Mystical Supper
It is important to note that the Churches (i.e., mainly Catholic and Orthodox) that believe in the Real Presence do not see what is really in the Eucharist as a lifeless corpse and mere blood but as the whole Christ, body and blood, soul and divinity; nor do we see the persisting outward appearances of bread and wine as a mere illusion. This actual change or conversion of reality, deals with what the gifts are and not the process or manner by which the change comes about. We all agree that this change occurs in a way that truly surpasses understanding. The presence of Christ in the Eucharist is of an order different from the presence of Christ in the other sacraments: in the other sacraments he is present by his power rather than by the reality of his body and blood, the basis of the expression Real Presence.
Perhaps one of the most unfortunate developments that took place in the history of Christianity was when men began to debate the reality of Christ’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist. While some said that the eucharistic gifts of bread and wine were the real Body and Blood of Christ, others said that the gifts were not real, but merely the symbolic or mystical presence of the Body and Blood. The tragedy in both of these approaches is that what is real came to be opposed to what is symbolic or mystical.
The Catholic and Orthodox Churches deny the doctrine that the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist are merely symbols of Christ’s Body and Blood. If this doctrine were true, then when the liturgy is celebrated and holy communion is given, the people would be called merely to think about Jesus and then to commune with him in their hearts. In this way, the Eucharist would be reduced to a simple memorial meal of the Lord’s last supper and the union with God through its reception would come only on the level of thought or psychological recollection.
Belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is one of the most profound truths of our faith. It is also one of the most perplexing truths since it is so beyond human comprehension. How can something be intrinsically changed and yet look the same and be experienced as the same before and after its transformation. Do you believe in the Real Presence? Think about this. More to come.