Eokaristia

Why Do Catholics believe the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus?

The short answer is that Catholics believe the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus because it was taught by Jesus, Himself, and recorded in the Bible.

On the night He was betrayed, He gathered with His Apostles to celebrate Passover, the ritualistic meal eaten by the Israelites (on the eve of their liberation from bondage in Egypt).

The Passover meal included the flesh of the sacrificial lamb (see Exodus, 12:8). The Last Supper, which took place on the eve of man’s liberation from sin, is the fulfillment of the Passover meal.

On that night, now known as Holy Thursday, Jesosy, ny Zanak’ondrin’Andriamanitra, gave His own Flesh and Blood to be eaten by the faithful–tsakramenta, in the form of Bread and Wine.¹

Jehovah’s Witnesses and other groups commonly object to Catholic teaching on the Eucharist on the grounds it violates the Old Testament prohibition against the eating of blood. In Mark’s Gospel 7:18-19, na izany aza, Jesus removed the burden of the Mosaic dietary restrictions—including the eating of blood—from His followers. At the Council of Jerusalem the Apostles did forbid the eating of blood, though only in particular situations to avoid unnecessarily offending the Jews (jereo ny Asan’ny Apostoly 15:29 SY 21:25).

Maka mofo, mitahy azy, manapaka azy, ary nozaraina tamin'ny Apostoly, jesus said, “Raiso, mihinana; ity no vatako” (Matthew 26:26). Dia naka kaopy Izy, izay notahiny koa, ary nanome azy ireo, ka nanao hoe:, “Misotroa amin’izany, ianareo rehetra; fa ity no rako amin'ny fanekena, izay alatsaka ho an’ny maro ho famelan-keloka” (Matthew 26:27-28). Na dia niteny an’ohatra matetika aza i Jesosy nandritra ny fanompoany, tamin'io fotoana manan-danja io dia niteny mazava Izy. “Ity no vatako," Hoy izy, without explanation. “Ity no rako.” Sarotra ny maka sary an-tsaina hoe ahoana no nahatonga ny Tompo nivantana kokoa.

Ny fanorenan’i Jesosy ny Eokaristia amin’ny Fanasana farany dia manatanteraka ny toriteny malaza momba ny Mofon’aina, which is recorded in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John. Ny fampitomboana ny mofo sy ny trondro no ialohavan’ity toriteny ity, by which thousands are miraculously fed from a tiny amount of food (jereo Jaona 6:4 although that miracle appears in all four Gospels). This event is a Eucharistic metaphor, occurring as it does during Passover and having been effected by the same formula Jesus would later use at the Last Supper—taking the loaves, misaotra, ary mizara azy ireo (John 6:11). Rehefa niverina ny olona ny ampitson’iny mba hangataka famantarana Aminy, nahatsiaro ny nanomezana mana ny razany tany an-efitra (as in Exodus 16:14), Jesus replies, “Marina tokoa, TENA, lazaiko aminareo, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world” (John 6:32-33).

“Tompo ô, give us this bread always,” they cry (John 6:34).

“Izaho no mofon’aina,” He responds; “he who comes to me shall not hunger, ary izay mino Ahy tsy hangetaheta mandrakizay” (6:35). Na dia mampikorontana ny Jiosy aza ny teniny, Mbola mitohy hatrany i Jesosy, Nitombo tsikelikely ny kabariny:

47 “Marina tokoa, TENA, lazaiko aminareo, he who believes has eternal life.

48 Izaho no mofon’aina.

49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, ary maty izy ireo.

50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die.

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; raha misy mihinana ity mofo ity, ho velona mandrakizay izy; SY the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh” (6:47-51; nampiana fanamafisana).

Verse 51 contains indisputable proof that Jesus is not speaking figuratively, for He identifies the Bread which must be eaten as the same Flesh that would suffer and die on the Cross. To assert that in referring to His Flesh in this passage He is speaking symbolically is to say the Flesh that suffered and died on the Cross was merely a symbol, for they are one and the same!²

“Ahoana no fanomezan’Ilehity ny nofony hohanintsika??” the people ask (6:52).

Na dia eo aza ny fahasahiranan’izy ireo, Jesus proceeds all the more emphatically:

“Marina tokoa, TENA, lazaiko aminareo, raha tsy mihinana ny nofon’ny Zanak’olona sy misotro ny rany ianareo, tsy manana fiainana ao anatinao ianao; izay mihinana ny nofoko sy misotro ny rako no manana fiainana mandrakizay, ary Izaho hanangana azy amin'ny andro farany. Fa hanina tokoa ny nofoko, ary ny rako dia fisotro tokoa. Izay mihinana ny nofoko sy misotro ny rako no mitoetra ao amiko, ary izaho ao aminy. tahaka ny nanirahan’ny Ray velona Ahy, ary velona aho noho ny Ray, koa izay mihinana Ahy dia ho velona amiko. Ity no mofo nidina avy tany an-danitra, tsy mba tahaka ny razana izay nihinana ka maty; izay mihinana ity mofo ity dia ho velona mandrakizay” (6:53-58; nampiana fanamafisana).

Ny fankalazana ny Eokaristia no ivon’ny fiainan’ny Kristianina voalohany, izay “nazoto tamin’ny fampianaran’ny apostoly sy ny fiombonana, hatramin’ny famakiana ny mofo sy ny fivavahana” (See the Acts of the Apostles 2:42). Note that “The breaking of bread and the prayers” refers to the Liturgy.

