The Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Our Lord JESUS CHRIST --Part 1

 
Our Lord JESUS CHRIST had just worked what is probably the most famous of his miracles, the feeding of the five thousand. The next day, in the synagogue at Capernaum on the shore of the sea of Galilee, Our Lord made a speech which should be read and reread. Here we quote a few phrases: "I am the Bread of Life"; "I am the Living Bread, which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give, is my flesh for the life of the world"; "He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, abides in me, and I in him"; "He that eats me shall live by me." 

He saw that many of his own disciples were horrified at what he was saying. He went on: "It is the spirit that quickens: the flesh profits nothing." We know what he meant: in saying they must eat his flesh, he did not mean dead flesh but his body with the life in it, with the living soul in it. In some way he himself, living, was to be the food of their soul's life. Needless to say, all this meant nothing whatever to those who heard it first. For many, it was the end of discipleship. They simply left him, probably thinking that for a man to talk of giving them his flesh to eat was mere insanity. When he asked the Apostles if they would go too, Peter gave him one of the most moving answers in all man's history: "Lord, to whom shall we go?" 

How can we know that the Eucharist is really and truly the flesh and blood of Our Savior JESUS CHRIST? After all this is our eternal salvation we are speaking about.  I don't know about you but I don't want to die and end up standing before GOD unprepared. After all  Philippians 2:12 says...So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling..."
 
 
The Priest says a few words and suddenly the little piece of bread goes from being just a piece of bread to the real flesh and blood of JESUS CHRIST the Only Begotten Son of GOD. How is that possible? Corinthians 1:27 GOD has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,


Ok, so Our Father who Art in Heaven hides the really profound things in common everyday packages.  But, that still doesn't explain how a piece of bread becomes the flesh and blood of GOD.

 Lets look  at what JESUS said....

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 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 on the last day.  

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 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’?” 

Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 

It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.  

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 

 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:35-51

 
Ok, for most people the simply fact that JESUS CHRIST said it means it MUST be true.  You say you need more proof?  Then listen to the words of one of his Saints...

"I have experienced the sweetness of the Heart of Jesus by receiving

Communion of the Body of Christ. Since, I know the importance of Holy Mass, I participate in it every day and I have great respect for the holy priests of God to whom this greatest power has been given; the sacrament of the Eucharist  Their hands are purified by the Holy Light of God even before transubstantiation occurs. 

Jesus, the Son of God, is really present in the Sacred Host, and it is only in Heaven that we will understand this unmatchable miracle. The Eucharist is the fastest way to receive to Jesus... No one in Heaven is as close to Jesus as we are, when we receive Him in the Eucharist. Brothers and sisters, we have Heaven before us, all of Heaven is contained in that small piece of Bread. Whoever nourishes oneself with the Body and Blood of Christ, is fed with the fullness of the Supreme GOD and becomes a true child of GOD. The beauty of such a soul makes the angels of Heaven marvel at GOD's immense gift to all humanity..." 

 The soul that receives Jesus in the Eucharist radiates GOD'S Love and His Holy Light. The Eucharist is Supreme Magnificence, Grace of graces, Gift of the gifts of Heaven. We can also contemplate this explanatory word of the Curate of Ars who tells us:

"The soul that receives communion regularly with the Body of Christ, upon its entry into Heaven, God the Father cannot refuse to greet it because He sees in it the Face of His Son JESUS CHRIST."

In the Eucharist, all souls who participate belong to Jesus and will remain safely so.  Jesus offers Himself to the world He gives Himself fully so that we can receive Him fully.   By receiving the Eucharist in oneself, we receive the Savior of the World, the Son of God who died and was resurrected.  Saint Francis of Assisi said..."Keep for yourself nothing of yourself, so that you can receive in His entirety The One who gave Himself to you entirely Let us often desire to have Jesus; the Eucharist is a marvelous gift of Heaven, Jesus is the food for our soul." 

 

Next: Part II