REAL PRESENCE

REAL PRESENCE

 Jeffrey Paloga

The most controversial of the Roman Catholics is the dogma about “True Presence” of our savior Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Early Christians protected, died for true presence of Christ in the Sacrament. When Christ instituted this teaching in his twelve disciples (Matthew 26:26-28) many of his followers left.

Catholics differ in the meaning this last suffer has to them (other sects) and the church today. Roman Catholics together with other historical Christian churches (e.g. Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Christians, Lutherans, Anglicans and some Episcopalians, etc.) believed the literal words of Jesus. The Catholic Church teaches that the first principle of hermeneutics--- the science of the translation and interpretation of the Bible--- is the literal meaning of the texts.

In Divino Afflante Spiritus September 30, 1943 Pope Pius XII says, “…discern and define that sense of the biblical words which is called literal…. So that the mind of the author may be made clear…. the exegete must be principally concerned with the literal sense of the scripture.” To make it clear to you the definition of the literal sense: The sense which the human author directly intended and which the words convey.

In the letter of Paul to the Corinthians we all know that he was not the eye witness during the institution of the Eucharist (because Paul was converted latter during his persecution of the early Christians.) affirm this teaching from the twelve apostles 1 Cor. 11:23-29 Paul says; For I received from the Lord what I also handed unto you, that the lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took the bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “ This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as you often as you eats the bread or drink a cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore whoever eats and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.

By this account of Paul give importance way back to the teaching of Christ to His apostles in the biblical accounts was stated above. There were many biblical accounts regarding this matter like Mark, Matthew, John and Luke, but all of this according to some protestants and other historical Christians, is a mere symbolic and deny the true presence of Jesus Christ in the formed of bread and wine.

According to the church, the person who does not believe this teaching if you are a member of the Roman Catholic Church you are committed heresy. Based on the book entitled “TRUE PRESENCE” that the celebration of the Holy Eucharist from the fifth to ninth centuries was surrounded by many intellectual struggles, they started to question the realistic perception of the Lord’s presence in the Sacrament.

Mohammed appeared in around 600 A.D. and another belief was rise up through Islam which rejected the Divinity of Jesus. The faith of the early Christians was shaken until the 12^th---15^th centuries and the protestant reformation happened and it was lead by the monk priest Martin Luther. From that moment the Real Presence of Jesus for them is just a symbol.

But the intervention of heaven in order to proved this tradition of the church happen before the beginning of the second century. In the year 700 A.D when a monk priest started to doubt, the bread and wine change its appearance into real flesh and real blood. This is the famous Eucharistic miracle happened in Lanciano, Italy. “The blood is real blood and the flesh is real flesh. ----- Results of the 1970 Scientific Tests on Host and Blood at Lanciano Italy. This is only one of the many Eucharistic miracles happen and it was recorded based on Science.