The Eucharist is a central part of Christian worship, commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated daily during Mass and the eucharistic liturgy, with the preparation of gifts and the altar being carried out by ministers. The Eucharist, also known as the Holy Communion, Mass, the Lord’s Supper, or the Divine Liturgy, is accepted by almost all Christians.
The Eucharist involves the sharing of scripture, offering of prayers, and doing what Jesus did at the Last Supper, including taking, blessing, breaking, and sharing his body and blood. The Eucharist includes the sharing of the Word from scripture, offering of prayers, and doing what Jesus did at the Last Supper.
Introductory Rites are when people gather to listen to God’s words through readings and celebrate the Eucharist. The Penitential Act serves as a reminder of the Eucharist’s importance. The liturgy of the Eucharist includes the offering and presentation of bread and wine at the altar, their consecration by the priest during the eucharistic.
People approach the altar and bow with reverence, receiving Holy Communion either on the tongue or in the hand. Rites involving the exposure of the Blessed Sacrament include Benediction and eucharistic adoration. According to Catholic theology, the host, after the Eucharist, receives the Body of Christ either on the tongue or in the hand.
The basic shape of the Eucharist is established in early texts, where bread and wine are taken, thanks and praise are offered to God over them, and the bread is eaten. In the Eucharist, the Church both receives the gift of Jesus Christ and gives grateful thanks to God for such a blessing. The Eucharist is a memorial action that is the only proper way for Christians to express their gratitude to God.
📹 The Shocking Reality of the Eucharist
It’s easy to fall into a routine and lose sight of the little miracles all around us. Unfortunately, it is even easy to fall into a routine and …
What type of ritual is communion?
Christians do Communion, also known as the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper, a significant Christian ritual that involves sharing bread and wine to symbolize Jesus Christ’s body and blood. This practice is carried out in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and as a means of spiritual communion with God and fellow believers. Communion holds varying importance and interpretation across different Christian denominations, but it is a sacred sacrament in the Christian faith.
Some Christian denominations allow individuals or families to partake in communion outside a church, using elements like bread and wine to symbolize Jesus’ body and blood, along with prayers and reflections on the ritual’s significance.
What are the rituals of Eucharist?
The Eucharist is a sacrament that completes the process of initiation and allows one to fully participate in receiving Holy Communion. It is unique among sacraments as it is at the heart of our faith. For Catholics, the Eucharist is the most powerful way to encounter the real presence of Jesus Christ. On Sundays, Catholics gather to celebrate the Eucharist, where bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. This transformation allows us to become Christ’s presence to others and recognize the presence of Christ in others.
How do you practice the Eucharist?
To receive the Eucharistic species, place your left hand on top of your right hand, keeping your eyes on Christ. Carefully take the Host in your right hand and place it in your mouth, consuming any crumbs left on your hands. Remember to consume the Host immediately to prevent others from leaving with the species. Avoid receiving in the hand if you are holding something or someone, as this may diminish the attention and care given to the Host. Please consider these words and respect your discernment.
What are the sacrament rituals?
Roman Catholic theology consists of seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick. These sacraments were established by the Second Council of Lyon and the Council of Florence. The Council of Trent (1545–1563) reaffirmed these sacraments, stating that if anyone claims that the sacraments of the New Law were not instituted by Jesus Christ or that they are more or less than seven, they are anathema.
Similarly, if anyone claims that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary for salvation but superfluous, they are anathema. All sacraments are necessary for salvation through faith alone, and without them, individuals cannot obtain the grace of justification through faith alone.
What is celebrated at the Eucharist?
The Eucharist is a central rite of Christian worship, a memorial action where the church recalls what Jesus Christ was, said, and did. It is practiced by most Christian churches in some form and is one of the two sacraments most clearly found in the New Testament. The story of the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus on the night before his Crucifixion is reported in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; and Luke 22:17–20) and in the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians (I Corinthians 11:23–25).
According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus established the practice at the Last Supper, a traditional Passover seder, when he blessed the bread, which he said was his body, and shared it with his disciples. He then shared a cup of wine with his disciples and told them that “this is the blood of my covenant, which is poured out for many”.
The earliest Christians regularly enacted the Eucharist, which was originally a repetition of the common meal of the local group of disciples with the addition of the bread and the cup signifying the presence of Jesus. St. Paul’s earliest record of the ordinance suggests that some abuses had arisen in conjunction with the common meal, or agapē, with which it was combined. To rectify this, St. Paul recalled and reestablished the original institution and its purpose and interpretation as a sacrificial-sacramental rite. Fellowship meals continued in association with the postapostolic Eucharist, and little was changed in the doctrinal and liturgical development described in the writings of the early Church Fathers.
What are the rituals performed by Catholics?
The Catholic Church is a religious community that practices various sacraments, including baptism, confirmation, reconciliation, anointing of the sick, matrimony, and ordination. These sacraments are considered channels of receiving God’s grace and are categorized into the Sacraments of Initiation (baptism, the Eucharist, and confirmation), Healing (reconciliation and anointing of the sick), and Vocational Consecration (marriage and ordination).
Baptism is the first sacrament of initiation, typically performed when an infant is baptized. The priest sprinkles holy water on the person’s head, invoking the Holy Trinity. The ritual is believed to bring about a new self, mirroring the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The ritual is usually performed once in a Catholic’s lifetime, and a baptism performed by another Christian denomination is usually recognized by the Catholic Church.
The Eucharist, also known as the Holy Communion or Lord’s Supper, is the second sacrament of initiation in the Catholic Church. During the ritual, bread and red wine are sanctified by the clergy, which is believed to transform the substances into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The congregation shares the sacred meal to commemorate Christ’s Last Supper and his crucifixion.
While the Eucharist can be received as often as one wishes, an individual’s first communion and participation during Easter are considered particularly important.
What do Catholics do during Eucharist?
The Liturgy of the Eucharist is a sacred ritual in which the bread and wine, which become the Body and Blood of Christ, are brought to the altar by the ministers. This act of consecration is a significant part of the Christian faith, as it signifies the communion between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Eucharist serves as a spiritual nourishment for believers, as Jesus gives himself to them as food and drink, as he loves them deeply.
The participation in the life of the Trinity, the communion of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, begins with Baptism, when we are joined to Christ through the Holy Spirit. This connection strengthens and increases in Confirmation, and is deepened through our participation in the Eucharist. By eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, we become united to the person of Christ through his humanity. This union transforms our mortal and corruptible natures into the source of life, drawing us into the eternal relationship of love among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Eucharist is not only a meal but also a sacrifice, as Jesus Christ was sent to remove the obstacle of sins. His death and resurrection conquered sin and death, reconciling us to God. The Church gathers to remember and represent this sacrifice through the action of the priest and the power of the Holy Spirit. Through the celebration of the Eucharist, we are joined to Christ’s sacrifice and receive its inexhaustible benefits.
