What You [Catholics] Need to Know: Eucharist (Real Presence)

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[Salvation]

What You Need to Know: Eucharist (Real Presence)

Too often the Catholic Faith is watered down, reduced to symbolism, robbed of its original force. A case in point is the Eucharist. Here we'll focus mainly on the central point of a very rich and extensive mystery: the Real Presence of Christ.

We'll start with a concise tract from Catholic Answers which defends and explains Christ's presence in the Eucharist against those who offer alternative interpretations.

Next, it pays dividends to look back at the Second Vatican Council to recover its focus on the Eucharist. An article summarizing the Council's teaching, with plenty of quotes, shows us the Eucharistic awareness the Church wants us to have today.

Finally, there is a web site you can use to increase both your understanding of and devotion to the Real Presence of Christ. This site offers everything from basic materials to excerpts from the Fathers, including accounts of documented, approved Eucharistic miracles.

If you only have time to look at three things, LOOK AT THESE.

1. Christ in the Eucharist
2. The Eucharist at Vatican II
3. Real Presence Web Site

[Salvation]

The Early Church Fathers on The Real Presence - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus

[Salvation]

April Devotion: The Blessed Sacrament

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The Church traditionally encouraged the month of April for increased devotion to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. "The Church in the course of the centuries has introduced various forms of this Eucharistic worship which are ever increasing in beauty and helpfulness; as, for example, visits of devotion to the tabernacles, even every day; Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament; solemn processions, especially at the time of Eucharistic Congresses, which pass through cities and villages; and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament publicly exposed . . . These exercises of piety have brought a wonderful increase in faith and supernatural life to the Church militant upon earth and they are re-echoed to a certain extent by the Church triumphant in heaven, which sings continually a hymn of praise to God and to the Lamb 'Who was slain.'" --Pope Pius XII

ACT OF ADORATION
I adore Thee, 0 Jesus, true God and true Man, here present in the Holy Eucharist, humbly kneeling before Thee and united in spirit with all the faithful on earth and all the blessed in heaven. In deepest gratitude for so great a blessing, I love Thee, my Jesus, with my whole heart, for Thou art all perfect and all worthy of love.

Give me grace nevermore in any way to offend Thee, and grant that I, being refreshed by Thy Eucharistic presence here on earth, may be found worthy to come to the enjoyment with Mary of Thine eternal and everblessed presence in heaven. Amen.

FAITH IN THE EUCHARIST
O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art really and corporally present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. I adore Thee here present from the very depths of my heart, and I worship Thy sacred presence with all possible humility. O my soul, what joy to have Jesus Christ always with us, and to be able to speak to Him, heart to heart, with all confidence. Grant, O Lord, that I, having adored Thy divine Majesty here on earth in this wonderful Sacrament, may be able to adore it eternally in Heaven. Amen.

PETITION
Believing that Thou, my God, hast in any way revealed to us--grieving for all my sins, offenses and negligences--hoping in Thee, O Lord, who wilt never let me be confounded--thanking Thee for this supreme gift, and for all the gifts of Thy goodness--loving Thee, above all in this sacrament of Thy love--adoring Thee in this deepest mystery of Thy condescension: I lay before Thee all the wounds and wants of my poor soul, and ask for all that I need and desire. But I need only Thyself, O Lord; I desire none but Thee--Thy grace, and the grace to use well Thy graces, the possession of Thee by grace in this life, and the possession of Thee forever in the eternal kingdom of Thy glory.

FOR THE PEACE OF CHRIST
O most sacred, most loving heart of Jesus, Thou art concealed in the Holy Eucharist, and Thou beatest for us still. Now as then Thou sayest, "With desire I have desired." I worship Thee, then, with all my best love and awe, with my fervent affection, with my most subdued, most resolved will. O make my heart beat with Thy heart. Purify it of all that is earthly, all that is proud and sensual, all that is hard and cruel, of all perversity, of all disorder, of all deadness. So fill it with Thee, that neither the events of the day nor the circumstances of the time may have power to ruffle it; but that in Thy love and Thy fear it may have peace. --Cardinal Newman

ACT OF LOVE
I believe Thou art present in the Blessed Sacrament, O Jesus. I love Thee and desire Thee. Come into my heart. I embrace Thee, O never leave me. I beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus, may the burning and most sweet power of Thy love absorb my mind, that I may die through love of Thy love, who wast graciously pleased to die through love of my love. --St. Francis of Assisi

