The Hard Truth [Friday of the Third Week of Easter]

JESUS, THE BREAD OF LIFE, IN THE EUCHARIST.
Image from biblista.net via google.com

"For my flesh is true food, 

and my blood is true drink.'

- John 6:55

When Jesus said, "My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink", He was speaking in words understandable to the Jews as literally meaning flesh and blood as food and drink. There was no symbolism, no figures of speech, no representations intended: just pure, direct language talking about His flesh as food and His blood as drink, which led to the formulation of the dogma of the Real Presence.

For He loved us so much that He did not only offered His life to be crucified but even left behind the Sacrament of His Real Presence, the Holy Eucharist, [see CCC 1337; cf John 13: 1-17, 34-35] in order to become our spiritual nourishment through our earthly pilgrimage [see CCC 1392]. 

We have brethren who do not believe in the Real Presence. They say that Christ's words were purely figurative and symbolic. But the reaction of the Jews and Jesus' disciples would contradict such an understanding. If Jesus was merely talking figuratively and symbolically, the Jews and most of His disciples would not leave Him. Fact is, they - and still others today - thought that Jesus was - and today, the Church is - talking about cannibalism.

But one thing must be clear to us: when Jesus transubstantiated the bread into His body and the wine into His blood, only the substances or the nature of the bread and wine was changed, from mere bread and wine into His body and blood, while the accidents, that is, the look, shape, color, taste, etc, remained. Cannibalism would be eating the Lord's flesh and drinking the Lord's blood in their accidental forms or eating Him in His bodily form. But we eat His flesh and drink His blood through the bread and wine which remains accidentally, or we might simply say, sensibly the same and yet have substantially or essentially changed [see CCC 1375]. By this, we are not eating the Lord as physical food but as our spiritual nourishment. 

That is why we give the Holy Eucharist, the Most Blessed Sacrament, due honor and worship, being the Body and Blood of Christ our Lord [see CCC 1378]. For its sanctity and greatness have caused the Apostle Paul to give a strict warning against partaking of the Sacrament unless worthy to do so [see 1 Corinthians 11: 27-29]. That is also why only those who are in the state of grace, that is, free from mortal sin, can receive the Holy Eucharist, which we also call Holy Communion since it means being in union with God, with Christ, with the Holy Spirit, with the Church [see CCC 1388; 1391-1398; 1415]. For if one is in the state of sin, he or she is effectively not in communion.

The Lord gave us all, including His body and blood through the Holy Eucharist. And we also, after receiving Holy Communion, give our all by living our lives in full communion with Him and with His other body, the Church.

It may be hard, but it is the Truth.