I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
Very clear.
And then the Gospel adds a telling narrative detail.
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
What happens then? Does Jesus say 'Oh no! I only meant it symbolically'?
No he does not:
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
And how did the disciples take this?
From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Christ meant what He said. He gives us His literal Body and Blood as food for our salvation. He is not using metaphor. He is not speaking symbolically. His words leave no doubt of His meaning.
And then we have the final fact that many of His disciples left Him because of this 'hard teaching'.
If Jesus had somehow meant His words about His Body and Blood to be taken symbolically or metaphorically - wouldn't He have explained this to the disciples before they abandoned Him?
But Jesus stood by His words. He meant what He said - we must eat His body and drink His Blood.
The bread and wine offered by the priest in the Mass become Christ's Body and Blood. His real presence, which we eat and drink in obedience to His words.
After mass some of Christ's real presence - His Body and Blood - is reserved in a tabernacle. This can be found at the back of the Church or in a special side chapel. There will be a lit candle nearby to indicate His presence.
Whenever you pass a Catholic church it's good to remember that God Almighty, the Creator of the World, is literally, tangibly present there.
You can shortcut all this controversy and hard teaching by going to be with Him. Kneel before the tabernacle. It is like the very Ark of the Covenant, multiplied across thousands upon thousands of churches by the unbounded Mercy of God.
Seek God there, and let Him speak to you.
God bless.
Nope, spiritual and that is why one cannot understand these passages without the Spirit living inside them.
Christ lives in no Catholic church, my friend, but until you are born again you will never know or understand that.
Good luck to you.
“Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?”
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?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him.
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you twelve? Yet is not one of you a devil?”
He was referring to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot; it was he who would betray him, one of the Twelve.” [John 6: 49-71]
So you keep Jesus in the Catholic churches...And apparently Jesus can't leave your churches, either because he is restrained, or he just doesn't want to leave...
One must go to a Catholic church to experience Jesus...
Thank God real Christians have the words of God to guide us and keep us from falling into the trap that is the Catholic religion...
And you have to have a light on to let people know that Jesus is in...Oh brother!!! A religion built on so many lies...
Mat_18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Can someone imagine, a couple of Christians praying together out on someone's front porch with a candle burning nearby??? Well it wouldn't happen since Jesus can't leave the Catholic church...