A question for Catholics . . .?

I grew up protestant, and assumed Communion was symbolic. I was right. "Communion" is symbolic.

Having been exposed to Catholic teaching and discovering what the scripture says and how the Early Church believed, I wholeheartedly embrace Transubstantiation in the Eucharist. I am aware that others see it differently. I have made up my mind, and really don't care what they think.

Yes, all believing catholics do

and all believing Orthodox do accept the real Presence in the Eucharist as did alltrinitarian Christians until the reformation ( and even then the Lutherans accepted Real Presence)

Transubstantiation does not teach the chemical change of the 'species' or the outer sign, rather the substance is what is changed

This is not at all cannibalism ( the accusation of the Christian belief in the Eucharist going back to the time of the early Roman persecutions)

Take it seriously, believe it literally: yes.

Cannibalism: Whoever would claim that it is cannibalism shows a very limited understanding of what it means.

In transubstantiation, the essence of the substance (bread) is changed. Its core reality is no longer bread but the body of Christ. The appearance stays the same: breadish. Molecules are still those of bread, since molecules are part of a substance's appearance, not essence.

In order for it to be cannibalism, the molecules would have to be those of human flesh. The host at mass has molecules of bread, therefore isn't cannibalism.

This must be the latest rage topic among people.

John 6:53,

Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you shall have no life in you.

The difference is quite simple. Cannibalism is an act of violence committed by human beings on other human beings. Communion (transubstantiation is a sacrifice. Christ offered himself up for us.

one thing i noticed is that all the people that do not believe in transubstantiation and compare it with cannibalism sing hymns like "Are you washed in the blood" And There's power in the blood". What are they inferring when they sing these hymns

Just wanted to explain the Jonah and the whale storie a bit. Jonah is on a ship, I think in the Bering sea. Back then they did not have radar and GPS so they travled by constilations. From the story a person familiar with ship travle back then would have been able to tell when and where the story was taking place. The Whale constilation would be the one directly over head if you are at sea during december. Jonah is thrown overboard and said to be in the belly of the whale. This refers to the ime of year the story takes place Dec. 21, the longest night of the year. Mariners at sea reffered to it as being in the belly of the whale because of the darkness and the location of the whale constilation directly overhead. He was lost at sea for 3 days and nights (in the belly of the whale) before reaching land.

Yes, I certainly do believe it.

However, it is misunderstanding the considers it cannibalism. If one of the Apostles, 2000 years ago, had taken a bite out of Jesus' arm, that would have been cannibalism. However in the Eucharist we receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the glorified risen Christ. The bread and wine is transformed, and we receive him fully as he said we must.

Catholics don't have the choice to pick and choose what they believe in and what they don't, because that wouldn't make sense.

A true Catholic agrees the Church and believes it is from Jesus Christ Himself. Thus, everything they say is Divine and Holy. If they don't agree with that, then they are saying that they don't agree with Christ. It's not like picking out of a goody-bag. You have to accept it all.

Thus, I accept the idea of transubstantiation. However, it is not cannibalism.

Yes. We take it very seriously. Read John 6:35-71. Did Jesus lie?

~~~~The short version is Jesus the "Lamb" of God and therefore as a Lamb consuming his body and blood is not cannibalism.

He was also the "Lamb" for the passover meal. Ever notice at the last supper they never mention the passover lamb? That's because it is Jesus, he is the lamb.

John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

~~~~The longer story, Jesus is the "Prefect" sacrifice. He is the Victim, The Priest and God. As the Victim he is the "Lamb". As the Priest he is making an atonement for our sins to God and as God he has mercy on us and forgives us.

In the Old Testament and the New, the wages of sin is death.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So if you sinned you had to bring an unblemished lamb to the Priest and the lamb would die in your place (this is also where confession to a Priest comes from).

Leviticus 6:6 "Then he shall bring to the priest his guilt offering to the LORD, a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering,

Leviticus 6:7 and the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any one of the things which he may have done to incur guilt."

Leviticus 6:18 'Every male among the sons of Aaron may eat it; it is a permanent ordinance throughout your generations, from the offerings by fire to the LORD. Whoever touches them will become consecrated.'"

~~~~Now, for the passover lamb. Jewish tradition (Jesus was a Jew) the sacrificial lamb that was prepared for the passover meal was to be consumed completely by all who were present at one sitting.

Exodus 12:46 "It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, nor are you to break any bone of it.

NOTE: Two important facts in the scripture.

1) "It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house" -- This is why we consume the Eucharist at Mass and we are not permitted to take it outside the Church (Except for the Sick).

2)"nor are you to break any bone of it" and notice -- John 19:33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

The tradition of sharing the Lamb is that if you and I were sitting there sharing the lamb we are bonded by it because you and I have the same lamb in us. So just like Jesus says in John 6:

John 6:56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

peace be with you

<<<Devout Catholic>>>

Is the Eucharist Cannibalistic?

Some Evangelicals feel that the idea of eating Jesus is Cannibalistic. Catholics don't think so. When Catholics say that the bread becomes the body of Christ, they are talking about the glorified body of Christ. Immediately after Jesus said "whoever eats me will live because of me" (Jn 6:58) He says "what if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?" (Jn 6:62) Catholics feel he is explaining that his body will be changed into a glorified body (such as is described in 1 Cor 15:40) his body became glorified at the ascension. This passage of John foreshadows the ascension. And this is how Jesus clarified himself and made the distinction between his mortal body (Cannibalistic concept) and his Glorified body (Eucharistic concept). The glorified body of Christ was the revelation of his true nature as the Incarnate God. That is what we receive.

In bread and wine offered up during Mass, the bread and wine initially have both the substance and form of bread and wine. When transubstantiation takes place, the substance of the bread and wine are changed to that of the body and blood of Christ. The form, however, remains that of bread and wine.

Cannibals are people who eat human meat which come from dead bodies. As such, they eat the form, but not the substance. Cannibals do not eat humans (both substance and form). They only eat the meat, which is the form. As such, they are not really eating the person, just human meat.

Catholics who eat the body and blood of Christ are eating the substance of Christ, but in the form of bread and wine. As Catholics do not eat human meat, they therefore are not cannibals. But they can, however eat the substance of Christ. So they do, in fact, eat Christ. They eat the substance of Christ, but in the form of bread and wine.

When we consume meat, we make the meat part of ourselves. The meat is changed inside our bodies where it is digested and absorbed into the human body as nutrients, and this keeps us alive.

When we consume the body of Christ, we make Christ part of ourselves. Christ too is absorbed into our soul as nutrients, and this keeps us alive.

For Jesus said, “If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.” (John 6:53) and again: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I in him” (John 6:56).

And yes I take the Eucharist very seriously

Catholic Christian†

"Do any Catholics take the concept of transubstantiation seriously? "

Yes.

"If you do believe this, how do you argue against those who consider it cannibalism?"

Are you a cannibal if you believe that Jesus comes inside of you when you receive him as your Lord and Savior? The bible says that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit. That means that God dwells in us if we have his Spirit in us. Receiving Christ in the Eucharistic is not so much cannibalistic as it is a reinforcement of Christ dwelling in us. Christ makes us a part of His Body, His family of God, by dwelling in us. How does he do that? He gives us his flesh and blood to consume so that we become his flesh and blood family.

Because the appearance of the Eucharist is still bread and wine no one can rightly accuse us of cannibalism. But when we receive the Eucharist we receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. And from this we receive his grace in us to transform us, to make us more like him. Christ's sacrifice is the only pure sacrifice that is acceptable to God. We eat his flesh and blood so that we will share in his life.

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me."

- Jn 6:53-57