i always thought until today that the eucharist was just a "wafer" and a "drink", but after reading the scripture, "this IS my blood, this IS my body" and paul's scripture about the eucharist, im thinking that it is the real presence..............
i think that the reason we have hundreds of christian faiths is because of one simple historical fact or worship practice......i am protestant (don't believe in praying TO priests), but after the SCRIPTURE said this IS my blood, im starting to believe that is IS blood, just like jesus took HUMAN FORM, the juice IS HIS BLOOD...........
2007-05-19 13:32:41 · 10 answers · asked by Alexa V. 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The Roman Catholic Church believes that the bread and wine of the Holy Eucharist become the actual body and blood of Jesus. They attempt to support their system of thought with passages such as John 6:32-58; Matthew 26:26; Luke 22:17-23; and 1 Corinthians 11:24-25. In 1551 A.D., the Counsel of Trent officially stated: "by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation" (Session XIII, chapter IV; cf. canon II). By sharing in the Eucharistic meal, the Church teaches that Catholics are fulfilling John 6:53: "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 you."
What does that really mean? Jesus goes on to say that "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (John 6:63-64). So, if "the flesh is of no avail," why would we have to eat Jesus' flesh in order to have eternal life? It does not make sense, until Jesus tells us that the words He speaks are "spirit." Jesus is saying that this is not a literal teaching, but a spiritual one.
2007-05-19 13:50:35 · answer #1 · answered by Freedom 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You've hit upon one of the places where the literal and plain reading of the text is denied by many fundamentalists. I'm not certain, but I think there may be one or two protestant faiths that believe in the real presence, though I'm not certain. Check out the Anglicans and the Lutherans.
Other than that, if you wish to receive, and believe in the real presence, check with a Catholic priest and see what he says. You might find that other Catholic beliefs are more solidly founded on scripture than you have been led to believe; such as confession. The Bible firmly says "Confess your sins one to another". Fundamentalists like to say you can go to God directly. I've heard stupid arguments that this meant only the disciples, but if this were true, why would it be specific to them, and if so, why was it passed on?
I'm not a Christian, but the Catholics have been taking a bad rap from ignorant folk who don't know anything about the Catholic faith, and apparently, little about the scripture on which that church is founded.
Remember too, that until a few hundred years after Christ, there was no Bible; merely a number of separate scriptures, some of which were chosen to be included in the canon, and some of which were not. With this was tradition, which ALL churches have. Nowhere in the Bible is a worship service descrbed. There are no models for wedding or funeral services; no recipe for the type of bread to be used; no description of liturgy. Without tradition, interpretation or inventiveness, there is no way to discern what a church should be like or how services should be conducted.
Those who preach Bible alone can't even get that from the Bible.
Follow your heart.
2007-05-19 13:45:53 · answer #2 · answered by Deirdre H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Alexa V., I believed that the only Church that believes in the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist are Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and High Anglican Churches. The Catholic Church allows practising Catholics only to receive the Eucharist. Catholics do no pray to priest or saints for that matter. Catholics ask the saints to pray for them! If you believed that the presence of the Lord's body and blood in the Eucharist is real, there might be other truths in the Catholic Church too! If you are interested, can I recommend books like Surprised by the truth(book1,2&3) by Patrick Madrid and Rome sweet Rome by Scott Hahn! God bless you!
2007-05-19 13:55:11 · answer #3 · answered by Sniper 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Martin Luther suggested appropriate to the Sacrament "that's what that's". Scripture is so clean there is not any room for debate or hypothesis. to disclaim the genuine presence of Christ's physique and blood it to disclaim and ridicule Scripture. It additionally denies the acceptable present that our Lord has given us in need of eternal existence. The phrases of our Lord in Latin are "Hoc est corpus Meum" (this is my physique). The followers of Zwingli and Calvin bastardized this word as "Hoccus Poccus" to mock the Biblical doctrine of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Lutheran Church. God bless you for believing what's stable. Your pal in Christ, Mark
2017-01-10 09:23:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jesus said that where 2 or more are gathered in my name, there I AM also. So Jesus presence is with us when we aren't taking communion also. When we are born of God, His presence is always with us. Because we are sealed with the Spirit of Promise.
Taking communion and taking eucharist is the same thing. Jesus said to take this in remembrance of Him.
Jesus shed blood is what we remember. The grape juice or wine isn't turned to blood when we drink it. That is just hocus pocus. Communion is how Jesus wants us to remember & not forget that He shed His blood for the remission of our sins. That His body was broken for us. Remember that by His stripes we are healed. I like to think that he was torn so we are healed. And Jesus presence is there when we take eucharist or communion. Jesus loves us so much that he died for us. And He raise from the dead for us.
Also, the Lord dwells in the praises of His people.
2007-05-19 13:46:49 · answer #5 · answered by t_a_m_i_l 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Only sinless(at the time) Catholics are supposed to receive the Eucharist at a Catholic mass.
2007-05-19 13:37:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Congratulations. You get it. But Catholics do NOT pray to priests OR to Mary. At least, not in the way Protestants think. Catholic prayer is merely communication. This was clearer back in King James' day, when people said things like 'please, sir, I pray thee, do this and such'.
2007-05-19 13:39:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
there are alot of contradictions like that in the bible.
Matthew 22:37 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind"
Matthew 10:28 "Be afraid of the one who can both destroy your soul and body in Hell"
John 4:18 "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear"
Today there is no real presence of Jesus because he has not revealed himself to anyone as of recent. So believing in the REAL presence of Jesus, or God for that matter, would be quite impossible.
2007-05-19 13:41:55 · answer #8 · answered by mr_bing555 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You sound like a candidate for Catholic conversion. They do not pray TO priests, but have priests pray for them, just as protestant ministers do.
2007-05-19 13:37:27 · answer #9 · answered by auntb93 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You believe that JESUS condoned cannibalism? Think about it some more before you decide what is true.
GOD bless
2007-05-19 13:37:36 · answer #10 · answered by Exodus 20:1-17 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