True Presense of Jesus Chirst in the Eucharist.

Testimony of the New Testament.

1 Cor 10: 15 - 22:

[15] I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say.

[16] The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

[17] Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

[18] Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar?

[19] What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

[20] No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.

[21] You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

[22] Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

1 Cor 11: 17 - 22:

[17] But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.

[18] For, in the first place, when you assemble as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it,

[19] for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.

[20] When you meet together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat.

[21] For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal, and one is hungry and another is drunk.

[22] What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

[23] For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,

[24] and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

[25] In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

[26] For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

[27] Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.

[28] Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

[29] For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.

[30] That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.

[31] But if we judged ourselves truly, we should not be judged.

[32] But when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

John 6: 22 - 59:

[22] On the next day the people who remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that

Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.

[23] However, boats from Tiber'i-as came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

[24] So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Caper'na-um, seeking Jesus.

[25] When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"

[26] Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

[27] Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal."

[28] Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?"

[29] Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."

[30] So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform?

[31] Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

[32] Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

[33] For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world."

[34] They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always."

[35] Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

[36] But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.

[37] All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out.

[38] For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me;

[39] and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day.

[40] For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

[41] The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven."

[42] They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, `I have come down from heaven'?"

[43] Jesus answered them, "Do not murmur among yourselves.

[44] No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

[45] It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by God.' Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.

[46] Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father.

[47] Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

[48] I am the bread of life.

[49] Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.

[50] This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die.

[51] I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."

[52] The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

[53] So Jesus said to them, "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;

[54] he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

[55] For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

[56] He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

[57] As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.

[58] This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."

[59] This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Caper'na-um.

Matt. 26: 20 - 29:

[20] When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples;

[21] and as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me."

[22] And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?"

[23] He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me, will betray me.

[24] The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."

[25] Judas, who betrayed him, said, "Is it I, Master?" He said to him, "You have said so."

[26] Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."

[27] And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you;

[28] for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

[29] I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."

Luke 24: 13 - 35:

[13] That very day two of them were going to a village named Emma'us, about seven miles from Jerusalem,

[14] and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.

[15] While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

[16] But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

[17] And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad.

[18] Then one of them, named Cle'opas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

[19] And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,

[20] and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.

[21] But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened.

[22] Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning

[23] and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.

[24] Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see."

[25] And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

[26] Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"

[27] And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

[28] So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further,

[29] but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them.

[30] When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them.

[31] And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight.

[32] They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?"

[33] And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them,

[34] who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!"

[35] Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

True Presense of Jesus Chirst in the Eucharist.

Testimony of the Early Church Fathers.

Saint Ignatius of Antioch, circa 110 AD

Excerpt from the Letter to the Symrnaeans:

Observe those who hold erroneous opinions concerning the grace of Jesus

Christ which has come to us, and see how they run counter to the mind of God!

They concern themselves with neither works

of charity, nor widows, nor orphans, nor the distressed, nor those in

prison or out of it, nor the hungry or thirsty.

From Eucharist and prayer they hold aloof, because they do not confess

that the Eucharist is the Flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, which suffered

for our sins, and which the Father in His loving-kindness raised from the

dead. And so, those who question the gift of God perish in their

contentiousness. It would be better for them to have love, so as to share

in the resurrection. It is proper, therefore, to avoid associating with

such people and not to speak about them either in private or in public, but

to study the Prophets attentively and, especially, the Gospel, in which the

Passion is revealed to us and the Resurrection shown in its fulfillment.

Shun division as the beginning of evil.

Excerpt from the letter to the Romans:

Take care, then, to partake of one Eucharist; for, one is the Flesh of

Our Lord Jesus Christ, and one the cup to unite us with His Blood, and one

altar, just as there is one bishop assisted by the presbytery and the

deacons, my fellow servants. Thus you will conform in all your actions to

the will of God.

Saint Justin Martyr - circa 150 AD

Excerpt from First Apology:

But we, after we have thus washed him who has been convinced and has assented to our teaching, bring him to the place where those who are called brethren are assembled, in order that we may offer hearty prayers in common for ourselves and for the baptized [illuminated] person, and for all others in every place, that we may be counted worthy, now that we have learned the truth, by our works also to be found good citizens and keepers of the commandments, so that we may be saved with an everlasting salvation. Having ended the prayers, we salute one another with a kiss.(3) There is then brought to the president of the brethren(4) bread and a cup of wine mixed with water; and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands. And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present express their assent by saying Amen. This word Amen answers in the Hebrew language to <greek>genoito</greek> [so be it].

And when the president has given thanks, and all the people have expressed their assent, those who are called by us deacons give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion.

And this food is called among us Eukaristia (5) [the Eucharist in greek], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.(6) For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, "This do ye in remembrance of Me,(7) this is My body;" and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, "This is My blood;" and gave it to them alone.

Which the wicked devils have imitated in the mysteries of Mithras, commanding the same thing to be done. For, that bread and a cup of water are placed with certain incantations in the mystic rites of one who is being initiated, you either know or can learn.

