The Greek “estin” of Luke 22:19, “This is (estin) the body of me” may properly be translated “means” so in line with the rest of the Scriptures Jesus words would be,
“This means my body”.
“I wonder what about that is too hard for them to understand.”
It's the impossibility of fitting much of Catholic doctrine into the confines of Biblical teachings.
Someone posted an excellent commentary about how Jesus was just telling the disciples what the elements, which were part of the Passover Supper, really represented.
Here they had been eating the bread and drinking the cup for centuries not knowing what the bread and cup really represented.
Jesus was simply saying that the bread and cup were pictures of Himself, the bread representing how His body was broken, and the cup representing His shed blood.
The ironic thing is, Catholics keep insisting that the bread and wine turn into the literal,actual body and blood of Christ, except that they don’t look like it.
Sure......
It either is or isn’t.
All the *real presence* nonsense is just an explanation to excuse away why it doesn’t, which in reality just means that the bread and cup are symbols of what they claim is *really* happening.
I think much can be explained by realizing that if it is what the "Church" teaches, it must be correct regardless if it can properly be found in Scripture or even put into words. It's almost like "they" have stated dogma and the poor schmoes are left to defend it as fact. They are threatened with excommunication - which would lead one to hell if unrepentant - if they do not accept all that they have been told. "Come and let us reason together, saith the Lord." We are not left without guidance on the major tenets of the faith.