However, the bread and wine still look and taste like bread and wine during the Eucharist. In the traditional theological language, the “substance” of the bread and wine is changed by the power of the Holy Spirit into the “substance” of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This change at the level of substance from bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is called “transubstantiation”. According to Catholic faith, we can speak of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist because this transubstantiation has occurred.
What are the practices of the Eucharist?
At the Eucharist celebration, the community gathers, asks God’s forgiveness for sins, listens to Bible readings, listens to a sermon, and prays together. Bread and wine are brought to the holy table, the priest prays the Eucharistic Prayer, and everyone says the Lord’s Prayer together. The community receives the consecrated bread and wine, and at the end of the service, they are sent out into the world as a living sacrifice to live and work to God’s praise and glory.
What are the rules for the Eucharist?
In accordance with the tenets of Canon Law, individuals who intend to receive the Most Holy Eucharist are required to abstain from food and drink for a minimum of one hour prior to Holy Communion, with the exception of water and medicine. Those who are elderly, infirm, or in the care of others are exempt from the fast. It is not within the authority of priests or deacons to grant exceptions to those who are obliged to observe the fast, unless the bishop has given his permission to do so.
What is the ritual of the First Communion?
A First Holy Communion is a religious ceremony performed by Catholics when a child reaches 7-8 years old and accepts the bread and wine (Eucharist) as the body and blood of Christ. It is a significant event in the Catholic Church, as it is the first time a child is able to accept the Eucharist at Catholic Mass. Prior to this, the child must have been baptized. The First Holy Communion is held in church during a special “First Holy Communion Mass”, where several children receive the sacrament at once.
The children and their parents prepare for the event by attending classes at the church or local Catholic school and regularly attending Mass. The First Holy Communion Mass is usually held on a Sunday, often from May to July.
📹 9 Liturgy of the Eucharist – Communion Rite
We join in the prayer Jesus taught us and prepare to receive Him in the veil of bread and wine. Special thanks to Rob Bruder for …
I am not even Catholic, but I can feel how the Eucharist is CHANGING me – I have started going to adoration every day, as soon as I found out what it really was. The first time I went, I cried. I was scared of RCIA before, but not any more – not after spending all these hours with Him. It feels too right.
Fr. Mike your article “The Hour That Will Change Your Life” is the reason I became fascinated with the Eucharist as a spiritually numb Protestant Christian. I am happy to say that I have come into the Church this past July 10th and I am ecstatic that I can literally have Christ within me sacramentally every single day. I’ve never felt closer to Christ in my entire life and I love being in full communion with the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, Church. God bless you 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
WOW WOW WOW!!! 🤯 I am a Protestant but have been on my journey to Catholicism for a few months now doing tons of research and praying. And this article just broke down the last major wall keeping me from the church. I already planned on at least going through the classes, I think called RCIA, but had many reservations about the Eucharist, I just couldn’t wrap my mind around it and feared that would keep me from ever being able to become Catholic. Father Mike, when you brought up the incarnation, my soul cried out in relief, joy and amazement. I am so in love with my Lord and Savior and just overwhelmed with pure joy! It is so ironic that Catholics are so much more knowledgeable and in depth with the Bible, when growing up Protestant in a “Sola Scriptura” environment, learning half truths and complete misconceptions. Protestant beliefs left me feeling lost, confused and with little to no faith. Learning from the Catholic Church has not only brought me back to Jesus, but has allowed me to truly have faith deeply as well as intellectually. The beauty of how everything in the Bible ties together is so miraculous that it can only be God’s word, and now I FINALLY understand the Eucharist and believe in it! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FATHER MIKE! Thank the Lord I found Catholicism and thank the Lord we have men like you to teach us!!! ❤❤❤ I cannot wait until I have my first communion!
I’m going to share this with my dear friend who’s not a practising Catholic anymore. Just a couple of days ago she insisted that Holy Communion was just a symbol, not the real Body & Blood of Our Lord. I reminded her of Jesus’s words at the last supper but to no avail. I was desperate to convince her. Now I can show her this, as your explanation is so clear. Thank you Fr Mike. It’s amazing how I was led to see this. Just what I needed. Praise be to God. 🙏🙏🙏
Your podcasts was what got me back to my religion. I started praying and saying the rosary for my 12 year old nephew who was not liking the public school he was in trying to get into a charter school AMSA ( Advanced Math Science Academy ) He was 4th on the list for entry at the 7th grade level. Every day I prayed for him, and last Saturday went to mass in person and offered it up to him and his mother. I got word he was accepted for this September. PRAYERS DO WORK!. Thank you Fr.
Thank you Fr Mike 🌟 Once we understand the Eucharist we will never leave the Church. Not because the church won’t let us but because our hearts won’t let us. The greatest love story of all times is contained in a tiny host. When we look at the cross we understand how much Jesus loved us then ✝️ When we look at the Sacred Host we understand how much Jesus loves us now🌻
We did not hear Jesus say: ” calm down fellas, i’m not say that literally. Come here and let me explain myself better.” He actually said to the disciples if they want to leave too. I always thought that this is an amazing and so simple way to understand Jesus said that literally. Sorry for my english.
Yes, many murmured about what Jesus was saying, and it also mentions that because of what Jesus said, many left and went back to their former ways of life. If Jesus had been speaking symbolically, no one would’ve walked away. It IS a hard teaching, but one which makes perfect sense once you delve deep. I am sooo grateful to be a Catholic convert! Thank you, Fr Mike!
@5:11, this, exactly! His flesh is divine, not human flesh. THIS is why I converted from Protestantism. Everything was taken out of context and reinterpreted to support inaccurate beliefs. I came to the Catholic Church to get the truth and the true body, blood, soul, and divinity of Our Savior, Jesus Christ. There’s no going back. God bless you Father Mike Schmitz.
Sooo true, anyone for sure can attest that every after the Holy Communion, we experience a lighter/peaceful/calm mind, body that only God can provide our soul! So easy to be destructed by worldly noise, by evil trying to take our attention somewhere else but, let’s keep clinging to our Merciful God as He died for us for our salvation! You’re a blessings to all of us Fr. Mike, you’re in my daily prayers!
When Jesus says: “Amen, amen……” this is a particularly important thing I am about to say. It is a Stop, Look up, Focus and Listen moment. It is a Must Believe and Do moment – you’re Life depends on this what I am about Say. So, Stop, Look Up, Focus and Listen. Your Life depends on doing and believing what He is about to say. “Amen, Amen. I say to YOU….” Thank you Lord.
