The Eucharist

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The Eucharist

• The Source and Summit of Christian Life
• The Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus
  Christ
• All other Sacraments are directed toward it
• Completes Christian Initiation
• Instituted at the Last Supper
• Was a Passover meal

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Passover Meal

• Historical Background
• 10 Plagues of Egypt Final plague death of 1st
  born
• Only way to escape death was to offer up a
  Passover Meal which required
• Sacrifice of a male lamb without blemish and no
  broken bones
• The heart was pierced by a high priest, and the
  people placed the blood over the doorway with a
  hyssop branch and ate the lamb
• God keeps his Covenant with the people to love
  them and give them eternal life

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Passover Meal

• Hebrew (Jewish) people celebrated this every year
  (once a year) to renew the Covenant with God
• Gods wrath and justice would pass- over those
  who did this
• Those who ate the lamb would be spared
• When Jesus was celebrating this Passover meal
  with his disciples, he reminded them that He was
  the Lamb of God
• It was HIS flesh, not a lambs, that would need
  to be eaten
• Lamb isnt just sacrificed, it is consumed as
  well

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John 6 Bread of Life Discourse
When Jesus taught, he always clarified he wanted
to make himself understood i.e.
Nicodemus Jesus corrects him, telling
him that he does not mean to go back
into womb, but be born from above

• I am the bread of life whoever comes to me will
  never hunger, and whoever believes in me will
  never thirst. Jn635
• Jews are shocked and murmur among themselves
• Jesus says to stop murmuring and goes on to say
• 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 Jn648-51
• Jews quarrel again and say How can this man give
  
• us his flesh to eat?!
• Jesus responds
• Unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man
  and drink his blood, you do not have life within
  you. Whoever eats 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. Jn653-55

In Original translation, Greek word used here
is Phago to consume/eat
Clearly, they are taking him literally here
In Original translation, Greek word used here is
Trojo to crunch with ones teeth
He does not say Wait, I dont really mean that,
you dont quite have it right. He reinforces
what he says to them in a more graphic way!
Hes not kidding!
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Eucharist
Do this in remembrance of me Mt 26 To
Jews that did not mean to think about. Meant to
make alive and present here and now

• The Mass is not a re-killing of Jesus
• Is not a new sacrifice
• Just as Passover was celebrated to renew
  covenant, The Lambs Supper (MASS) is
  celebrated regularly
• It is a re-presentation (it again is made
  present) of the Sacrifice (that was made once for
  all) of the sacrifice
• Doctrine of Transubstantiation
• It is a bloodless sacrifice
• Accidents stay the same
• Substance changes
• It is True Presence of Christ
• Not a Symbol or Sign
• The whole Christ is present
• even if the parts are divided
• Presence of Christ endures as long
• as what remains appears to be bread
• and wine, recognizable as such, and
  uncorrupted

If Jews ate signs of lamb, but not real lamb
during Passover, they would not have been spared
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Eucharist Requirements Effects

• Must
• Be a baptized Catholic
• Be of age seven
• Have received first reconciliation prior to first
  reception of the Eucharist
• Fast from food and drink except water or medicine
  one hour prior to reception
• Have no mortal sin present on soul
• Effects
• When we receive Eucharist in state of grace, our
  intimate union with Christ is strengthened
• Removes venial sins
• Strengthens against temptation
• Decreases purgatorial debt
• Reduces drives of concupiscence

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Eucharistic Miracles

• Lanciano, Italy
• 700 AD. 1250 years ago!

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Eucharistic Miracles http//www.therealpresence.or
g/eucharst/mir/engl_mir.htm

• LANCIANO, ITALY
• Tests were performed in 1574 (equal weights of
  various sized coagulated clumps)
• and 1970 (found
• The Flesh is real Flesh. The Blood is real Blood.
• The Flesh and the Blood
• belong to the human species
• consist of the muscular tissue of the heart
• have the same blood-type AB (Blood-type
  identical to that which Prof. Baima Bollone
  uncovered in the Holy Shroud of Turin)

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• SIENNA, ITALY
• 1789- placed in sealed
• container next to sealed container of
  unconsecrated hosts those deteriorated
• and the consecrated hosts stayed intact and can
• still be seen today

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Santarem, Portugal Woman stole the host and
wrapped it up. It bled and she hid it in a
drawer, and it bled for three days after she gave
it to a priest when her husband discovered it.
Can visit it there today.
Cascia, Italy 1300s Priest irreverently placed
the consecrated host in his breivery, only to
open it up to discover bloody pages. The page can
be seen today (left) in Cascia (also the home
of St. Ritas incorrupt body!)