Saint Ireneaus of Lyons - circa 190 AD

Excerpt, Against heresies:

Then, again, how can they say that the flesh, which is nourished with the body of the Lord and with His blood, goes to corruption, and does not partake of life? Let them, therefore, either alter their opinion, or cease from offering the things just mentioned. But our opinion is in accordance with the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn establishes our opinion. For we offer to Him His own, announcing consistently the fellowship and union of the flesh and Spirit. For as the bread, which is produced from the earth, when it receives the invocation of God, is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two realities, earthly and heavenly; so also our bodies, when they receive the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, having the hope of the resurrection to eternity.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Excerpt, Catechetical Lectures (c. 350 AD):

Do not, therefore, regard the Bread and Wine as simply that: for they are, according to the Master’s declaration, the Body and Blood of Christ. Even though the senses suggest to you the other, let faith make you firm, not doubting that you have been deemed worthy of the Body and Blood of Christ.

In approaching, therefore, do not come up with your wrists apart or with your fingers spread, but make of your left hand a throne for the right, since you are about to receive into it a King. And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it the Amen. Then, after cautiously sanctifying your eyes by the touch of the Holy Body, partake, being careful lest you lose anything of it. For whatever you might lose is clearly a loss to you from one of your own members. Tell me: if someone gave you some grains of gold, would you not hold them with all carefulness, lest you might lose something of them and thereby suffer a loss? Will you not, therefore, be much more careful in keeping watch over what is more precious than gold of gems, so that not a particle of it may escape you?

Then, after you have communicated yourself of the Body of Christ, come forward also to the cup of His Blood, not reaching out with your hands, but bowing; and in an attitude of worship and reverence say the Amen, and sanctify yourself by partaking also of the Blood of Christ. And while the moisture of it still adheres to your lips, touch it with your hands and sanctify your eyes and forehead and the rest of your senses. Then, while awaiting the prayer, give thanks to God, who has deemed you worthy of such great Mysteries.

Keep these traditions inviolate, and preserve yourselves from offenses. Do not cut yourselves off from Communion, do not deprive yourselves, through the pollution of sins, of these Holy and Spiritual Mysteries. And may the God of peace sanctify you completely; and may your body and soul and spirit be preserved intact at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; to whom be glory, honor, and might: with Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever, and in the ages and ages. Amen.

True Presense of Jesus Chirst in the Eucharist.

Testimony of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The presence of Christ by the power of his word and the Holy Spirit

1373 "Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us," is present in many ways to his Church:[195] in his word, in his Church's prayer, "where two or three are gathered in my name,"[196] in the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned,[197] in the sacraments of which he is the author, in the sacrifice of the Mass, and in the person of the minister. But "he is present . . . most especially in the Eucharistic species."[198]

1374 The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend."[199] In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained."[200] "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present."[201]

1375 It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ's body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament. The Church Fathers strongly affirmed the faith of the Church in the efficacy of the Word of Christ and of the action of the Holy Spirit to bring about this conversion. Thus St. John Chrysostom declares:

It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but he who was crucified for us, Christ himself. The priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces these words, but their power and grace are God's. This is my body, he says. This word transforms the things offered.[202]

And St. Ambrose says about this conversion: Be convinced that this is not what nature has formed, but what the blessing has consecrated. The power of the blessing prevails over that of nature, because by the blessing nature itself is changed.... Could not Christ's word, which can make from nothing what did not exist, change existing things into what they were not before? It is no less a feat to give things their original nature than to change their nature.[203]

1376 The Council of Trent summarizes the Catholic faith by declaring: "Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council now declares again, that 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."[204]

1377 The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ.[205]

1378 Worship of the Eucharist. In the liturgy of the Mass we express our faith in the real presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine by, among other ways, genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the Lord. "The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the sacrament of the Eucharist the cult (formal religious veneration) of adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in procession."[206]

1379 The tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the Eucharist in a worthy place so that it could be brought to the sick and those absent outside of Mass. As faith in the real presence of Christ in his Eucharist deepened, the Church became conscious of the meaning of silent adoration of the Lord present under the Eucharistic species. It is for this reason that the tabernacle should be located in an especially worthy place in the church and should be constructed in such a way that it emphasizes and manifests the truth of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

1380 It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to remain present to his Church in this unique way. Since Christ was about to take his departure from his own in his visible form, he wanted to give us his sacramental presence; since he was about to offer himself on the cross to save us, he wanted us to have the memorial of the love with which he loved us "to the end,"[207]

even to the giving of his life. In his Eucharistic presence he remains mysteriously in our midst as the one who loved us and gave himself up for us,[208] and he remains under signs that express and communicate this love:

The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease.[209]

1381 "That in this sacrament are the true Body of Christ and his true Blood is something that 'cannot be apprehended by the senses,' says St. Thomas, 'but only by faith, which relies on divine authority.' For this reason, in a commentary on Luke 22:19 ('This is my body which is given for you.'), St. Cyril says: 'Do not doubt whether this is true, but rather receive the words of the Savior in faith, for since he is the truth, he cannot lie.'"[210]

Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more, See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.

Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived; How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed;

What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do; Truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true.[211]