The Holy Eucharist and Consecrated Wine IS the BODY & BLOOD of JESUS! As a eucharistic minister, I have had many spiritual experiences about this. Once (of several experiences) as a eucharistic minister: I was assisting with administering the Holy Eucharist. As I held the chalice of the Hosts; I felt strong waves of graces flowing out from the chalice and filling the church! But these graces continued out of the church and into the World!! Not only is the Holy Eucharist and Consecrated Wine IS the BODY & BLOOD of JESUS, but God is EVERYWHERE. This is only one of other experiences about God’s ACTUAL PRESCENCE in the Holy Eucharist and Consecrated Wine. Unfortunately, our protestant brethren DO NOT BELIEVE in God’s ACTUAL PRESCENCE in the Holy Eucharist and Consecrated Wine. How sad. It’s because of God’s ACTUAL PRESCENCE in the Holy Eucharist and Consecrated Wine, that I have stayed Roman Catholic. Catholics are the only ones who believe in the TRANSFIGUARTION (by GOD) of the bread and wine into the BODY & BLOOD of JESUS CHRIST. When we receive Holy Communion, we actually have God’s physical being in us for a moment. This is how Miraculous healing can occur when you take Communion. God bless you all. ♥️
Abba Father I pray that Fr. Mike becomes a saint in your heavenly kingdom in your time. Please protect him and save him from every temptation. Mumma Mary please always keep Fr. Mike under your blue mantle of protection. Holy spirit always annoint fr. Mike and may he always be close to Jesus’s heart. I make this prayer through Christ our lord. Amen
This is so brilliantly helpful. I am friends with many Christians who do not believe in the True Presence. They also point to the ‘bread’ being the ‘word’ that feeds us. However this short talk points to everything that shows that what Jesus said ‘is’ exactly what He says. I have always believed that the Eucharist is Jesus but I’ve had difficulty discussing with my Christian friends. Thank you Fr Mike and God bless all at Ascension.
My wife years ago had one of her adult students at college she tutored stop by the house one day. He is a delightful young man who is a believing and practicing Muslim. She just happened to be reading John 6 and asked him what he thought. He had never heard this Gospel before. Without knowing the disciples objections beforehand he parroted virtually word for word their incredulity: “Teacher’ he said. (He always called her that). “Teacher! This is a very hard saying! How can this be True!” My wife nearly fell off her chair. It is a “hard saying” but nonetheless – True.
Years ago John Michael Talbot came to our little town and performed his music in our local Catholic church. I was a young man, barely saved and in a lovely Free Methodist church. I knew nothing about anything except that Jesus is awesome, the Holy Spirit is powerful and with us, and I had very recently begun to understand Gods call to be holy. (I had heard JMT’s CDs a friend had). To the point, about halfway through he sang a song about the Holy Eucharist. I’m not sure I had ever even heard that word before but I knew the Holy Spirit. Immediately the Presence of God flooded the sanctuary and I melted into tears, feeling overwhelmed by joy and gratitude. It was a Holy moment I will never forget.
So glad I happened across this today (ah, with God there are no coincidences!) I left the Church in 2014 and joined a conservative Mennonite church. But I couldn’t reconcile their views on many things, including Holy Eucharist as the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. There’s more to why I left the Mennonite Church but suffice it to say your articles and succinct explanations have been instrumental in my return to the Catholic Church. Thank you, Fr. Mike.
Greetings Father Mike, Thanks for the kind message highlighting Eucharist is the Most Truthful Aspect of The Church – “Help is Offered but Love is Shared or Given in all aspects” . My Thoughts : Through Eucharist, I gained Strength to Reconcile with My Parents by seeking Forgiveness for my actions and Stay seeking Answers in Path of Our Lord Jesus Christ. My Prayers with Everyone for Strength to Overcome the Temptations of Cyberbullying in all aspects throughout the World. With respect with Prayers, RanjithJoseph (R.J)
I love hearing the stories of so many of my Protestant brothers and sisters who have become Catholic. Their inspiration has helped to clear the path for people from all walks of life: atheists and unbelievers who have found the faith by experiencing the true understanding of Jesus through conversion and the Eucharist.Receiving Christ in the Eucharist will not only give you peace but it will change you in ways that will amaze you each and every day. Your life in Christ is your protection from evil. He gave us the Eucharist! How lucky we are that He loved us so much! Christ is with us! Nothing else matters! God Bless!
It is also VERY important to know and note that the concordance and related lexicon for those verses describe the meaning of the word “eat” as gnaw, which is why the disciples left and were disgusted, and the meaning of the word “life” (in verse 53) as resurrected life IN THE FLESH!!! It’s always been there, just like Father Mike mentioned about “my” vs. “the”. THE flesh refers to sinful flesh that takes life and brings death, while the Spirit of God that is embodied in Jesus brings resurrected life through His perfectly holy and obedient (to the entire law) flesh. So, the flesh of Jesus is also His life giving Spirit, but now it’s new life with Him in Heaven instead of just physical life apart from His Spirit here on earth. The breath of life animates the bodies of both the evil and the good, but it’s only His resurrected, eternal flesh that gives that same life of His to those who eat it while honoring Him. We are truly what, or more accurately who, we eat. The bread of faithful obedience that is the flesh of our Lord and Savior, or the fruit of our temptor who is our accuser onto destruction. We already disobediantly and lustfully ate the first, so now are we going to faithfully and obediently eat the second and the last unto salvation?! Chose wisely!!! In Christ, Andrew
I love the part of the mass when the priest says the Epiclesis prayer, calling the Holy Spirit to hover over the alter. It is not the priest,who is in the flesh, that change bread and wine, it is God in the Spirit. “It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.” Our ordained, wonderful priests commit their lives for that ultimate purpose, to bring us into “Communion” with the Creator of the Universe!
More articles on defending your Catholic faith to other Christians when questioned. I remember being in a rapid fire situation after moving to a different county. I went to the neighborhood Christian church on Sunday because I didn’t have time to look up Catholic Churches in the area yet. When they found out I attended a Catholic Church the questions started to fly and I became overwhelmed and couldn’t answer. Having a solid foundation on the basics like the Eucharist would have helped me a lot.
This is a vital teaching, and it’s so important to be doing this Eucharistic Revival, but until we see more people receiving Our Lord kneeling and on the tongue, not many people’s hearts will change. We learn the Faith not just by words, but through osmosis: seeing it lived out. When Catholics receive Our Lord in the hand like any other food, it stands to reason that people will think It IS just normal food like anything else. Only priests distributing: they have consecrated hands for this reason. Then revival will happen. Come, Holy Spirit!
