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Ew, Diana; that's quite an image you created. The Eucharist is BOTH symbolic and Real. The Eucharist is not His flesh, like the flesh on your arm. But the Eucharist is still His Body. And since Jesus, in all His Love for us, understands we are a weak people (and we need proof! proof!), has helped us out in that regard by providing Eucharistic miracles.

Lukewarm priests have been quite "surprised," when the Host they have consecrated, turns to flesh and blood; it's been found this flesh (after thorough testing) is the flesh of a human heart. Catholicism is a fascinating, fulfilling, and flawless faith (it's the Church that has ongoing problems). But there are many on Free Republic who can explain Catholicism much better than I can, for I'm not a scholar either.

I can, however, explain suffering fairly well. And the need for the Catholic world to start participating in Eucharistic adoration with more fervor, if it's available to them, even over posting on Free Republic. :)

it's been found this flesh (after thorough testing) is the flesh of a human heart.

That is simply an obscure poorly documented Italian medieval story that cannot be tested.

Catholicism is a fascinating, fulfilling, and flawless faith

That is the manner of cultic assent that isrequired,

“The Vicar of Christ is the Vicar of God; to us the voice of the Pope is the voice of God. This, too, is why Catholics would never dream of calling in question the utterance of a priest in expounding Christian doctrine according to the teaching of the Church;”

“He is as sure of a truth when declared by the Catholic Church as he would be if he saw Jesus Christ standing before him and heard Him declaring it with His Own Divine lips.” —“Henry G. Graham, "What Faith Really Means", (Nihil Obstat:C. SCHUT, S. T.D., Censor Deputatus, Imprimatur: EDM. CANONICUS SURMONT, D.D.,Vicarius Generalis. WESTMONASTERII, Die 30 Septembris, 1914 ); http://www.catholictradition.org/Tradition/faith2-10.htm]

“..The reason of this stand of his is that, for him, there can be no two sides to a question which for him is settled; for him, there is no seeking after the truth: he possesses it in its fulness, as far as God and religion are concerned. His Church gives him all there is to be had; all else is counterfeit...

Holding to Catholic principles how can he do otherwise? How can he consistently seek after truth when he is convinced that he holds it? Who else can teach him religious truth when he believes that an infallible Church gives him God's word and interprets it in the true and only sense? — (John H. Stapleton, Explanation of Catholic Morals, Chapters XIX, XXIII. the consistent believer (1904); Nihil Obstat. Remy Lafort, Censor Librorum. Imprimatur, John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York ; http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18438/18438-h/18438-h.htm)

Which submission is based upon the premise of a perpetual infallible (conditionally) magisterium, and is not the basis upon which the church began, but which was upon Scriptural substantiation, in dissent from those who, like Rome presumed of themselves above that was written.

Ew, Diana; that's quite an image you created. The Eucharist is BOTH symbolic and Real. The Eucharist is not His flesh, like the flesh on your arm. But the Eucharist is still His Body. And since Jesus, in all His Love for us, understands we are a weak people (and we need proof! proof!), has helped us out in that regard by providing Eucharistic miracles.

I agree, pretty gross!

Lukewarm priests have been quite "surprised," when the Host they have consecrated, turns to flesh and blood; it's been found this flesh (after thorough testing) is the flesh of a human heart.

But this is more gross. I much prefer ingesting The Word, by reading about Him, questioning and pondering. That way, it stays in my head and heart, not disposed of by public waste management. (Sorry- the disgusting images just keep coming!)