Thursday, June 12, 2008

The Eucharist From The Outside Looking In


I'm coming to realize I am a closed minded fool! I don't give two thoughts to what the Catholic faith must look like from the outside looking in. Lets take the Eucharist!
The Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist is truly and completely the Body, Blood, soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread. I say AMEN!!! But I've never thought what that statement looks like to someone looking in. Without faith in who the Eucharist is, us Catholics look like we're off our rocker!
The most honest question to ask is "How can a person be a piece of bread?". Well... I could point out scripture that help explain the Eucharist. Then quote Church fathers. But I won't right now. I'll just give the answer. It's a very simple answer. The answer is "I don't know".
So looking from the outside my response to that answer is shocking. Catholics don't know how Jesus can be a piece of bread, yet still believe in the Eucharist?
Looking at things from this perspective I'm starting to understand why non-Catholics think we're out in left field.
I think the problem is with the question. Or a word in the question. "How?" There are many, many, many, many things the Catholic Church cannot explain, in detail "how" God does things. For example, creation of time, space and matter. We know God did create these things, but not how. We know when God speaks, things happen. literally! But how exactly that happens, we can only speculate.
A bigger problem with the question is a lack of understanding of the Eucharist. What I mean is, the question itself miss-represents what the Catholic Church teaches. The question doesn't take into account a very important part of the understanding of the Eucharist. "under the appearance of bread"!!!
It's not "Catholics believe the Eucharist is a piece of bread that is Jesus Christ." That is stated the wrong way and confuses the true understanding in the Eucharist. It should say "Catholics believe the Eucharist is Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread."
Sometimes the question itself assumes things that aren't there.
Talk at ya Later

3 comments:

DJ said...

Awesome post on the Eucharist!

Thank you for your witness!

Blessings,
Dean

Esther said...

I know what you mean...

Those who don't see with the eyes of faith can't get it. But still He draws people to Himself through it.

Macile Hooper LeJeune said...

Is it not strange ... using the same words in each sentence ... but moving them around ... they mean the same ... but one statement is so much more ... what Jesus said ... and how we follow HIS teachings. Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread;ohe, yes; how fortunate we are as Catholics ... to have HIM ... Body, Blood, Soul, Divinity ... instead of a 'symbol'. Merci, sweet bro ... for this understanding. DIEU TE BENISSE!
Cajun Sissy Macile