You can both come back to the Catholic Church at any time. Maybe there is a class for returning Catholics in your area.
Our church does one entitled: “Catholics Can Come Home Again.”
There is also a returning Catholic network that you can do a search for. You will identify with many of the stories there.
Without getting into wordy Bible verses. The way I see it. If God instituted the old testament Lamb that you eat. Literal eat.
He knows this is a foreshadowing of things to come. So why would he do this in the old testament. If He is going to have an ultimate sacrifice for all time. That he would not literally eat the new covenant lamb. He is God! For crying out loud. Why put it in the former but not the latter. Otherwise why put it in at all. You know it makes no sense. Its a symbol!
After the 72 left to become 12 disciples when he says truly truly unless you eat this bread. He does not correct them that its a symbol please come back.When his coming to save mankind. He wishes nobody to perish. But Yeah keep walking because its a Symbol! Yet he corrects them on the parables and shows what it means. It does not ring true. Unless it is the requirement.
The eucharist is declared during the feast of the first Lamb (Passover) Which you eat. Which then becomes the Last Supper of the old to become the new. Then he gives the famous discourse- This is my Body given up to the World. The Apostles knew they were connected. They were Kosher Jews for crying out loud. They knew exactly what he meant. They could not of thought any other way!!
The Eucharist in Scripture: http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/scrip/a6.html