How Can We Prove the Eucharist is Our Lord? - Apologetics Series - Episode 35

[@margaretoconnor874]

My friend (non Catholic) does say the Eucharist is a remembrance of Jesus but not what is really meant. I am really enjoying the education you are presenting that I didn’t want to learn when a teenager! Now, as an elderly person I hunger for all I can learn. Thank you! Too bad I can’t remember more(old age😅).

[@lovesrlady2]

Fr. McFarland, you are always welcome in upstate NY, where it's always sweater weather.😅 Great discussion!

[@fr.johnpeterboucher3008]

Well done, Fr. McFarland. I really enjoy hearing that our knowledge of the Faith comes from the Scriptures. In fact, what I found most interesting was the number of times you used the words, "Faith" and "belief", as opposed to "Church". That is exactly why the Catholic Church enjoys the status of the One True Church and Faith as preserved by the Council of Trent and the Scriptures along with Its constant teachings. It is the direct descendant of the Apostles and is the only one that can trace Its spiritual ancestry through the Scriptures to Jesus Christ, Himself; and Who, through the Priesthood, and the Mass, and the Eucharist, still has Jesus Christ resident in Its tabernacles as per Malachias 1 verse 11. Your emphasis on these two aspects as absolutely the basis for our salvation can really be summed up from the words of Jesus' pseudo-disciples in St. John chapter 6 verse 61 as those so-called disciples expressed their incredulity (unbelief) at Jesus' teachings and insistence that they must "eat His Flesh and drink His Blood" to have everlasting life. (61) "Many therefore of His disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard, and who can hear it?" In 1Corinthians 11 verses 27~29, St. Paul gives us certain caveats or provisos/limitations that are best described by the "Sequence": Lauda Sion of the Feast of Corpus Christi: "Both the wicked and the good eat of this celestial food: but with ends how opposite! Here 'tis life, and there 'tis death, The same, yet issuing to each, In a difference infinite." And of course, this is referring to eternal death. 1Corinthians 11 verse 28 says: "But let a man prove himself: and so..." (only then) "... let him eat of that Bread, and drink the Chalice." Proving oneself means having proof of being baptized, so you have no original sin, and that you have met the fasting requirements, (except for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction), and that you have no mortal sin on your soul. Verse 29 tells the consequences of above: "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily," (that is, in the state of mortal sin), "eateth and drinketh judgement to himself, not discerning the Body of the Lord." Those disciples in St. John 6 verse 61 obviously did not discern or believe what Jesus said about the effects of either eating or drinking of Jesus' Body and Blood; and so would have eaten and drunk their own condemnation. Going back to the beginning of my comment, Father, as to how often you mentioned Faith and/or belief as absolutely necessary for God's desired effect of His Sacraments that He gave to His Church, these Scripture quotes absolutely tells us we must confer that Faith on Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten of the Father, made Incarnate by the Holy Spirit. To do that, we must have absolute faith in what Jesus tells in the Scriptures, making them equally important to our salvation. This is why we find in the writings of the Saints and the Church fathers, and in the encyclicals of the Popes, and really in the words written or spoken of anyone who wants to be taken seriously as a believer, we will find references to the Scriptures in "proving ourselves" as followers of Jesus Christ, Who is One with the Father and was made Incarnate by the Holy Spirit. My spiritual heart rejoiced in your faithfulness in using the Scriptures to make your points in this so-vital understanding of the Eucharist. Thank you.

[@lucyfahrbach309]

Thank you Fr. McFarland, for clarifying strongly the teaching on the Eucharist. I have heard some interesting interpretations of that scripture from Protestants and feel much more confident to discuss this in the future.

[@georgie6733]

No proof needed, just Faith😊💜🔥🙏

[@Laura-dy1vc]

Thank you.

[@jackieforestieri3010]

Sweater weather LOL! Here in Michigan it’s 30 degrees outside. It’s bundle up weather here! I know it’s different when you live in a hot climate though!

[@JamesBond-qd5rc]

What an excellent presentation! Thank you! Very helpful.

[@jy7383]

+ A.M.D.G. I studied Ethics and Apologetic in 1940 - 1950 ---- one year of a two year coerce ----- so i have read books from then on --- this representation is new to me ---- SHCJ convert boarding school ----

[@farmergiles1065]

How Can We Prove the Eucharist is Our Lord? By their fruits you shall know them.

[@richardkasper5822]

There is something sacred about the mass and that is - the reminder of Jesus's sacrifice for all of mankind. I certainly don't see this brought up in any protestant "service" .And the function of the mass is not as a reminder to God but as a reminder to us of the sacrifice of His life....Do this in memory of me. He didn't say do this some of you but not others. Like the dew fall He comes down ( in the moisture of the air ) and His spirit is sent into the chalice of the priests. I have 100 % belief that this happens every time through out the daily Catholic mass all over the world. This is the daily sacrifice. The "sacrifice" is truly the priests that give up a common life and take on the supernatural life of celibacy and all other sacrifices so that they can be used by God to take care of His flock. And we as the laity are to give up many things of the world as well. Tell that to any millionaire evangelical preacher and there are many, and ask them how are they giving up worldly things , and leading a mendicants way of life ?

[@JamesBond-qd5rc]

Is there a single good volume on the early church fathers that you would recommend to a lay person? Thank you.

[@viniciusvazsavi7752]

There's the Catena Aurea (Golden Chain). An impressive collection of Church Fathers commentarys on the four Gospels. Herculean work by Saint Thomas by order of the Pope.

[@auniversalwoman]

😂 Finally Cassock weather in Phoenix

[@yentran475]

It sounds like you do not know the subject thoroughly

[@larrypicard8802]

The thumbnail is misleading. as there is absolutely no way to "prove" the real presence. Like most apologetics it's aimed at believers or preaching to the choir.

[@fatima.revisited]

I'm not sure if your comment is based on your own incredulity or if you are giving a critique on Father's presentation. We know that as with matters of faith and faith in God cannot be "proven". That's why they are matters of "faith". As St. Paul said in Hebrews 11 verse 1: "Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not." If you are one who is incredulous, the account of "The Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano" is the first documented Eucharistic miracle in the 8th century with a monk who was having doubts in the True Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. Fast forward to the twentieth century and the miraculous Host was put to scientific experiments, and was determined that the Host was indeed human heart muscle, human blood, type AB, and the fact itself that it is still preserved after 12-13 centuries is miraculous. If you are just critiquing Father's presentation, you still might find this interesting. I did. Awesome. How wonderful our Faith is. Without it, we would be lost.

[@mab1564]

Eucharistic miracles are a pretty good way to prove it. 😊

[@sa1sa1law]

A year ago I was at a novus ordo mass. This lady wanted the Eucharist on her hand. The priest must have seen or felt something because he refused to put it on her hand and told her he would only give her the Eucharist on her tongue. The lady went crazy, the priest had to step back and raise his arms to protect the Eucharist from this lady. She then started yelling "YOU will not come into my body" multiple times. As she was leaving, you could hear her speak want sounded like Hebrew or something like it. The lady was obviously possessed and did not want our Lord to go into her body. The demon she had in her knew our Lord is alive in the Eucharist. This is when I really believed our Lord Jesus Christ is alive in the Eucharist and is not just a symbol. Unfortunately, satan has more faith in our Lord being alive in the Eucharist than most Catholics do now a day.

[@frekigeri4317]

I was healed of a life long affliction at my first Catholic mass. I believe, what you think doesn’t matter