Why do catholics worship Jesus at mass by symbolically eating his body and drinking his blood?

Question

and also I think its a real cop out when you can go to confession tell your sins to a priest, say a few words and you good to go again. I was brought up believing in one God and not any religion.
Even in Islam you pray 5 times a day and your good to go.

Answer 1

They are under the illusion that is the way to recieve Christ, when all that you have to do is ask God to recieve Christ. I ask every morning at the foot of my bed. For the person that doesnt know any better, its not their fault, their just doing what they were taught or brought up into. But shame on the institution for passing lies to the people. I hope that people will begin to question what it is they are being fed in those places !

Answer 2

First, there's nothing symbolic about receiving Communion at a Catholic Mass. In receiving Communion we are receiving the actual (not the symbolic) Body and Blood of Christ.

We do this because ... well, read the 6th chapter of John's Gospel. Then read any of the four Gospel accounts of the Last Supper. Put them together, and you'll see quite plainly why we do this.

Confessing sins to God through a priest is not a "cop out."

If anything, simply saying "I'll just confess straight to God" opens up many, many more opportunities for "copping out." Without the priest there, it's so much easy to feign sorrow and contrition, don't you think?

Jesus told his apostles, "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven; whose sins you hold bound are held bound."

Obviously, the apostles -- including today's priests and bishops -- could not know which sins to forgive or to hold bound unless they were TOLD what the sins were by the penitent!

If you believe that confession simply boils down to "say a few words and you're good to go again," then I'm afraid that you have a major misconception as to what the Catholic sacrament of reconciliation is all about.

It's not just a matter of "saying a few words" -- if the person is not truly sorry, he/she probably would not even be in the confessional booth in the first place!

Answer 3

First of all it is the body and the blood. At the Consecration of the mass the bread and wine are at that moment transubstantiation happens. So Catholics believe it is the Body & the Blood of Christ.

Confession is a Sacrament! Once you confess your sins you are given a pennance. In order for your complete forgiveness you must do what the priest directs you to do.

Answer 4

At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “Take this bread. It is my body.” Then he said, “Take this and drink. This is my blood. Do this in memory of me.”

Catholics believe this was the First Eucharist, that through some miracle the bread and wine actually became the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Catholics reenact the Last Supper during every Mass, where the priest, acting in place of Christ, changes the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

This is a great sacrament of thanksgiving and unity of Catholics.

With love in Christ.

Answer 5

Catholics honor the sacrifice of God's son because he died for our sins and because in Luke 22:19-20 Jesus basically tells us too (And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."). Just as he commanded the disciples, Catholic continue to honor his sacrifice in remembrance of him. If you ever attended Mass you'd here the priest thank God for his son and his sacrifices right before communion.

Catholics do not believe that a priest can absolve you from sin. Catholics believe that first you must ask God for forgiveness and truly be sorry for your transgressions. Then you go to a priest for confession to seek spiritual guidance on how to return to the Lord and turn away from sin. Also, in James 5:16 it says "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." So we confess because the Bible and the Lord call us to do so.

Answer 6

well, for the "eating his body and drinking his blood" part, thats what Jesus supposedly did at the Last Supper, ("this is my body, so eat you" "this is my blood, drink up all of it") so catholics try to re-live the Last Supper, by doing what the disciples did with Jesus.

i think the point of going to cofession or praying is that you're admitting to what you did wrong. by praying, you're speaking directly to God, and when in confession, you're speaking to God, through the priest. Jesus died to forgive our sins, so the priest takes it upon himself to tell us that we're forgiven, because thats what hes supposed to do.

Answer 7

The body of Christ represent the word of God. What feeds your soul? The word of God.
John 1:14

The blood of Christ represent the sacrifice for all time.
In the olden day, people offered a burnt offering to God for forgiveness. But, after Christ, you repent and ask for forgiveness in Jesus' name and it will be forgiven. Christians practice communion in remembrance of the Crucifixion. The blood, symbolically washes our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus.
God wants our love for him.

I hope this helps.

Answer 8

because Jesus TOLD US to that-to eat His body and drink His blood. I mean, he died for us, and this is how we appreciate his sacrifice.

And when you go to confession, you tell your sins to the priest, who is your way to communicate with God! then you aren't just "good to go", you have to do some sort of penance

I strong suggest you try to accept Catholicism.

Answer 9

in pagan ceremonies of that time there was a ritual loosly called cakes and ale. this is the end of any spell casting ritual because after you were done casting a spell you had a lot of excess spiritual energy that you needed grounding. when the body begins to digest food much of the extra energy in the body goes to the stomach to aid in the digestive process. because they were basically stealing every other aspect of pagan worship and activities they included this ritual into the catholic mass and fashioned it to the last supper.

Answer 10

I am Christian (non-denominational). We also do this becasue Christ instructed us to do this.

Luke22
14When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

17After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

19And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him." 23They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.


It is in rememberance of him and what he did for us. Died on the Cross for us. The bread represents his body, that was beaten and hung on a cross for our sins, the wine/juice represents his blood that was shed for our sins.

I don't agree with having to go to a priest to confess either. That is one among serveral other reasons I left the Catholic Religion. I agree, forget relgion, its all about a personal relationship with God Almighty and Salvation thru Christ the Son who is God.
I am capable of going to God own my own and talking with him. If I feel like I need someone else to include me in their prayers, I ask. If I am not understanding what God wants me to do I may go an ask the pastor or a good friend to help me with the understanding, but for the most part, God and I can talk pretty good!