Hi Father Mike, thank you for the wonderful words Catholics need to hear everyday to nourish our heart. As I was walking home after the mass, I am thinking about Jesus, as I have just received Him. I realized that when I receive the Holy Eucharist, Jesus receives me, and in return, I receive Him in my heart, and so I also receive my brothers and sisters in Christ (the body of Christ). Thanks God for this realization.
The love of our redeemer who wanted to leave a piece of him inside his faithful. On the last day we cannot resurrect on our own. we have to have a piece of him for angels to gather us on that fateful day, when the Sun and moon have moved away and there is darkness all over the four corners, only the glow of the Eucharist in the faithful. Our Lord was absolutely insistent with his followers to the point of losing his followers on this truth and mystery. Only Peter and the twelve “Lord, to whom shall we go, You have the words of eternal life…” and for this reason when was the last time you seen an incorruptible relic exposed to natural elements, of a protestant or other denominations. Its only among Catholics and perhaps Orthodox, you find this mystery and a miracle, unexplained by science.
John 6:35 RSVCE Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. Matthew 24:23-25 RSVCE Then if any one says to you, ‘Lo, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Lo, I have told you beforehand.
Father Mike, thank you so much for all you do. I am trying so hard to believe that Jesus is in fact present in the Eucharist. To that end I pray regularly for that knowledge in my heart. One of the sources of doubt for me, though, is the fact that wine (the Blood of Jesus) hasn’t returned to the mass since it was stopped during the pandemic. I am praying to overlook my own sense of logic and just believe. Thank you again…. I’m praying for you, please prayfor me. Thank you.
The Church is spending 28 million dollars on this project. This is a waste. Just simply return to the traditional norms of Eucharistic piety. Ad Orientum, altar rails, receive on the tongue, frequent examination of consciences/ confession, saying “my Lord my God” the elevation. Simple as that. People learn by what they see, not what they are told intellectually.
Many will believe, and many wont. However God always sends us miracles to make us believe. I see so many comments where people don’t believe. That’s why God is awesome giving us free will to choose to love him or disregard him. For he longs everyone to love him, but love is chosen and given freely. Thank you lord for your undying love for me. Hope people will come to the eucharistic congress convention in Indy in 2024 to worship God!!
So needless to say I have struggled with this, I have read and re-read these passages, and prayed about it, the thought then occurred to me that John 1 v 1-2 states ” In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, He was with God in the beginning” John 1 v14 ” The Word became flesh” we know that the Word is Jesus, therefore is it not possible that we are to feast on the Word, i.e, the teachings and life of Christ rather than the physical ? In literal interpretation of this, you are re crucifying Jesus, when we are told that it was a once and for all sacrifice. Jesus said from the cross “It is finished”
A Baptist church pastor I was attending asked me what the catholic thought about eucharist and I didn’t know ( talking about a lukewarm catholic). Then, he explained that catholic kills Jesus twice because they say they are eating Jesus body and flesh. It triggered my curiosity because I was thinking how it didn’t make sense. Then the pandemic hits and learned so much about the church, church fathers, read the Bible and learned about our Lady( I had never believed that we should ask her to pray for us). Now,I am so in love with God and my protestant friends and husband can’t believe that they talk and talk back with facts they can’t deny. We learned to accept each other without them always badmouthing the church. I can go on and on, but I love the fact that I am solid in my faith and very confident in what I know. Dr Pitre Brant articles helped a lot too.
Jesus, the food that came down from heaven, to give us heavenly life. All the food on earth no matter how expensive they are is just dirt because it came from the earth. I realized that when I take His body and blood in the Holy Eucharist. I must be transformed and become Christ-like, in my thoughts, words and action. I pray for God’s grace to become like Him little by little everyday. 🙏🙏🙏 Amen. Praise God!
I humbly beg all Catholics to get to a TLM. His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity is what separates the us from the protesters and the greyness of this world. The TLM is the Sacrifice of the Mass of our saints, the Mass that spread around the world. I implore you to experience it for yourself and just sit and absorb all of the beauty and reverence of it. I’m almost 2 years into living as close to the Traditional Catholic teachings as possible and every Mass is truly a miraculous event.
I recently accepted Jesus despite of being baptized as a baby. This is the part i’m still not fully on board m, doesn’t make sense just like I still don’t understand why Jesus had to sue. so i’m interested in learning more. I’m so glad we can learn from you on Youtube. We can’t always be at the church and this way I feel i’m working on my relationship with God everyday!
Yes we have to “eat” Our Lord to live. We are cut from the Rock that is higher than us. From out of God all sustenance comes. He spoke and the Energy in His Word created the planets, the sun and all matter and antimatter. Man does not live alone by bread but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Amen!
As I sit through the service each week at my Protestant church and watch people numbly sit through the service, fidget, talk, mingle after the service in the sanctuary and chat about anything that crosses their mind, I realize that the problem is they don’t believe that God is actually present in our services. Believing that Christ is actually present in the Eucharist makes it so much easier to be still and reverent in the church.
Fr Mike. I’m struggling. I left the Catholic Church 15 years ago. God put it in my heart to study. So I’ve been studying the Bible– the text, linguistic and cultural contexts, the morals, various doctrines, how it all relates and comes back to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I’ve been hearing the whisperings of what may very well be the Holy Spirit calling me back to the Church. But the biggest wall in front of me is the eucharist. I heard and read those same verses where Jesus TELLS us his body and blood is indeed food and drink, but i still cannot bridge the gap of the literal and the symbolic. I need to know how to bridge this gap, or abolish the other side of this gap. I see the last supper and think back to the passover where the jews literally ate every bit of the lamb they prepared, but i do not see the literal reflection in the new testament. In the epistles of St Paul, in the Acts of the Apostles. One conclusion I’ve arrived at is the need to study the importance and relevance of traditions the early church fathers practiced. So i will continue studying. And part of it is fear. I fear what it will mean to my family. I fear To my current church. To the relationships i currently have. To the miracles I’ve experienced by God’s hand while in my walk with Christ away from Catholicism that i did not see in the Church. I fear finding the truth and don’t know what to do if or when i find it. Yet i don’t want to be the coward described in Apocalypse (revelation) that will be thrown into the lake of fire ahead of the murderer and the liar.
