When we eat this bread and drink this cup

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We sang a communion song and it went “When we eat this bread and drink this cup”. Is this wrong theologically and inappropriate since it isn’t bread anymore at this point but the Real Presence?

Thanks
 
These very words are part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist itself. It is one of the options for a response to “Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.”

“When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death Lord Jesus, until you come in glory.”

Betsy
 
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup.
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-1 Corinthians 11:23-28

Straight from the Bible:D . I used to think the same thing though until I stumbled accross these verses.😉
 
Oren said:
We sang a communion song and it went “When we eat this bread and drink this cup”. Is this wrong theologically and inappropriate since it isn’t bread anymore at this point but the Real Presence?

Thanks
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Who says there is no symbolism in the Eucharist?
That Memorial Acclimation recognizes that the real Body of Christ which we receive in the Eucharist is just like bread–it feeds us (our souls instead of our stomachs).
 
The words refer to the accidents of bread and wine, which even after the consecration, remain.
 
These very words are part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist itself. It is one of the options for a response to “Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.”
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“When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death Lord Jesus, until you come in glory.”
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This would also seem to invalidate the complaints I have read on this forum concerning certain communion songs that use the terms ‘bread and wine’ as being un-Catholic.
Such as ‘Table of Plenty’ and ‘Supper of the Lord’
Thank you so much for posting this.
 
VAC said:
What do you mean by accidents?
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‘Accidents’ is a philosophical term which refers to “appearances,” and “appearances” means: whatever is perceptible to the senses. The appearances of bread and wine remain both before and after the consecration.

Because the appearances remain the same, we do not perceive the underlying change in substance: from bread and wine to body and blood of Christ.
 
Jamie_Burns said:
Who says there is no symbolism in the Eucharist?
That Memorial Acclimation recognizes that the real Body of Christ which we receive in the Eucharist is just like bread–it feeds us (our souls instead of our stomachs).
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Yes, furthermore, this is the problem with the Protestant (and other) views that the Eucharist is not the actual body and blood of Christ. They view it as a symbol and they teach others that the Catholic views as silly or nonsense and not biblical. However, the bible fully supports the Catholic view of the Eucharist.

Jesus points out in John 6:49 “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.” The Jews saw bread as a symbol of life (which is why bread became part of the feast of the Passover— the unleavened bread). The manna (or bread from heaven) saved the lives of their fathers in the dessert. However, as Jesus points out, they ate the bread and died anyway. The bread that was given to them could not save them and they did not have eternal life. A symbol cannot save, but the bread Jesus gives through the Sacrament of the Eucharist DOES save, because it is actually Him, and not just a symbol of Him. Which is why he says: “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 yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.” (John 6:53-55).

This is further supported later when the Apostle rights: “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord” - 1 Corinthians 11

So, if you are one who believes the protestant views, ask yourself this: (If drinking and eating in an unworthy manor) How can a person sin against the body and blood of Christ if the bread and wine are mere symbols?

There is even more to it than this, but I don’t have the time or the space to write an entire book on the subject ;-).
 
Perhaps you wish to review the four main Eucharistic Prayers. Three of them speak of “bread” and “cup” following the Consecration.
 
I was going to post a thread just like this but found this… I had the exact same question about that this is said after the consecration. I always thought we were to steer clear of using the term “bread” and “wine” after that point because it is not bread and wine in substance.

I was pointing these verses out to a protestant friend from 1 Corinthians 11:23-28 (mentioned earlier) and they were coming back with "well it keeps saying ‘bread.’ Why doesn’t it say “body” or “flesh?”

I know there’s more to the Bible than just that passage (i.e. all of John 6) and that is enough for me as I understand it all in context, however, it just seems like, for those not as well versed in Scripture (i.e. even many fellow Catholics who attend Mass) and hear that in the Mystery of Faith, they would get “mixed signals” about well, the priest said in the homily that it’s His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity… and now I’m singing from this Mystery of Faith: “When we eat this BREAD…” I can just see someone getting confused if they are paying attention to what they are saying.

