…You see electricity working and you can never imagine the electrons, you breath and you cannot see the air and so many things.
That is why we call “belief”: We are sure though everything in your senses tells you that that is bread…

 

[zab]

Hi all,

I hope I say this in a way that both makes sense and doesn’t offend anyone.

I have long since come to believe in the real presence. However, I find that, during mass when the host and wine are turned, I don’t have any…aww…of the presence. I find that I have to force myself to say “that is now the BODY AND BLOOD of our Lord”. I believe what Christ said in the gospels. I’m just finding it hard to have reverence for the Holy Eucharist. Has anyone else had this issue? And can you please give me some advice for the situation? I want to give the Lord and Eucharist the proper respect, I think I’m just finding it a bit difficult since I came from Protestantism, and am still used to seeing the Eucharist as ONLY symbolic, and therefore just bread and wine.

0dje101

And I hope that I can put into words something that will help you to understand. You have the gift of Faith and that is important. You also have the desire to have the reverence for the Holy Eucharist as Jesus should be reverenced even though you do not particularly feel that you are as reverent or attentive as you should be. What is important is that you have the desire. I have been a Catholic all my life and I have always believed from the time that I was taught that the Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus in the form of bread and wine. But there came a time in my life (I was in my '30’s) that this faith, this knowledge became more keen, a deepening of the reality. Participating in Eucharistic Adoration and reading the writings of Saints and holy persons can be helpful. The important thing to remember is not that you need to have feelings but that you have the desire to worship Jesus as He should be worshiped. I am reminded of Christ’s words to Thomas, “You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe yet have not seen.”

 

[grasscutter]

I agree that quite often our reverence is intellectual rather than emotional. Especially because we’re surrounded by people and various distractions. If a church has adoration near you that could help you have a deeper spiritual experience. True emotional reverence is an amazing gift of grace. Sometimes I’ve come close…

 

[Nelka]

I find that I feel more after I have been without due to sinning and have returned to receiving Communion.

One day it will be the last time you receive Holy Communion, imagine that feeling and let Him set your soul on fire.

 

[Hokomai]

I have assumed that the elaborate rituals of the Church regarding the consecrated bread and wine are there to reinforce belief, in the absence of any usual rush of emotion or awe and the point of consecration, or reception, or the presence of the consecrated elements. If people in fact ‘felt’ the presence of God, everyone would be a Catholic, and there would be no need for the accompanying ceremonials. That of course is my view as an unbeliever but I think that for once it is aligned with the Catholic view that the form of bread and wine remains. if the form is unchanged, so too, in logic, should be our emotional response.

 

[jimrob]

Many lives have been lost over what we believe and don’t believe about the Sacred Elements - and what we believe other people believe. The Eucharist is a mystery and we shouldn’t delude ourselves into thinking we can ever fully understand it.

The position of the Catholic Church is that we believe that following the words of consecration in the Mass, Jesus Christ becomes truly present in body, blood, soul and divinity in the form of bread and wine. We don’t believe in a change to the chemical or physical properties of the bread and wine. The line between transubstantiation and symbolism is largely a matter of semantics.

Most Protestant denominations also believe in the real presence and few believe in the total absence. They just don’t ring as many bells as we do.

 

[IrishRush]

Listen to Fr. Larry Richards’ “The Mass Explained.” He explains it in such a way that you can’t help but feel it the next time you go up for Communion. You can get the audio CD for free from Catholicity.com.

 

[martininthefiel]

It is, indeed, a leap of faith to believe that the bread and wine are the Body and Blood of Christ, and an even bigger leap of faith to believe that the wafer is actually bread.

As with many things, it’s not about feelings.

Pray God for the willingness and Grace to believe. It will come.

 

[dje101]

Most Protestant denominations also believe in the real presence and few believe in the total absence. They just don’t ring as many bells as we do.

I haven’t been to a lot of protestant churches, but of the ones that I have been to (pentecostal, nondenominational, and baptist), they all said that the communion was symbolic.

Which denominations believe in the real presence?

 

[dje101]

And I hope that I can put into words something that will help you to understand. You have the gift of Faith and that is important. You also have the desire to have the reverence for the Holy Eucharist as Jesus should be reverenced even though you do not particularly feel that you are as reverent or attentive as you should be. What is important is that you have the desire. I have been a Catholic all my life and I have always believed from the time that I was taught that the Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus in the form of bread and wine. But there came a time in my life (I was in my '30’s) that this faith, this knowledge became more keen, a deepening of the reality. Participating in Eucharistic Adoration and reading the writings of Saints and holy persons can be helpful. The important thing to remember is not that you need to have feelings but that you have the desire to worship Jesus as He should be worshiped. I am reminded of Christ’s words to Thomas, “You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe yet have not seen.”

Thank you for your words of support, and showing me that having the desire to respect and revere the Lord is a good thing. I hadn’t thought about it like that. Thank you for showing me this.

 

[MartyrForJesus]

Hi all,

I hope I say this in a way that both makes sense and doesn’t offend anyone.

I have long since come to believe in the real presence. However, I find that, during mass when the host and wine are turned, I don’t have any…aww…of the presence. I find that I have to force myself to say “that is now the BODY AND BLOOD of our Lord”. I believe what Christ said in the gospels. I’m just finding it hard to have reverence for the Holy Eucharist. Has anyone else had this issue? And can you please give me some advice for the situation? I want to give the Lord and Eucharist the proper respect, I think I’m just finding it a bit difficult since I came from Protestantism, and am still used to seeing the Eucharist as ONLY symbolic, and therefore just bread and wine.

dje101

Br. JR said to me on CAF a couple of days ago: Feelings don’t matter, it is the will that matters.

I deal with the same thing as you: I don’t have a huge emotional moment during the Consecration or reception of Holy Communion, as much as I want to. I’ve heard of people weeping, crying, etc, at the reception of Holy Communion, yet this has never happened to me. Remember my friend, faith is not based on emotions. Believe in the will that it is the Body and Blood. I also recommend this video:

youtube.com/watch?v=vN1GV-UzbH0

This is what BR. Jay said:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=8613385&postcount=10

God Bless.

 

[japhy]

I would recommend you pray this cry from the Gospel: “Lord, I believe: help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)