I left my Catholic faith for many arguments like this, and it was the Lord himself who brought me back, and with a bigger and deeper understanding this time around, and I thank him for that so much it is in receiving the Eucharist that you receive strength healing, and you have to take it in in holiness to feel the difference. If you go take it in and not in spirit and truth, then you’re not you just not gonna feel anything because you’re not receiving it you’re actually receiving condemnation to Yourself, so if it were real, it’s just people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge and the church is being attacked because when something is real and true, it will be attacked. It’s just like you when you give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, and begin to live a good life you begin to have trials and tribulations if you’re not having any trials and tribulations, you need to worry.❤️🕊
I think the problem here is we have to zoom out a little. That same day in the Hebraic calendar, Jesus body was beaten, then He was nailed on the cross. He then stated on the cross “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit”. With this spirit, many become born again, becoming a part of the body of Christ. Jesus also said to do this in remembrance of Him. Remember the things He said, such as man does not live on bread alone, but every word that comes from the mouth of God. Jesus also said my food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me.
Bless you Fr. Mike for all you do for us! I’d like to ask that you consider addressing something in a future article on the Eucharist. Jesus clearly says in John 6 that we MUST eat His Flesh AND drink His Blood to have life within us. He repeats it several times and every time, Jesus uses the word AND, not or. He clearly says we need to receive the Eucharist in both His Precious Body and Precious Blood. How important is this concept that Jesus repeated it several times? Why did the church deny the people access to both for so many years (and now continues to due to COVID)? And why both species? Are there different gifts we receive in each? I’d love to hear your thoughts on these questions! Peace in Christ!!
Jesus was speaking spiritually when he spoke of “”eating his flesh”and “drinking his blood.” This is why he follows up his statements with ” the words I speak to you are spirit and they are life” John 6:63. Communion is an important part of the Christian life however apart from faith in Christ it means nothing. No physical act can bring us closer to God. We draw near to God through faith in Christ.
Love your articles. Had a question For those who have not yet receieved the sacrement of first holy communion, like young children, they tend to get a blessing at communion time. I always prefer for my son to get the blessing from the priest. Do eucharistic ministers really have the power to give a blessing? Who gives them this power?
The context of John 6 shows us that to eat and drink Christ’s flesh and blood is not a carnal act but rather a spiritual act of trusting in Jesus. John 6:22–59 parallels the eating that leads to eternal life with belief, making the two things identical. The Lord’s Supper signs and seals this belief, showing that the One in whom we believe is both God and man, having a true human body. We need the humanity of Christ no less than we need His deity, and the physical elements of the supper impress this on our hearts and minds.
Thank you Father Mike for your explanation on this subject. As a Catholic I was wondering your thoughts about the Blood not being shared during Mass. I know that with COVID they put a pause on the Blood being shared but isn’t this part just as important as the Eucharist? For Jesus said to do both in remembrance of him. I would love to hear your thoughts. Also I’m almost finish with BIAY. I pray for you. Thank you for sharing his word. God Bless.
Three questions dear Father Mike… 1. What happens when we literally eat somebody’s flesh and blood? For in the Old Testament God prohibited man to drink any blood… 2. What if literally they had to eat Jesus’ flesh and blood while He was still alive? What would happen if Jesus would have been accepted by everyone, how would our salvation take place? For if everyone obeyed God’s commands, who would kill and hate Him…
A Catholic man and i online were discussing the differences in beliefs of the eucharist. He said “weather its the real presence or remembrance is irrelevant. If there is no heart change, theres no point. ” Amen to that. I refuse to protest my catholic bros and sis’s. I disagree on this teaching but i refuse to divide on it.
Hi Father Mike, I’m from Sydney Australia. I recently viewed a documentary titled Blood of Christ part 1: Eucharistic Miracle of Buenos Aires, in which a eucharist transubstantiated into blood and cardiac tissue and scientifically proven. The 1996 miracle investigation was supervised by Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio, our beloved Pope Francis
The bodily nourishment we receive from consuming earthly food and drink is meant to help us understand the nourishment our souls receive when we consume the precious Body and Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Our bodies get weak and die without earthly food and drink. Likewise, our souls get weak and die without spiritual food and drink, that being Christ, Himself. It was through consumption in the Garden of Eden that we fell; therefore, it is through the consumption of Christ our Redeemer that we are alive again.
Dear Fr. Mike, I have two children, 12 and 10 years old. They are coming to church with me most Saturday nights, however, our local priest is retiring in a couple of months. Our priest is pretty cool how he can relate to young people. And my children actually not protesting about going to church. I am concerned the guest priests are not in tune with young people and it is challenging for my children and others to see how they are relevant going to church. I have to confess I too find the mass process boring when the priests are doing their thing and we are very passive sitting and standing and responding. It was the music that helped me sit through mass. At our church, we don’t even have music anymore. Do you have any advice or suggestions? I wonder why receiving the body of Jesus is not exciting when I am in church compared to when I listen to your homily or explanation online?
Here’s a great way to try to convince Protestants; exegete John 6 from start to finish. This will help with a lot of context. Before JESUS tells them about HIS flesh, John starts with the feeding of the thousands. This is very important and once you follow what the passage teaches, the view of the Eucharist held by my Catholic brethren cannot be simply concluded from that.
Idioms, allegories, figurative expressions – all existed in Christ’s day, folks. Jesus did not want us to teach that we literally drink his blood and eat his flesh as it pertains to the Eucharist. The bread and the wine are symbolic items within the Passover meal that he pointed his disciples to. That is the true meaning. Catholicism is nothing but (corrupt) man-made traditions that often stem from pagan practices.
ST. POPE JOHN PAUL II: “It is important to be ever mindful that communion with Christ is deeply tied to communion with our brothers and sisters. The Sunday Eucharistic gathering is an experience of brotherhood. The sign of peace is a particularly expressive gesture which the faithful are invited to make as a manifestation of the commitment to mutual love which is made in sharing the one bread.” POPE BENEDICT XVI: “The Eucharist has a “personal and social character: Christ unites himself with me, but also with those beside me, and so unites himself equally with my neighbor. We are all one bread, one body. And this is communion – without solidarity with others the Eucharist is abused.”
I am a Christian. I say this with the utmost respect because I specifically searched for this answer within YouTube. If this scripture is not a metaphor (not simile using “like” but referencing something as if it is), then do you also take Matthew 18:9 to mean that we are actually to cut off our hands & feet or pluck out our eye when we sin? Again, I ask this with respect because I’m truly seeking the answer.
Hi Father, thanks for the article. A question; is it a fair observation that upon reformation that the apostolic ability to orchestrate the true presence in the Eucharist at mass was broken? Would that have been a fear for many reformed Christians? Henceforth, new rules were conveniently navigated through a biblical interpretation that suited reformists? I really want to encourage everyone to ponder the power of communion without further driving a wedge due to the ego and wanting to be right. Do you think this is a gentle approach or do you have any suggestions?
