[frogjerk]

Jesus said to them, "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 19 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. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?"

[mdmathis6]

No where does it say that Jesus...changed the bread into a hunk of his own flesh nor changed the wine into a goblet of his own blood before offering it to his disciples. He was laying down a corner stone doctrine explaining that the crucifiction was a sacrifice we would all share in! By the sharing of the bread and drinking of the cup("as often as ye do so...") in remembrance("of me") of him we were SPIRITUALLY sharing in his death so that we might share in his Resurrection as well.

And what is more Spiritually real....simply taking a substance into our mouths , or taking the bread and wine with a humble attitude contemplative of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?

I submit to you that even if one could actually consume the actual body and blood, torn dripping raw, literally from Christ's flesh, it would mean nothing to the consumer without the personal spiritual cognizance of the meaning of such a consumption!