Why I am not picketing… Part 2

The Eucharist...

Amid this world-wide unity, there seems to be a theme among protestant churches to start all over, to reinvent the wheel, because the wheel didn’t work the first time; somehow at sometime the church became corrupt. With that mindset, I believe that there’s a danger to forget everything that has happened up to now and just jump right back to “the beginning.” What has happened up until now? Mainly, the continuation of the Jewish heritage of the Passover meal through the Mass.

The greatest fulfillment of the Catholic Church is her belief of communion- that bread and wine are forever transformed into the actual body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ. To whom I mention this belief, most respond “It’s not a big difference.” Excuse me? Let me present you with two doors: behind one is Jesus himself waiting to give you a big hug and the other is a cardboard cutout of Him. Which would you choose, or is it not that big of a difference? Maybe you now understand the belief of Catholics that the bread and wine are transformed into the ACTUAL body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ. Think we’re crazy? If so, then I now know that you really understand the significance of the Eucharist!

There are many explanations as to why this is believed, but three brief explanations: 1) The Jews ate the sacrificed lamb at the Seder meal, not a cardboard cutout of the lamb. 2) It’s always been taught that way. Don’t believe me? Read St. Justin Martyr’s First Apology (155AD) “For we do not receive these things as common bread nor common drink; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Savior having been incarnate by God’s logos took both flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food eucharistized through the word of prayer that is from Him, from which our blood and flesh are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who became incarnate.” Luther himself believed in Real Presence. 3) Read all the many proven miracles of the Eucharist, some of which include the Blessed Sacrament turning into physical flesh and physical blood. I invite you to believe this beautiful gift Jesus has given us. (John 6:66)