The Eucharistic revival must implicate structural changes in America; for example, pews must have a reasonable separation between them. This prevents forcing the faithful into communion when not ready for it. Also, confessionals should be built in proportion to the people receiving communion. If these, among many other implementations are not met, little revival would have been achieved, no matter the amount of money allocated and words preached.
How can we know the disciples would’ve interpreted John 6 as the Eucharist upon hearing this? I can understand them teaching it as such post-resurrection when the Spirit brought back to memory and taught them Christ’s words, or when Christ instituted His supper (both of which are strong enough arguments), but how can we know in that present moment when they heard those words in John 6 that their minds related it to the Eucharist? I would ask if we should suppose they needed later events (like my 2 previous examples) in order to better understand, but the text says they recognized Jesus’ meaning and responded by saying “this is a hard teaching”
Hi Father, my daughter is having her first communion next month. I take her to adoration and mass and we pray every day but I want her to understand that the Eucharist is Jesus himself without her thinking that it’s a creepy thing like others think. Eating someone else. How do I explain that to an 8 year old ? Hope I make sense. Thank you
Your teaching is contrary to the The Bible. Acts 15:28-29 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
I believe communion is symbolic of his body and blood, as a reminder of his sacrifice, not his literal self. He is referred to as the “bread of life” because all who partake in him (believe in him and live in communion with him) have eternal life. And to be saved is to “eat his body” and “drink his blood,” as his sacrifice on the cross where his body was broken and blood poured out is what saves you.
That was very good. I really appreciate the nuance. Jesus would NEVER backpedal. I have been to a LOT of church services where the peron presiding over the Lord’s table would say things like, “The bread REPRESENTS His body”, and “The wine REPRESENTS His blood.” Give me B/C/V for “represents”. You can’t do it. Also, I have heard that interpretation where they claim that Jesus just nullified what he spent most of the chapter saying – that the flesh profiteth nothing. They claim that Jesus was telling the crowd that He was just messing with them. That interpretation seems SO out of character for the Jesus that I know. So, I’m going to use that logic from now on. Thank you. What I can’t get beyond, however, is Catholicism’s insistence on some clergyman in a rope doing a miracle in order to change these elements into Jesus’ body and blood. Nowhere in scripture is a miracle required for this – only the faith of the recipient. Nothing more.
if it’s literal, then wouldn’t we be eating a piece of literal human flesh instead of bread? And also, wouldn’t that mean that Jesus has returned again in the flesh in order so that you can eat his flesh? Correct me if I’m wrong, but Jesus is “God in the form of man” right? Not in the form of bread? And if you say “God is everything/everywhere”, then wouldn’t that defeat the purpose because we’re breathing/eating him constantly anyway?
Genuine questions regarding how other verses are explained regarding the Eucharist. 1. How do we know he was speaking literally? 2. In John 6:54, 63, & 40 state that receiving eternal life comes from the spirit, his words, eating of his flesh and blood, and by believing. If all these are being contrasted to as giving eternal life, then isn’t he saying they’re all one in the same? 3. If Jesus is in the Eucharist, then isn’t that contradicting He 10:14 “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” since he is being sacrifieced continuously? 4. WHO decided that Jesus was being literal about his blood and body? 5. Why did Jesus say the flesh profiteth nothing, it is the words that are life Jn 6:63 I have more but ill leave these here for now. If you reply please provide context. Im genuinlly looking for an answer.
Jesus Christ performed His First Mass at The Last Supper with His apostles and told them to continue until He returns. 1 Cor 11:23-29, Lk 22:19-20. Receiving Jesus Christ in Holy Communion is the most beautiful, powerful and intimate union we can have with God while on earth. Jesus said He’s the living bread, the bread He gives is His FLESH, unless we eat His Flesh & drink His Blood, WE WILL HAVE NO LIFE IN US.If we eat & drink of Him UNWORTHILY, WE WILL BE LIABLE & BRING A SENTENCE AGAINST OURSELVES FOR NOT DISCERNING IT TO BE THE BODY & BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, OUR GOD & SAVIOR. Jn6:51-59, 1Cor 11:23-29
I think we should really bring back communion on the tongue exclusively, alter rails and no Eucharistic ministers. Receiving in Latin mass vs receiving nowadays is a completely different vibe and really shows more respect for something that is the body of Christ, we shouldn’t be able to touch it if we are not priests
I went to baptist church for many years. Then later to an upper room charismatic prayer group run by catholics. I used to get very sad and down when they did the communion and I could not have it, but I could have it at my baptist church. Becuse of my feeling so down and outcast, I eventually stopped going. In the baptist church the bread and wine represents Jesus body and blood. And the taking of it and doing the communion is remembering him and doing as he said. I accept that Catholics believe it changes into his real flesh and real blood. It is shocking and hard to understand especially coming from different background. You have to eat the flesh and blood to become like Jesus’s flesh and blood to enter heaven. I guess I wont be in heaven then as haven’t taken communion for about 15 years or more.
I’m a Protestant pastor and I’d like to ask a sincere question about the Mass. I don’t want to misrepresent what the Catholic Church believes, nor am I trying to refute this teaching, nor am I trying to undermine the faith of Catholics by asking this. With those disclaimers out of the way, here’s my question. I assume that the wine doesn’t taste like blood, nor does the host/bread taste like raw meat after it is consecrated. To overcome the early Docetist heresy (which claimed that God had not truly taken on flesh and blood in Jesus Christ, but only seemed to have done so) John wrote, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—” 1 John 1:1 In other words, John assumed the reliability of the human senses to discern what flesh and blood looks like and feels like. Since their human senses were trustworthy enough to arrive at the truth and since they had physically touched the body of incarnate Son of God and seen his blood shed on the cross, they could refute the Docetist denial of the incarnation. Yet, when it comes to the Eucharist, these same senses must be completely denied as faith alone must discern that, what tastes like bread and wine, is in reality the flesh and blood of the Lord Jesus. So are our senses sufficient to discern that the Son of God came in the flesh or not?
Yes, John 6: 63 explains that it is the holy Spirit in the Eucharist which is Jesus.Jesus is Jesus with the Father in him The holy Spirit is of Jesus and the Father completely. And when consumed it is Jesus in us. The Priest has to bless the wine and bread and prays to move some Holy Spirit onto them. One you have partake you have the Holy Spirit and Light of the Father in you. This was initially done by Jesus for unbelievers ( those that followed him but none had the Holy Spirit yet).
The Eucharist to give people salvation who don’t have the Holy Spirit yet. John 6:63 Jesus tells us that real flesh is worthless and it is the Holy Spirit in the Eucharist. Peter responds and says yes your words of the Eucharist are to bring everlasting salvation. And that the disciples and friends are already saved.