Thanks for any additional thoughts.
 
miamijoe said:
I was going to post a thread just like this but found this… I had the exact same question about that this is said after the consecration. I always thought we were to steer clear of using the term “bread” and “wine” after that point because it is not bread and wine in substance.
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But it has the appearance of bread and appearance of wine. The words “bread” and “wine” may be used delicately. Even the Roman Canon uses the word “bread”: “the holy Bread of life eternal” (Panem sanctum vitæ ætérnæ).

It can be used properly and improperly. St. Paul, we must believe, used it properly.
 
When we eat this breadwhichisactuallythebodyofChristwhichappearsasbread and we drink this cupwhichisactuallythebloodofChristwhichappearsaswine we proclaim your death until you come is difficult to sing in time with the music. 😃
 
Oren said:
We sang a communion song and it went “When we eat this bread and drink this cup”. Is this wrong theologically and inappropriate since it isn’t bread anymore at this point but the Real Presence?

Thanks
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it is quoting from St Paul and from one of the proclamations after the consecration. I don’t know of the rest of the words of the song are sound without seeing them.
 
Newbie2 said:
When we eat this breadwhichisactuallythebodyofChristwhichappearsasbread and we drink this cupwhichisactuallythebloodofChristwhichappearsaswine we proclaim your death until you come is difficult to sing in time with the music. 😃
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Hahahahaha. That made me laugh loudly.
 
VAC said:
This would also seem to invalidate the complaints I have read on this forum concerning certain communion songs that use the terms ‘bread and wine’ as being un-Catholic.
Such as ‘Table of Plenty’ and ‘Supper of the Lord’
Thank you so much for posting this.
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Apart from references to bread and wine - which, as we know, don’t automatically make a piece unsuitable for the Mass - “Table of Plenty” cannot really be said to serve the primary function of a hymn: namely to give glory to God & to sanctify the people. The words are self-centered rather than God-centered; it’s rather an ego-booster when one goes on to sing God’s lines (“O, come and sit at my table…”). THIS article looks at such issues and refers specifically to “Table of Plenty”.

With regard to the O.P. - others have explained that the terms “bread” and “wine” are still used sometimes to refer to the consecrated species. There is a right way and a wrong way of doing this (for Catholics, at least) and it is often evident in hymns. I can’t think of examples off hand, but there are hymns which make it clear that the bread is only a symbol, so one must study the overall context of the hymn to discern exactly what it is trying to say - I think if it is ambiguous it should not be used. At the Memorial Acclamation “When we eat this bread…”, I think of there being somewhat of a stress on the word “this”: “When we eat this bread, and drink this cup” - we can’t proclaim the death of Christ until He comes in glory with mere earthly bread and wine.
 
This is a sort of simple thing that can help you out — remember that Jesus said that “**I **am the bread of life” and “I am the bread that comes down from heaven.” So in calling the consecrated Host bread we are nonetheless recognizing that it is Jesus.
 
SoM and NPC… thank you to both of you for the simple yet perfect insights both from Scripture and from simply looking at what is said itself. This also helps with explaining that particular passage of St. Paul’s Letter where the Mystery of Faith is derived.
Have a Blessed Easter to All. (I Love this Website!)
 
Newbie2 said:
When we eat this breadwhichisactuallythebodyofChristwhichappearsasbread and we drink this cupwhichisactuallythebloodofChristwhichappearsaswine we proclaim your death until you come is difficult to sing in time with the music. 😃
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However, singing “When we eat your body and drink your blood, we proclaim…” would not be difficult to sing in time with the music.

I believe it to be very difficult for us to tell the Lutherans they are wrong while believing its the Body of Christ and bread (consubstantiation) and then say we believe it only to be the Body of Christ…and then turn right around and sing AFTER the consecration “When we eat this bread”…

Its either the Body of Christ or its bread or as the Lutherans say both.

I think this is more evidence of protestant influence on the Catholic mass.
 
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