The absolute need for the Eucharist

[TPJCatholic]

As Catholics we believe that the Eucharist is Jesus’ Real Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. We accept what Jesus taught in John chapter six that we must eat His Body and Blood to have life within us and that if we do not partake then we have no life in us.

It seems to me that this is an absolute, not just a nice offering. Our Lord made this so incredibly clear. It also seems that we are not doing our missinary jobs because the world does not know that the Lord mandates this action:

"…This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die…"

"…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…"

"…Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;…"

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"…he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day…"

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"…He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him…"

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"…This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever…"

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I realize that true invincible ignorance can lead to a person having eternal life despite not eating Jesus’ Body and Blood, yet even within the Christian world how many people can say they are truly invincibly ignorant?

 

[JCPhoenix]

Let’s remember a few things:

Jesus said, “No one comes to me but those called by the Father.” Some people have not been “called”, but in any case, God has a plan for them. We are called to preach the gospel, sometimes in words but more importantly by the way we live our lives. We are called to allow Christ to be manifest in us, and although we don’t understand how, or when or with whom, God uses us.

Secondly, God will not interfere with our free will. There are a lot of people out there who read those words and agree but they don’t know how to respond because it goes against their understanding…but the Lord is speaking to their hearts and when the time comes, they will understand and they will accept the truth.

Thirdly, as long as so many have decided (with their free will) that they have the authority to interpret the Bible according to their own personal yardstick, there will be dissent and there will be those who love Christ but think that his words are spiritual.

Remember that those who do not believe as we do are not necessarily damned as they may be recieving a form of “Spiritual Communion.” I daresay there are those who do not agree with this passage who will go to Heaven and rate a place ranked higher than those of us who do take the words of Jesus literally as he intended us to do.

We can only pray and talk to God about this, and in the meantime, live our lives as a sacrifice just as we are called to do. Let God handle them, and he will be with us when he wants us to educate others to the truth in love.

 

[TPJCatholic]

JCPhoenix,

I agree with much of what you said. My point is that Jesus was not unclear about the Eucharist. He made it clear that:

(1) It is His Real Body and Blood.
(2) We must eat His Real Body and Blood.
(3) If we do not partake we do not have life in us.
(4) If we do partake we will receive eternal life.

None of those things were conditional promises or statements as viewed from the text of John chapter six.

I agree people of other faiths are likely standing in a position of invincible igorance. I also agree that God cand will save whomeever He please and that some may very well receive a greater reward. Again, my point centers on the absoluteness of John chapter six…there is not ambiguity in that text…none.
Further, it seems to me that since a person of faith can receive eternal life by eating Jesus’ Body and Blood, then we darn well better get the word out.

 

[Liberian]

TPJCatholic:

I realize that true invincible ignorance can lead to a person having eternal life despite not eating Jesus’ Body and Blood, yet even within the Christian world how many people can say they are truly invincibly ignorant?

TPJ,

I would submit to you that there is a lot of cognitive dissonance out there. Cognitive dissonance is what happens when someone runs into something that is so totally foreign to his worldview that his mind simply refuses to accept that what his senses are telling him is really happening. I had a case of it myself thirty years ago when, as a good Protestant, I first read about what had happened at Fatima. I am sure that many good Protestants who are following God and obeying Him to the best of their abilities suffer from this when we talk about literally eating Christ’s Body.

You are absolutely right in your second post as well, though, that we had better get the word out as much as we can. Anybody who says we should not be evangelizing Protestants is mistaken.

• Liberian

 

[TPJCatholic]

Liberian,

It is stating the obvious to say that only God knows who will be saved, and who has life in them. Yet, Jesus’ Words in John chapter six or so clear that it seems brutally wrong for us not to scream it to the world.

I believe it is the Eucharist that can and will unite the world. I believe that when the day comes that the Jews convert it will be because they see the truth of Jesus’ Messiahship and the truth of Jesus’ perpetual sacrifice in the Eucharist, they will get even more profoundly then most Catholics. I also think that when people start seeing this truth, it will start slow but then grow to a wild fire. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ, it is at the very center of what I truly believe will unite all people–for the only one that can unite us all is God, and the Eucharist is God.

 

[Liberian]

TPJCatholic:

Liberian,

It is stating the obvious to say that only God knows who will be saved, and who has life in them. Yet, Jesus’ Words in John chapter six or so clear that it seems brutally wrong for us not to scream it to the world.

I believe it is the Eucharist that can and will unite the world. I believe that when the day comes that the Jews convert it will be because they see the truth of Jesus’ Messiahship and the truth of Jesus’ perpetual sacrifice in the Eucharist, they will get even more profoundly then most Catholics. I also think that when people start seeing this truth, it will start slow but then grow to a wild fire. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ, it is at the very center of what I truly believe will unite all people–for the only one that can unite us all is God, and the Eucharist is God.

TPJ,

I must admit that I read your words with some weariness. Certainly I would like to scream it to the world, but I have screamed this sort of thing before and the world has not listened. And there is the difficulty. I don’t have an answer to the problem.

• Liberian