Its not the actual flesh of Christ. Its a cracker. We take communion to remember what Jesus did for us and to reflect on our own lives.
I do think that there will be a large scale return to Roman Catholicism by protestants. So many protestant churches are heretical and spiritually dead now. Why would anyone stay in an apostate, dead protestant church when they can go to the original apostate church?
So you would have been one of those who walked away when Jesus said it is His flesh?
I ask this as the son and brother of Methodists and the father of a non-denominational Christian who do not believe as I do, and I pray that God accepts them for their devout belief in Jesus.
But I am also a cradle Catholic and the son of a Catholic deacon. I truly believe that at the Consecration, Jesus becomes the bread. Keep in mind, the bread does not become God, God becomes bread. If God can become man, why can He not become bread?
We don’t argue about it. I am not going to convince them and they are not going to convince me.
Matthew26: 26-28, “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, ‘Take and eat; this IS >my body.’ Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you for this IS >my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”
The appearance on the Road to Emmaus, (After the resurrection) Luke24:30&31 (in part), ‘He took bread said the blessing, broke it, and gave to them. >With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him.’ >>The Christian Church (Both Roman Catholic & Eastern Orthodox) have recognized The Host as being truly real for the last 2,000 years. ++We the millions of Christians through time & geography have experienced that the Eucharist is REAL & we recognize Jesus in it.
>>A separate comment about using the pejorative term ‘Cracker’ to describe Jesus. It is true that Jesus walked the Holy Lands speaking with a >southern Galilean accent. & Jesus had a Missouri attitude of: ‘Talk is cheap;> SHOW ME.’ ++ The ‘big thinkers’ in Jerusalem wondered> who is this ‘hick’ speaking with such authority; isn’t he the carpenter’s son. Also, Jesus Christ came to earth to free us from the clutches of the devil & the slavery of sin. Jesus then turns us into his own> ‘Bond-Servants.’
However with all that said, >I personally wouldn’t call Jesus a ‘cracker.’ The Grace of God has given EVERYONE the ability to recognize Jesus as being truly present in the EUCHARIST >even all of us ‘hicks & okies’ in all nations in this world.
Ut's already happening. Each year at Easter there are so many converts. Last year the ceremony at our local Cathedral had to be broken into three different days because there were so many converts. That's from one day a couple years ago.
Could be my new tagline ... may I? ... lol
I firmly believe that the Holy Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This is a teaching of the Church.
The Real Presence
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-real-presence
Irenaeus
“If the Lord were from other than the Father, how could he rightly take bread, which is of the same creation as our own, and confess it to be his body and affirm that the mixture in the cup is his blood?” (Against Heresies 4:33–32 [A.D. 189]).