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Hi, Randy —
Thanks for the question.
The Lord Jesus always wants to transmit
grace to us in a manner that respects
our human nature.
He created it, but he also wants
to do it in a way that we are accustomed
to receiving as human beings.
Examples:
- Baptism uses water and words
- Confirmation uses the bishop
and his words
- Confession uses the priest and
his words
- Anointing of the Sick uses oils,
a priest, and words
- Marriage uses the couple and
their words.
In all the above cases: people, water,
oil, etc. are things we are familiar
with and associate with all throughout
in our life.
Question: Could the Lord have initiated
the Eucharist in a manner where:
— the grape wine would visibly
change to his Precious Blood?
— the leaven bread would
visibly change to a piece of His
Flesh?
No, because it would defeat the purpose of
communing with us in a manner we are use to receiving. Like when we gather together at dinner e.g. the Last Supper which is the New
Jewish Passover, which
Catholics celebrate at every Mass.
It also goes against human nature
for any human to eat the raw flesh
and blood of another person. We don't believe in cannibalism, despite what anti-Catholics or uneducated Protestants will claim we believe.
- Then why do Catholics do this?
Answer:
Because Our Lord tells us to this
and we obey the Lord and His Church.
See John 6:51-69.
Remember, although The Wine:
- smells like grape wine,
- tastes like grape wine, and
- looks like grape wine,
- the substance is
not grape wine.
For short, the accidents of grape
wine are there, but The Substance;
the thing that holds it up,
is the Lord Himself - Body, Blood,
Soul and Divinity under the species of Wine. The Same is true
with the Consecrated Host:
Although The Host:
- smells like unleavened bread,
- tastes like unleavened bread,
and
- looks like unleavened bread,
- the substance is
not unleavened bread.
The accidents of unleavened bread are there, but The Substance;
the thing that holds it up,
is the Lord Himself - Body, Blood,
Soul and Divinity under the species of Bread.
By receiving the Lord sacramentally, we are receiving it in a manner, under the appearance of bread and wine, that we are use to consuming. By communing with the Lord through the Eucharist, we are allowing Him to work His will, in us and through us.
If that isn't cool, I don't know what is!
Hope this helps,
Mike
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