John 6:52-59 ~ this is the bread that came down from heaven

The Eucharist by Nicolas Poussin. 1647

John 6:52-59

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

Passover has a very memorable, serious and beautiful question: "Why is this night different from all other nights?"

Christians have a similar question for Communion. It does not matter if you are Catholic or Protestant, what makes the consecrated body and blood of Christ different from all other substances? The Holiness and Righteousness of our Loving God Almighty. The blood of Jesus Christ spilled to save you.

We had this discussion in a church luncheon today. We are Anglican and are called the middle way because we are both Catholic and Protestant. I am comfortable if you believe in transubstantiation or not. The Protestant portion of our church welcomes a Christian to believe the Eucharist is Communion and is the mystery of the body of Jesus Christ. Important and special as a sacrament. Protestants do not readily bless objects (like homes, boats, crosses) to make the Communion process more important, where the bread and wine are blessed.

I am comfortable of my belief which is more Catholic in nature - having my great-uncle as a priest of the Episcopal church from 1925 until his death in 1977. One of his greatest pleasures in life, and as a priest, was to consecrate ordinary bread and wine to become the mystical body of Jesus Christ. Uncle Tate felt so strongly about it, he wrote a book. He was passionate about the subject, we worship with Jesus Christ with us in body.

I do not seek to change your opinion. What I seek is to deepen the awe we experience in Communion. As a privileged and blessed congregation under one God. The Catholic Church serves a purpose in the mysteries of God that the Protestant Church would do well to mention and meditate upon much more often. Let's celebrate together God's amazing ways still occurring today all over the world. The Catholic Church is the body of Christ's historian; they are very careful to find the facts when the Spirit of God is manifested, before a miracle is confirmed. One amazing conclusion is reached every time the Catholic Church announces a miracle in the transubstantiation of the Communion Bread and Wine. The Blood is actually the same type. AB positive, every time. Even when the miracle is centuries old. The Vatican Museum came to the Houston Museum of Natural Science about 7 years ago. In the exhibition, several Hosts have been beautifully pressed and displayed after displaying human Blood. Jesus Christ, the Father and the Holy Spirit. We love and serve an awesome God.

Mark 9:23
And Jesus said to him,"If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

Matthew 19:26
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

<><