Question about Catholic Communion?

Question

There is one thing that Jesus asked us to do for him and that was to have Holy Communion with him.

He took it very serious and said that if people didnt drink his blood and eat his flesh they has no part in him. Protestants argue that this was symbolic. I can understand that would be an easy rationale but when the people started to walk away from Jesus because they thought he was nuts he didnt do anything.

He didnt say, "no I mean believe in my death for your sins come back" he didnt he held strong and asked the 12 if they were going to go away as well.

At the last supper he said "this is my body/blood" not that it is symbolic of etc.

So there is a problem there. Because again Jesus said whenever you meet to do that, not all churches even have their false communion.

You can talk about hyperbole or whatever but its clear what Jesus meant and was that was till well after Luther.

Lack of the belief in the "real presence" is only a few hundred years old

Answer 1

Thank you Father.Joseph, for educating us.
Having actually been with the mainstream protestants as well as the fundies, I have become a little more blunt.
I beleive Jesus said, hoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood shall have eternal life. I believe Hes siad this prior to smoe of His discples saying , boy this is a hard teaching, who can believe or even understand such a thing. And they left. Peter reponded to Jesus's querry to the 12 about their leaving too, with, "to Whom Shall We Go Lord, You Have the Words of Eternal Life." To my fundie friends, the only thing I have to say is "Turn or Burn".
I am a Catholic lay man. I do not speak for all catholics, nor do I speak for the Church, having said that, we are the church that Jesus founded and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against us.
Too many martyrs have died defending our doctrine for me to back down.
I have often watched holy communion thinking of the indivdual souls marching to communion directly with Jesus. I do not understand it, but I do it. Why? Because He said so. do I have a "personal" relationship with Jesus Christ? Yes, at the most intimate level, everytime I take communion ... every time I go to confession ... a most "personal" and intimate relationship.
The Lord Be With You.

Answer 2

Peace.....I think you are questioning about communion being the Real Presence as opposed to a memorial....if so, first of all I could never think of Jesus deliberately saying something to turn the not-so-sure believers away. He would let them go, because He won't do anything by force or convincing. Faith is a "gift from God" and one has to be open and in the right disposition to accept it.....I do believe in the Real Presence and if it was only a memorial, then Jesus would not have said, "He who does not eat of my body and drink of my blood, will not have life within you....." - that is a REAL event - not a memorial.....Blessings, "orthros"

Answer 3

Lack of belief in the Real Presence goes all the way back to the time of Jesus.

Answer 4

Catholics see the Scriptures written about the Eucharist as literal teaching by Jesus and have interpreted Jesus’ words as literal since before the NT Scriptures were written as recorded in Scripture. Catholics find no reason to interpret Jesus’ teaching to be anything but literal from a hermeneutical, historical or theological perspective.

Some Protestants, on the other hand, are very much like the proto-Protestants who were former disciples and left Jesus after His teaching in John 6, about the commandment to eat His Body and drink His Blood. They remain in the carnal sense and deny the miracle of the Eucharist. They believe that instead of being present at the one sacrifice of Christ, that what Jesus instituted is a symbolic ordinance instead.

So, what we are speaking of is two totally different practices. The first identical to what the apostles taught and put into practice which is the real presence and the second a modernist interpretation of a man Ulrich Zwingli which is a symbolic ordinance. The first is actually Christ on the Cross where the worshippers are at the foot of the cross; the second is just a remembering of what Christ did as recorded in the Bible. When a Catholic Christian remembers Christ’s sacrifice it is from being there, when a Protestant remembers Christ’s sacrifice it is recalling what is written in Scriptures about the event. Certainly, one should be able to understand the level of passion one would have after being at the foot of the cross compared to the level of one just remembering what is written in a book. So even though some do not take it lightly, even though they do not believe, it cannot be the same passion for an exercise or ordinance in supposed obedience, as the Protestant act can be described; to the Catholic practice of being present with the living corporeal Christ at the cross and eating His real body and Blood as He commanded.

It must be noted for understanding that for many of the Reformers that this approach by Zwingli was necessary to give some credibility to the new Protestant movement which denied the successive apostolic leadership of the Church established by Christ. These reformers knew full well that they had no true legitimacy and no authority from Christ. They also knew that without a legitimate episcopacy that they could not continue Holy Orders, the Sacraments nor do they have the authority to confect the Eucharist which authority can only be given by Christ through the Church. Therefore, they could not continue the Eucharist even if they desired without a valid priesthood.

So, I am not saying that I do not believe that Protestant communion service is not special or a sign of unity but it is to me a sign of unity for a false, heretical belief outside of historical, Traditional and orthodox Christianity and is a doctrine of men warned about in the Gospels.

(Mat 15:7 DRB) Hypocrites, well hath Isaias prophesied of you, saying:(Mat 15:8 DRB) This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me.(Mat 15:9 DRB) And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men.

(Mar 7:5 DRB) And the Pharisees and scribes asked him: Why do not thy disciples walk according to the tradition of the ancients, but they eat bread with common hands?

(Mar 7:6 DRB) But he answering, said to them: Well did Isaias prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

(Mar 7:7 DRB) And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and precepts of men.

(Mar 7:8 DRB) For leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pots and of cups: and many other things you do like to these.(Mar 7:9 DRB) And he said to them: Well do you make void the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.

(Luk 6:46 DRB) And why call you me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

rukidding,

Those were disciples who walked away from Jesus at the synagogue in Capernaum and they never walked with Him again.

Answer 5

Where's the question? I don't even understand if you are for or against Catholic Communion.

I can understand, though, how Jesus could have been speaking symbolically and still allowed those who thought he was nuts to leave. He could have said it to get those who weren't "hard-core believers" yet, to go away. He expected those who truly believed to understand what he was saying, even if it was symbolic. I am a Catholic and do believe in Communion, but I can see why that wouldn't be proof that he meant it exactly the way he said it.