Bread of Life

BREAD OF LIFE
this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. (john 6: 50)
The miracle of God’s physical presence to us at every Mass is the truest testament to Christ’s love for us and His desire for each of us to have a personal relationship with Him. Jesus Christ celebrated the first Mass with His disciples at the Last Supper, the night before He died. He commanded His disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). The celebration of the Mass then became the main form of worship in the early Church, as a reenactment of the Last Supper, as Christ had commanded. Each and every Mass since commemorates Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross through the Holy Eucharist. Because the Mass “re-presents” (makes present) the sacrifice on Calvary, Catholics all around the world join together to be made present in Christ’s timeless sacrifice for our sins. There is something fascinating about continuing to celebrate the same Mass—instituted by Christ and practiced by the early Church—with the whole community of Catholics around the world…and in heaven.

THE REAL PRESENCE

Why does the Catholic Church believe Christ is really present in the Eucharist?
The Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence is the belief that Jesus Christ is literally, not symbolically, present in the Holy Eucharist—body, blood, soul and divinity. Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist because Jesus tells us this is true in the Bible:

“I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh." The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” - John 6:48-56
Furthermore, the early Church Fathers either imply or directly state that the bread and wine offered in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper is really the body and blood of Jesus Christ. In other words, the doctrine of the Real Presence that Catholics believe today was believed by the earliest Christians 2,000 years ago!

This miracle of God’s physical presence to us at every Mass is the truest testament to Christ’s love for us and His desire for each of us to have a personal relationship with Him.

Friday, July 16, 2010

SAUL, SAUL, WHY DO PERSECUTE ME?

"Saul, Saul, why doest thou persecute me?" (Acts 9:4)

What did Jesus say here?

Saul in his zeal had been mercilessly persecuting the newly founded followers of Jesus Christ who are called Christians.

Saul is first mentioned in Acts 7:58-59, where he gave his approval for the stoning to death of the first Christian martyr, Saint Stephen.

Acts 8:1-3, "Now there broke out on that day a great persecution against the CHURCH in Jerusalem, and all except the Apostles were scattered abroad throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.

And devout men took care of Stephen's burial and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was harassing the CHURCH; entering house after house, and dragging out men and women, he committed them to prison."

Acts 9:1-5, "But Saul, still breathing threats of slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, that if he found any men or women belonging to this Way (a word used for Christianity at that time), he might bring them in bonds to Jerusalem.

And as he went on his journey, it came to pass that he drew near to Damascus, when suddenly a light from heaven shone round about him; and falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?

"And he said, "Who art thou Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom thou art persecuting."

Elucidation... 1. What was it that Saul persecuted in Acts 8:1-3?

It was the CHURCH as mentioned twice in those three verses.

2. Then why did Jesus Christ say, "Why doest thou persecute me?", instead of 'Why dost thou persecute My Church'?

It is because His Church is his body and He is the head (Ephesians 5:23).

Whatever happens to the body is registered in the head. Isn't that true?

3. Therefore, whenever someone persecutes the Church which Jesus Christ founded, they are persecuting its founder as well.

"For I am the least of the Apostles, and am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the CHURCH OF GOD." (1Corinthians 15:9)

"For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism; how beyond all measure, I persecuted the CHURCH OF GOD, and ravaged it." (Galatians 1:13).

"As regards zeal, a persecutor of the CHURCH OF GOD." (Philippians 3:6)

"I give thanks to Jesus Christ our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he counted me trustworthy in making me his minister. For I formerly was a blasphemer, a persecutor and a bitter adversary; but I obtained the mercy of GOD because I acted ignorantly, in unbelief." (1Timothy 1:12-13)

"Do not be a stumbling block to Jews and Greeks and to the CHURCH OF GOD." (1Corinthians 10:32

Here are two extremely simple and very basic questions for those who attack the Catholic Church:

1. Since every church on earth had a founder with a name, please name the founder of the Catholic Church?

I can name the founders and dates of founding of hundreds of sects of diverse denominations and do it with genuine documented proof.

So for anyone who attempts to answer that question, please show me your proof.

Why is it that non-Catholics refuse to, or cannot answer that simple question?

2. Show me the Bible verse(s) which gave authority for any human person to found another church other than the one which Jesus Christ founded?

I eagerly await truthful answers to those two very simple questions.

Written by Bob Stanley, April 1, 1999 Major update, February 16, 2009

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1 comment:

Unknown said...

GOSPEL:

Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath.

His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath."

He said to the them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry,
how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering,
which neither he nor his companions
but only the priests could lawfully eat?

Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent?

I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.

If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men.

For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath." (Matthew 12:1-8)

July 17, 2010 at 3:48 AM

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