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.

Monday, January 18, 2016

IN PERSONA CHRISTI...

'In the person of Christ'

In the confessional, as the priest gives absolution, he says, 'I absolve you of your sins'. He does not say Jesus Christ absolves you of your sins. The priest is acting in the person of Christ, 'In Persona Christi'.

Think about this for a minute, as it is an awesome truth.

During the consecration of the host, the priest says, 'This is MY Body'. He does not say, this is the Body of Christ. The priest is acting in the person of Christ, 'In Persona Christi'.

Again it is almost incomprehensible, that it is possible for any human person to act in the person of Christ. However, it is a teaching of the Church, and is therefore to be believed.

What we do not realize is that GOD has given each one of us a specific talent of one kind or another, and if we in turn give that talent back to GOD in His service, then each one of us is acting 'In Persona Christi'.

What could be more rewarding to anyone than to know that when we give back to GOD the fruits of the talents He has given to us, we are doing it 'In Persona Christi'?

"Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I have done for your sake's, in the person of Christ." 2Corinthians 2:10

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