RyanL:
Vox did a great job of presenting a case, but if I could I would like to tack a quick thing on about the “context provided in John’s Gospel”. The context of the Last Supper was Passover. A very important part of Passover is eating the sacrificial lamb. If you don’t see that it’s important, re-read Exo 12! Specific instructions are given (including eating with unleavened bread - hmmph!) as to how you may and how you may not eat the lamb. In Revelations (as well as other books), Jesus is called Lamb some 28 times in 22 chapters. Any significance?
To read more of how the Bible predicted the Eucharist, please visit the thread I linked earlier…I spent a little bit of time on it, and I think it’s pretty good…
Peace,
RyanL
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Scott Hahn makes an interesting point in his book “Supper of the Lamb”
This is not a direct quote, but he points out that, during Passover, the Jewish people had to eat the actual lamb and drink wine, they couldn’t eat a lamb shaped cookie because they didnt’ like lamb meat or drink freshly squeezed grapes and say “Sorry, I dont’ like wine…”
When we participate in Communion, the bread has the appearance of bread and wine, but the eucharist is the actual Lamb of God, not a lamb- shaped cookie that symbolizes the body, but the actual body.
I say, There have been great miracles concerning the Eucharist. For the Catholic we don’t need every host to have scientific evidence of heart tissue, etc. We don’t need proof to believe. We trust that the Lord, Jesus has the words of Eternal life, where else shall we go but to follow Him? What were those words of eternal life?. Unless you eat his body and drink His blood you shall not have life within you. Many thought his words were too hard to believe and quit following Him, they turned away. Jesus didn’t stop them and say “Hey, wait, don’t leave me… it is only a symbol.” No, he let them leave because they refused to believe. Jesus would not have allowed His followers to leave and discontinue following them unless he meant what he said.
I believe that during the consecration the bread and wine become the body and blood of Our Savior Jesus Christ, because that is the way he wanted to touch us. It looks and tastes like bread and wine,(except those rare and powerful miracles where we are given human proof) but the Eucharist IS Jesus, it was all a part of the beautiful plan for our salvation.
The Jewish people, under the old covenant laws were not permitted to eat animal blood because the ancient people’s held common beliefs that to drink an animal’s blood was to drink it’s life force, that the blood would become a part of the person’s life force, many ancient religions held practices such as this in sacrifices to their gods etc. God used this ancient human belief in His plan for Salvation. This was the reason for draining the altar sacrifices etc. The Jewish people were God’s chosen people, they were not permitted to drink animal blood. This is one of the reasons why the teachings of Jesus that His followers should drink His blood and eat His body, were so objectional to the Jewish people. The 12 who continued to follow Him, didnt’ understand that Jesus would give them the Sacrament of the Eucharist and that he would present Himself under the humble*
appearance*of Bread and wine. The appearance remains, but the bread and wine no longer exist, althought they generally (except in rare miracles) appear and taste like bread and wine. Only the living Christ exists in the sacrament.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem (name meaning “house of bread”) and was laid in a feed box in a manger. He was the bread of life. He was the perfect unblemished Lamb of God. He is the Good Shepherd and He feeds His lambs. He gave us the plan, we just need to trust Him and follow it exactly the way he showed His Disciples. He was very specific regarding this teaching, and allowed people who refused to believe to walk away. A good Shepherd would have gone after them if it had only been a misunderstanding.
I refuse to turn my back on the Body of Christ.
I am not aware of any Eucharistic miracles where the bread and wine have not already been consecrated.