The Last Supper

[zoe_otero]

What do the sacramentals of bread and wine represent?

 

[pianistclare]

catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/bread-and-wine.html

 

[po18guy]

What do the sacramentals of bread and wine represent?

With the almost total fracturing of Christianity, there are hundreds of modern answers, but only one remains correct. Our Lord offered the bread and wine to His Father during the feast of unleavened bread - which means simple wheat bread and grape wine, according to the passover tradition.

Yet, He took those common substances and said a Divine blessing over them. Then, He gave to the Apostles what appeared to be nothing more than it had been: bread and wine. Yet, He did something very unique and unprecedented. He told them that it was now His Body and His Blood, and even more so, He commanded them to eat and drink.

Several things occurred here for our contemplation. Jesus could not have meant the bread and wine as simple representations. Why? Because He did this at a point in time beyond which He had spoken to the Apostles by parable. This was the time frame in which He spoke plainly to them (John 16:25-30).

Thus, something beyond human comprehension occurred to the bread and wine at the moment that Jesus consecrated it. The Church calls this Divine process, which occurs by the power of the Holy Spirit, “Transubstantiation.” Some sort of human term had to be assigned to this mystery so that mankind could properly categorize it in our consciousness. Also clear is that God’s grace flows through the carrying out of this command (John 14:15-21, 15:10).

Both Catholic and Orthodox (then united, now separated, but healing) have fully and completely believed in the true presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament since that first consecration. The bread and wine retain their natural appearances, but their substance is changed by the Holy Spirit. Thus, Christ is present in His Body, Blood, Soul and divinity - the entire and complete definition of the God-man Savior.

Since the reformation, the various denominations have either fundamentally altered or, in some cases, completely discarded the concept of the Eucharist. This goes against the proper reading of the scriptures and against the 2,000 year history and practice of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches as instituted by Christ for our salvation. Thus, the concept of the Eucharist, with its 100% scriptural and Traditional evidence, is foundational to the Christian life.

 

[Reuben_J]

With the almost total fracturing of Christianity, there are hundreds of modern answers, but only one remains correct. Our Lord offered the bread and wine to His Father during the feast of unleavened bread - which means simple wheat bread and grape wine, according to the passover tradition.

Yet, He took those common substances and said a Divine blessing over them. Then, He gave to the Apostles what appeared to be nothing more than it had been: bread and wine. Yet, He did something very unique and unprecedented. He told them that it was now His Body and His Blood, and even more so, He commanded them to eat and drink.

Several things occurred here for our contemplation. Jesus could not have meant the bread and wine as simple representations. Why? Because He did this at a point in time beyond which He had spoken to the Apostles by parable. This was the time frame in which He spoke plainly to them (John 16:25-30).

Thus, something beyond human comprehension occurred to the bread and wine at the moment that Jesus consecrated it. The Church calls this Divine process, which occurs by the power of the Holy Spirit, “Transubstantiation.” Some sort of human term had to be assigned to this mystery so that mankind could properly categorize it in our consciousness. Also clear is that God’s grace flows through the carrying out of this command (John 14:15-21, 15:10).

Both Catholic and Orthodox (then united, now separated, but healing) have fully and completely believed in the true presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament since that first consecration. The bread and wine retain their natural appearances, but their substance is changed by the Holy Spirit. Thus, Christ is present in His Body, Blood, Soul and divinity - the entire and complete definition of the God-man Savior.

Since the reformation, the various denominations have either fundamentally altered or, in some cases, completely discarded the concept of the Eucharist. This goes against the proper reading of the scriptures and against the 2,000 year history and practice of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches as instituted by Christ for our salvation. Thus, the concept of the Eucharist, with its 100% scriptural and Traditional evidence, is foundational to the Christian life.

Thank you.

Some people can say this kind of thing so fluently in writing.