Why does the Catholic church believe in "Transubstantiation"?

Question

Could this be really possible?

Answer 1

I really don't know why they believe that. Jesus said that his followers would have to eat his flesh and drink his blood, but most non-Catholics take that to be figurative. That the host and wine literally become the flesh and blood of Christ is just a little creepy to me. I think its taking the doctrine too far and turning it into mythology. I believe that Christ meant that we should eat the tokens of the sacrament in "remembrance" of his body and blood -- his sacrifice for us. Not that he is sacrificed again at every Communion and that we actually eat him. I don't think that that is desirable or even possible.

Answer 2

good Catholic coaching does not require Catholics to the two verify nor deny the 'huge bang concept' (study Catechism paragraphs 282-314). The Catholic Church isn't petrified of technological information simply by fact God is the author of all fact, regardless of the place it truly is got here across. for this reason, historian Lawrence M. Principe writes, "it truly is obvious from the historic checklist that the Catholic church has been probable the biggest single and longest-term buyer of technological information in history, that many contributors to the scientific Revolution have been themselves Catholic, and that various Catholic establishments and perspectives have been key impacts upon the upward thrust of present day technological information." The Church has constantly taught that there are distinctive 'senses of scripture' (literal, non secular,allegorical, ethical, anagogical) that are to be utilized in examining the Bible. we don't study the Bible love it truly is a well known scientific textbook, yet we do have faith that the scriptures "coach that fact which God, for the sake of our salvation, wanted to be sure confided in the scriptures" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, p# 107). might the peace of Christ reign on your strategies and coronary heart.

Answer 3

Transubstantiation has been taught and believed by the Church since there WAS a Church. It is one of the foundational teachings of Christ's Church. Look up John 6: 35-71. This is the discourse of the Eucharist. This was the scripture I was taught in RCIA that showed me the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Notice the reaction of the Jews. They became angry, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?", and "This saying is hard; who can accept it?". If Jesus was speaking symbolically, what reason would the Jews and the disciples who left Jesus have had to be angry and leave? It became obvious to me when I first learned this that they understood Jesus to be speaking in literal terms, and it angered and disgusted them: "This saying is hard; who can accept it?"

In the final verses, Jesus turns to His apostles and says (verse 67), "Do you also want to leave?" The apostles also knew that Jesus was speaking literally, and they responded, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." Notice that Jesus never called to the ones who left and tried to correct them and tell them He was only speaking symbolically, nor did He take the apostles aside and explain His words as He did every other time when He spoke in parables. He spoke literally, His teaching was rejected, and Jesus let them go.

Take 1 Corinthians 11: 23-29. Paul is speaking of the Eucharist. Verse 27, "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." If it were only symbolic, why would we have to make sure we only ate and drank with a clear conscious? "A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself." Eating and drinking a judgement on yourself means you commit sin, you condemn yourself if you approach the Eucharist unworthily (sinfully). If it were only symbolic, how could we commit sin against something that only represents Him?

Finally, Jesus made the dead rise. He cured the sick. He expelled demons. His own birth was supernatural. How, then, would it be so far-fetched to believe that He could make Himself present in the form of food for us?

See this link for more information. You'll like it: http://www.scripturecatholic.com/the_eucharist.html#eucharist-IIa

God bless.

Answer 4

The Church has believed in the miracle of transubstantiation since the beginning. There is documentation that as early as 150 AD, claims of cannibalism were being investigated pertaining to the Christians. This means that right from the beginning the miracle of the Eucharist was the same miracle that happens today.

Jesus said 6 times in John 6 that we are to eat his body and drink his blood. The fact that he said it 6 times in a row carries a lot of weight. Jesus never repeated anything else that many times. Jesus didn't say things off-handed or that he really didn't mean. So, he said this and then repeated it 5 more times...even when people turned away because it was a rather shocking statement...he just said it again.

Then at the last supper...he says the words again. The disciples knew immediately what he meant when he said...take this, eat, this is my body...they knew because they were there when he spoke to the crowd saying ...you must eat my flesh and drink my blood. Jesus told them what they must do...and then he showed them how to do it.

Jesus came to us as a man...God incarnate. He came as a tangible, living, breathing, person...someone that could be touched. He left us with his body and blood in tangible form because we need that. We continue to need his physical presence because we are flesh and blood. Jesus brought God to humanity but also took our humanity to God. He bridged the gap between us and God with his physical presence...and he left us with the Eucharist...his physical presence.

God can do anything...he can certainly perform the miracle of transubstantiaion.


http://www.catholicapologetics.org/ap060500.htm
http://www.catholic.com/library/Real_Presence.asp
http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/eucha4.htm
http://www.catholic.net/rcc/Periodicals/Homiletic/Jan98/transubstantiation.html
http://www.chnetwork.org/journals/eucharist/eucharist_5.htm

Answer 5

If you believe in God, that the world we live in is His creation, and that He is not bound by time or space, then yes -- it is possible. We know that all matter, including the small communion wafer, appears to be solid but in fact there is more "space" between the small particles it is made of than the particles themselves. Why couldn't Christ choose to be present in that space, while at the same time the wafer "appears" to be the same? I have no problem with this concept, but it does presuppose belief and faith. I cannot prove that this occurs ... neither can you prove that it does not.

Answer 6

>>Why does the Catholic church believe in "Transubstantiation"?<<

Because Jesus said, "For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." (John 6:55)

>>Could this be really possible?<<

If God can become man, surely He can transform the substance of bread and wine into His flesh and blood.

Answer 7

I've studied religious history for ten years. There is no way in heck that someone can fully explain this on Yahoo! Answers in any meaningful or complete way. You need to pick up a couple of books on the subject if you really want an answer to this.

Answer 8

Because that is what Jesus taught. He started the Church. "This is my body" non "This is a representation of my body"

Google "Miracle of transubstantiation"

Peace!

Answer 9

Catholics believe that the bread and wine truly turns into the body and blood of Christ during the mass.

It is called faith and this is what we believe.

yes it is possible.

once again it is called faith.

Answer 10

Yeah.

That could really be possible...

Except for the inconvenient part where it can't.