Only a few years after the death of the last Apostle, Saint Ignace of Antiokia (d. ca. 107) described the Liturgy the same way, denouncing heretics for abstaining “from the Eucharist and from prayer” (Taratasy ho an’ny Smyrnaeanina 6:2). That the early Church, furthermore, took Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, as her Sabbath is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles 20:7, which says, “On the first day of the week, … we were gathered together to break bread …” (jer. Didache 14; Justin the Martyr, Fifonana Voalohany 67).

Saint Paul identifies both the manna and the rock that spew forth water for the Israelites as Eucharistic metaphors. “Nihinana sakafo mihoatra ny natoraly iray izy rehetra ary nisotro zava-pisotro tsy araka ny natiora iray ihany,” hoy izy nanoratra. “Fa nisotro tamin’ny Vatolampy izay nanaraka azy ireo, ary ny Vatolampy dia Kristy” (See his First Letter to the Corinthians10:3-4 as well as the Book of Revelations 2:17). He goes on to admonish the Corinthians for their lack of reverence in receiving the Eucharist, MANORATRA:

11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread

24 ary rehefa nisaotra izy, nopotehiny izany, ary hoy, This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, ka nanao hoe:, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Ataovy izao, isaky ny misotro azy ianao, in remembrance of me.

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

27 IZAY REHETRA, Ary noho izany, mihinana ny mofo na misotro amin’ny kapoaky ny Tompo amin’ny fomba tsy mendrika dia ho meloka amin’ny fandotoana ny tena sy ny ran’ny Tompo.

28 Aoka ny olona handini-tena, ary mihinana ny mofo sy misotro amin'ny kapoaka.

29 Fa izay mihinana sy misotro nefa tsy mahafantatra ny tena dia mihinana sy misotro fanamelohana ho an'ny tenany.

30 Izany no mahatonga ny maro aminareo ho malemy sy marary, and some have died (jereo Matio 5:23-24, KOA).

Per verse 27, to receive the Eucharist unworthily is to sin against the Body and Blood of the Lord. Noho izany, mendrika ny manontany izany: how could the unworthy reception of ordinary bread and wine amount to a sin against the Body and Blood of Jesus? Paul says even that the impious reception of the Eucharist is the reason “why many of you are weak and ill, ary ny sasany efa maty” (v. 30).

It is only fitting that the most famous early Patristic (Church Father) statements on the Real Presence come from Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who learned the Faith seated at the feet of the Evangelist John. In about the year A.D. 107, using the Church’s Eucharistic teaching to defend the Incarnation against the Docetists, who denied Jesus had truly come in the flesh, Ignatius wrote:

Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, ary jereo fa mifanohitra amin'ny fisainan'Andriamanitra ny heviny. … Mifady ny Eokaristia sy ny fivavahana izy ireo, satria tsy manaiky izy ireo fa ny Eokaristia no nofon’i Jesoa Kristy Mpamonjy antsika, Ny nofo izay nijaly noho ny fahotantsika sy ny Ray, amin’ny fahatsarany, raised up again (Taratasy ho an’ny Smyrnaeanina 6:2; 7:1).

Ilay Vatana ihany izay nijaly sy maty teo amin’ny Hazo fijaliana noho ny fahotantsika ary nitsangana tamin’ny maty, araka ny fanazavan’i Ignace, dia manatrika antsika ao amin’ny Eokaristia Masina (jereo Jaona 6:51).

Saint Justin the Martyr, writing around 150, hoy ny Eokaristia Mofo sy Divay “tsy raisina ho mofo na zava-pisotro mahazatra,” satria izy ireo no “nofo sy ran’i Jesosy tonga nofo” (Fifonana Voalohany 66).

Ao amin'ny 185, Saint Irénée de Lyon, izay mpampianatra Saint Polycarpe avy any Smyrna (d. ca. 156) nahafantatra an’i Jaona koa, niresaka momba ny Eokaristia amin'ny fiarovana ny fitsanganan'ny vatana amin'ny maty amin'ny gnostisma. “Raha tsy voavonjy ny vatana,”, hoy ny Olomasina, “avy eo, raha ny tena izy, sady tsy nanavotra antsika tamin’ny Rany ny Tompo; ary na ny kapoaky ny Eokaristia dia tsy ny fihinanana ny Rany na ny mofo izay vakintsika amin'ny fihinanana ny Vatany. (1 KOR. 10:16)” (Manohitra ny Heresies 5:2:2).

Origen remarked of the Eucharist around the middle of the third century, “Formerly, in an obscure way, there was manna for food; ankehitriny, na izany aza, in full view, there is the True Food, the Flesh of the Word of God, as he himself says: ‘My Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink’ (John 6:56)” (Homilies on Numbers 7:2).

Toy izany koa, Saint Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258) no nanoratra:

We ask that this bread be given us daily (jer. MAT. 6:11), so that we who are in Christ and daily receive the Eucharist as the food of salvation, may not, by falling into some more grievous sin and then abstaining from communicating, be withheld from the heavenly Bread, and be separated from Christ’s Body. … He Himself warns us, ka nanao hoe:, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you” (John 6:54) (The Lord’s Prayer 18).