ACT OF REPARATION
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, well known in connection with devotion to the Sacred Herat of Jesus, led the way in making reparation to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for the coldness and ingratitude of men. This prayer of hers can become our own as we attempt to make amends for our own and others' neglect of the great Sacrament of His love, the Eucharist.
O kind and merciful savior, from my heart I earnestly desire to return Thee love for love. My greatest sorrow is that Thou art not loved by men, and, in particular, that my own heart is so cold, so selfish, so ungrateful. Keenly aware of my own weakness and poverty, I trust that Thy own grace will enable me to offer Thee an act of pure love. And I wish to offer Thee this act of love in reparation for the coldness and neglect that are shown to Thee in the sacrament of Thy love by Thy creatures. O Jesus, my supreme good, I love Thee, not for the sake of the reward which Thou hast promised to those who love Thee, but purely for Thyself. I love Thee above all things that can be loved, above all pleasures, and above myself and all that is not Thee, promising in the presence of heaven and earth that I will live and die purely and simply in Thy holy love, and that if to love Thee thus I must endure persecution and suffering I am completely satisfied, and I will ever say with Saint Paul: Nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God." 0 Jesus, supreme master of all hearts, I love Thee, I adore Thee, I praise Thee, I thank Thee, because I am now all Thine own. Rule over me, and transform my soul into the likeness of Thyself, so that it may bless and glorify Thee forever in the abode of the saints.
--Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

OFFERING
My Lord, I offer Thee myself in turn as a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Thou hast died for me, and I in turn make myself over to Thee. I am not my own. Thou hast bought me; I will by my own act and deed complete the purchase. My wish is to be separated from everything of this world; to cleanse myself simply from sin; to put away from me even what is innocent, if used for its own sake, and not for Thine. I put away reputation and honor, and influence, and power, for my praise and strength shall be in Thee. Enable me to carry out what I profess. Amen. --Cardinal Newman

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

"The best, the surest , and the most effective way of establishing everlasting peace on the face of the earth is through the great power of perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament." -- Pope John Paul II

"Could you not watch one hour?" -- Mark 14:37

[Petronski]

With respect to Salvation, the thread poster, I believe this should receive the “Catholic Caucus” designation.

[Petronski]

Nevermind.

I see the colloquy on this question and accede.

[AntiFed]

From 2004 “Vatican: Matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist (April 23, 2004):”
“[48.] The bread used in the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharistic Sacrifice must be unleavened, purely of wheat, and recently made so that there is no danger of decomposition.[123] It follows therefore that bread made from another substance, even if it is grain, or if it is mixed with another substance different from wheat to such an extent that it would not commonly be considered wheat bread, does not constitute valid matter for confecting the Sacrifice and the Eucharistic Sacrament.[124] It is a grave abuse to introduce other substances, such as fruit or sugar or honey,”

Now, I have a problem with wheat. Serious. Like, I need to take time off work to be sick for so much as a crumb.

Wasn’t there a recent clarification of this rule? I haven’t been in a while and the inflexibility of this issue is troubling as my family cultural history is Catholic and my genetics are averse to wheat. It is quite a quandary but I cannot change my genetics so easily as I change my worship and ‘communion’ with God.

[annalex]

Can you take wine?

[Mad Dawg]

For the record, an exception:

Protestant is not a confession. Calvinist is not a confession.

If I'm wrong, then what's a "confession"?

This is silly. Is there a Calvinist Church, with a creed and a governing body. Is there a Protestant Church with ditto?

There is or used to be at least one corporate body which called itself Protestant ("The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America", a name later changed) and which professed or used to profess a belief in the Real Presence.

I fear we are going to end up with a series of periphrases, as in "those who do not acknowledge the Papal Authority and who also deny the Real Presence. Everybody will know it means "Protestant" in the loose sense of the term. It will be abbrieviated to TWDNATPAAWADTRP, and then one day somebody will say it invalidates the Caucus designation.

Carry on, vent over.

[pjr12345]

If you’re going to remove my post for its sarcasm, then oughtn’t you remove AAC’s post for its direct attack?

[annalex]

I think, the larger point is that if any kind of polemical position is taken, then whoever can reasonably identify with the opposite position should have an opportunity to comment. It should not be, in my opinion, about words, but about the subject matter.

I am more troubled by offtopic posts than by polemical posts. It would be fine, for example, for someone to come and argue against the Real Presence doctrine. The character of the article demands that that be possible. It would however, go against the desire of the thread starter to make this a vehicle of wholesale dispute with Catholicism: Why Mary? Why purgatory? Why papacy?, etc. I am in the similar situation with Cur Deus Homo.

I think we need a further distinction:

- an open thread (general Jim Robinson’s rules apply);
- an open caucus thread (no offtopic posts, no personal attacks, polemical posts OK)
- a closed caucus (devotional material, no arguing by nonmembers allowed).

[Salvation]

Both of you have valid suggestions here!

Blessings!