What is a full communion in the Catholic Church? What is meant by coming into full communion with the Church? Coming into full communion with the Catholic Church describes the process for entrance into the Catholic Church for already baptized Christians. In most cases, these individuals make a profession of faith but are not baptized again.
I do appreciate Father Mike very much. We agree that in John 6:63, Jesus is definitely not saying that his own flesh is of no avail. That would make no sense with our salvation through his death and resurrection. We also don’t believe he is undercutting or backpedaling his imperative to “eat his flesh and drink his blood”. In verse 63, Jesus is clarifying the difference categorically between flesh and spirit. And he makes clear that his previous words are spiritual words which must be understood as such. Spiritual realities are not “less than” physical realities. So when Jesus said his “words are spirit”, he elevated his words to the spiritual realm. That is a promotion not a demotion!. It’s very telling that Father Mike, in the many times he quotes verse 63 in this article, never ONCE includes the key phrase, “the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life”. I wonder why this is? Also, there are many examples of early church fathers not supporting transubstantiation.
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Interesting fact: I met with the priest to ask him about the Church before converting. I asked does the Church REALLY believe that they are eating jesus’ physical body-his hair, dead skin, and white blood cells. He nearly fell out of his chair. He says that that there are different types of truths. That doesn’t mean that one truth is more factual than the other. They just have their differences.
For those who don’t know may are forming us people . The Eucharist is sacrament is the Christ himself forgiving us . Rememberance . Real deal It not a symbol at all . It was symbol it won’t work. Eucharist learning, It sacrament it is sacred . It real deal, it is to be taken seriously all of us . . . Learning, human like you and I . . It sacred thing . .
Charismatics—how they gather and sustain the importance of the Holy Sprit’s presence in our lives as the Mystical Body of Christ—is a powerful remnant of what was cancelled by clerics many centuries ago: Assembly Life. This Assembly Life would follow Eucharistic Celebration, what you correctly reference as a time for silence/adoration and response to readings in spoken word or in song, as in the reading of the Psalms. And Jesus, reiterated by Paul (“Do not absent yourselves from the Assemblies!”), insisted we gather as Parish to discern together FOLLOWING Eucharistic Celebration, a time when our hearts, minds and souls are purified for radical discernment, as is the case after leaving the confessional room, only at a much wider angle and involvement by the entire Parish, those wishing to attend, what occurred even in the catacombs during the persecutions, vital as it was and still is, what the clerical class had long forgotten, stuck in a clerical hierarchy, not the hierarchy of the priesthood—a major difference. That’s how vital those gatherings (assemblies) were, where every voice, cleric and lay, would be heard in discernment, and where our missions, and the gifts to complete those missions, would be revealed! It’s rare today for any lay person to know what his-her missions and gifts are absent that discernment process that takes place in the wild movements of the Holy Spirit, what we are deprived of absent Assembly Life. Once Assembly Life is restored, as Pope Francis has been trying to do, the Charismatic Movement will no longer be necessary (it seems exaggerated displays, and even abuses occur, only because of how terribly lacking every Parish is in being moved by the Holy Spirit into action, and those yearning for the movement of the Holy Spirit among them start to rely on that movement, at the expense of drifting from Parish life in many cases, and why Vatican II insisted on a revival moved by the Holy Spirit who has been absent, what is called “lay formation and the new evangelization”, what cannot occur until Assembly Life is restored, and why after a half century we still have no lay formation and a new evangelization).
@calebmote1133 Literal does not mean physical. Bible teaches “eating Jesus spiritually, 1 Cor 10:3-4. you said Finally, as a Protestant, I get it now. I can clearly see in Scripture that the bread and the wine are literally the body and blood of Jesus. It’s made even more clear in Mark 16:1-7 which states, “”When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the women with them, who had come up with him from Galilee, went to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in to look, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in shining apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, for the Catholics have him and are devouring his flesh and blood.’” (ESV)
And the thing is, Jesus did not correct the disciples who were walking away. If He were a loving Lord to them who loved them and He KNEW what they were thinking about what He said, and He did know, He is God.. He would have kindly corrected them and said ” friends do not be troubled I mean this figuratively, like a parable “…He did not do this because He meant exactly what He said.
Lord Jesus didnt invent eucharist to eat bread and drink wine in sunday ceremony. John 6 34 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. To eat the Body of Jesus(bread, perfect sacrifice) is coming to Christ. To drink the blood of Christ is believing in Him. Its that simple.
The teaching of the Council of Trent is very clear. It states that, since it would be utterly abhorrent to any human being to eat the flesh, or to drink the blood, of any human being, Almighty God, in his wisdom, has made it possible for us to partake of the body and blood of Jesus by eating and what at all times, to all human science or discernment, remains pure unleavened wheaten bread and the fermented juice of the red grape. The bread and wine are only spiritually the body and blood of Jesus. However, Jesus concludes his discourse in John 6 by summarising “It is the Spirit which gives life, the flesh is unavailing”. So, no matter how closely you might examine the bread and wine, no scientific analysis will ever show any change. The technical explanation of Trent is that the “accidents” (that is, all properties discernible to human science) do not change. The supposed Eucharistic Miracles are a direct denial of the teaching of the Church. They contradict the definitions of Trent. Some Catholics say that they simply refuse to submit to the definitions of Trent or the true teaching of the Church. They prefer to believe what Protestants tell them that they believe. However, no true Catholic should take what he believes from what Protestants tell him he believes. A Catholic who wants to know what the Church teaches should read the Catechism, which contains the necessary extracts from the Council of Trent. Catholics may not simply “make it up as they go along”. What we eat and drink at the Eucharist is physically bread and wine and Spiritually the body and blood of Our Lord.
“By no means are women to be allowed to uncover and exhibit any part of their bodies, lest both fall the men by being incited to look, and the women by attracting to themselves the eyes of men.” – Clement of Alexandria (A.D 195), 2.246 “First, then, blessed sisters, take heed that you do not admit to your use flashy and sluttish garbs and clothing.” – Tertullian (A.D 160-220), 4.22 “Let a woman wear a plain and becoming dress, but softer than what is suitable for a man. Yet, it should not be immodest or entirely steeped in luxury. And let the garments be suited to age, person, figure, natures, and pursuits.” – Clement of Alexandria (A.D 195), 2.285 “Those who glory in their looks – not in their hearts – dress to please others” – Clement of Alexandria (A.D 195), 2.273 “But if any necessity arises, commanding the presence of married women, let them be well clothed – without by raiment, within by modesty.” – Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 195) Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2 pg.252 “Paul proclaims in a loud and lofty voice, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world (Galatians 6:14-18)”. And yet a virgin in the Church glories concerning her fleshly appearance and the beauty of her body! Paul adds, and says, “For they that are Christ’s have crucified their flesh, with its faults and lusts.” And she who professes to have renounced the lusts and vices of the flesh, is found in the midst of those very things which she has renounced!
If it were not really his body, it wouldn’t be a new covenant.. also if it were not real why would there be condemnation if you take it in send immortal sin, if it were not real it takes common sense and you have to have the Holy Spirit to understand it. One they always say hey that’s easy I wonder millions are there❤️🕊
If any dear Protestant read the bible, explain to me why thousands of Jesus’ followers LEFT him after he mentioned they’d eat his flesh and blood, IF IT WAS ONLY A SYMBOL??? If it was only a symbol, no one would care, but if Jesus was serious……. that’d explain them leaving. And Jesus doesn’t lie.
I saw a article of a debate between rob zins and a catholic Patrick McCafferty. I don’t recall but I think he was a priest. It’s interesting to hear that Mike says it is the real presence of Christ. Mr. McCafferty however was pressed regarding the presence and he finally broke down and said well it’s not a physicality, it’s actually the “glorified body of Christ”. So it’s obvious There is no agreement amongst priests regarding the eucharist. Even though Trent says that you must believe it’s the real body, physically of Jesus. It’s interesting that Mike in this article gives an argument I’ve not heard from ANY catholic, priest, bishop or apologist. That is on verse 63 where Jesus said that is the spirit that is life, the flesh profits nothing. Saying that Jesus is not talking about “my flesh”, his flesh, rather the human flesh, human nature I believe. Well what then is peter, the so called first pope talking about in his epistle? Peter uses the same language as Jesus did in John 6. Peter says “the flesh” when referring to jesus suffering in the flesh. It’s also interesting that McCafferty says it’s not for the forgiveness of sins. Zins pointed out that Trent says that it’s not only for forgiveness if sins but future sins also. Zins also pointed out to McCafferty that scripture says that “where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin”. So Trent contradicts scripture. It’s no wonder the church gives itself sole authority to interpret scripture. It can bend, shape and twist scripture to say what the church needs it to say.
John 6 does relate to the Lord’s Supper, but not because Jesus somehow instituted it in John 6. Rather, Jesus teaches on the reality of abiding in him to which the Lord’s Supper points. Calvin explains, “I acknowledge that there is nothing said here that is not figuratively represented, and actually bestowed on believers, in the Lord’s Supper; and Christ even intended that the holy Supper should be, as it were, a seal and confirmation of this sermon” (Comm. on John 6:54). In other words, Jesus teaches on the realities that the Lord’s Supper celebrate. And while Luke 22 and 1 Corinthians 11 importantly define and expand on the meaning of the Lord’s Supper, we should not forget John 6. It is here where the Lord himself peels back the curtain, as it were, to show us the realities that the symbols of the bread and the wine point. And that reality is Christ abiding with us so that we can share in the divine and immortal life of God.
Very good explanation, I think all Christians can agree with 1&2. 3&4, no. Let me explain why this isn’t an accurate doctrine. 1. This doctrine was made doctrine over a thousand years after Christ’s resurrection. That in itself does not make this bad, but should give us an understanding that there is no proof the disciples saw it this way. 2. The context of John 6 is that Jesus has just fed the 5,000 and the people wanted him to show more signs and be fed again. He said this as a way to see who had the true faith to stay. You may say I’m leaping here and assuming, but he does use figurative language a lot, especially early in his Earthly ministry. “I am the vine.” “I am the door.” He’s not shrubbery or made of wood. But, there is more evidence than just he may have been frustrated. 3. Compare the interaction of John 6 with the woman at the well. It’s only two chapters before this in John 4. He says that whoever drinks the water from him will never thirst. To say one of these is figurative and the other is literal is inconsistent interpretation. The contexts are similar. However, notice that Jesus said that if you drink from him you’ll never thirst. Depending on the Church the elements of Christ’s body and blood can last anywhere from 15-55 minutes. Why is drinking water from him forever, but his body and blood less than an hour? 4. During the Last Supper Jesus used bread and wine. As he was using his body he didn’t literally use it. In none of the accounts did it say he used his blood.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (Jesus establishing the metaphor/spiritual truth) 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (Jesus reestablishing the metaphor) You’ve been misled, good sir. I pray that God reveals the truth to you in a way you’ll accept.
Great point, the one who created the universe could easily transform bread and wine into flesh and blood so if that’s the case why you Catholics have to come up with transubstantiation and say that the host and the wine look just like that but they are flesh and blood? God could transform those into literally flesh and blood in every single eucharist around the world but that does not happen.
We are not saved by the eucharist we are saved by faith in Christ. If you would have continued to John 6:68 Peter answered the question, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Those words of eternal life are the same thing Christ offered the woman at the well except He called it “living water”. It is by the word of God we are saved, and that word starts with faith in Christ. One really needs to start reading from John 6:22 and see that those people had lack of ears to hear and eyes to see. They were more interested in filling their bellies and completely missed that Christ is the bread of life, not in the wafer, but in the Word.
First, please pray about this. Second, I’ll pray that you come to understand & get to experience this wonderful gift from our Lord. Third, I will paraphrase President Bill Clinton in 1998, when he was caught in an outright lie. That depends upon what the word “is” means At the last supper, when Jesus says
Easton’s Bible Dictionary – Lords Supper Lords Supper (N) ( 1 Corinthians 11:20 ), called also “the Lord’s table” ( 10:21 ), “communion,” “cup of blessing” ( 10:16 ), and “breaking of bread” ( Acts 2:42 ). In the early Church it was called also “eucharist,” or giving of thanks (Compare Matthew 26:27 ), and generally by the Latin Church “mass,” a name derived from the formula of dismission, Ite, missa est, i.e., “Go, it is discharged.” The account of the institution of this ordinance is given in Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19 Luke 22:20, and 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 . It is not mentioned by John. It was designed, To commemorate the death of Christ: “This do in remembrance of me.” To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the benefits of the new covenant. In this ordinance Christ ratifies his promises to his people, and they on their part solemnly consecrate themselves to him and to his entire service. To be a badge of the Christian profession. To indicate and to promote the communion of believers with Christ. To represent the mutual communion of believers with each other. The elements used to represent Christ’s body and blood are bread and wine. The kind of bread, whether leavened or unleavened, is not specified. Christ used unleavened bread simply because it was at that moment on the paschal table. Wine, and no other liquid, is to be used ( Matthew 26:26-29 ). Believers “feed” on Christ’s body and blood, not with the mouth in any manner, but by the soul alone, and by faith, which is the mouth or hand of the soul.