Is the Eucharist Really Food? (Aquinas 101)

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Do Catholics really eat Jesus in the Eucharist? Is the Eucharist truly food? What happens when you eat God? In this episode of Aquinas 101: The Sacraments, join Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P., a Dominican friar from the Province of St. Joseph, as he explains how the Eucharist is truly food for our journey.
This video is an excerpt from Lesson 21: Is the Eucharist Food? (Aquinas 101) by Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P. To explore the complete module, including supplemental readings and lectures, click here: aquinas101.thomisticinstitute...
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[@Devotionalpoet]

I have come back to the faith recently. I was really blown away realizing the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Then, reformed friends & similar content had me convinced this was another idol to see it this way, that it is a symbol but “not like Catholics claim”. I was raised Catholic & have recently been really drawn to Thomas Aquinas’ teachings and have now come to the conclusion that I was misled ( I got into new age when I left the faith and so I was overly cautious about idol worship as many protestants claim that Catholics do). I feel strongly that the Catholic faith has it right for many reasons. I greatly look forward to receiving this sacrament again.

[@superapex2128]

What a barren and senseless world this would be without the Eucharist...

[@glennlanham6309]

you are on the right path...look up anything by Dr. Scott Hahn, Brant Pitre, or John Bergsma

[@Devotionalpoet]

@@glennlanham6309 thank you so much. They all look fantastic from first glance, can’t wait to dive in.

[@glennlanham6309]

@@Devotionalpoet I saw Brant Pitre at at a conference and couldn't believe what I was hearing. Profound

[@rubemartur8239]

They didnt read about what the Fathers of the church said about Eucharisty / fraction of the bread. I once heard from a protestant that every eucharistic martyrs died for nothing, quite sad to write and to read, i hope God bring they to faith. Its a historical fact that the cristians always believed in the real presence of Christ. Everyone have biased opinion of historical facts and bible itself (even Sola Scriptura doesnt deny the real presence), many tend to only be part of their own protestant community and dont want to part away, giving those excuses like "idol". If someone really undersood the gospel, will know that Christ came to bring not peace, but the sword.

[@mariavicencio2811]

I got used to going to mass and receiving the Eucharist near where I work. One day I woke up late. Only when I was on the subway train did I realized I will not be able to receive Holy communion. On that moment for a few seconds I felt weak unable to move but conscious of my bodily functions. I slept and ate well that there is no logical reason why I should feel this way. It is like a car running its engine but the driver was not there or out of conscious.

[@hillrunner2]

Beautiful explanation of the eucharist ❤

[@lilamaria4872]

AMEN! Thank you Fr Andrew God bless you ! 🙏🙏🙏

[@simonplant]

Great talk thank you

[@youngKOkid1]

@The Thomistic Institute, the link in the video description to study abroad in Rome is broken. The link is case sensitive (i.e. change /Rome to /rome).

[@TrixRN]

Thank you 🙏❤️

[@shortstopmotions]

Due to a health issue that I have been dealing with for the past year, I haven't been able to do a proper confession in person. And this past Sunday,I went to mass, and the two priests who were available were busy to hear a confession .My grandfather pressured me into taking the eucharist, claiming that would help me feel better. I received the eucharist knowing that I am in a state of mortal sin.What do I do in this case? I always pray an act of contrition in the mornings, but I don't know if that is enough to receive the eucharist .

[@1Andypro]

Please contact your parish priest and explain your situation. Request an appointment for the sacrament of confession with him. You are a member of his flock and it's his responsibility to ensure you have access to the sacraments. God bless.

[@anthonyw2931]

Personally, I wouldn't receive the Host in a state of mortal sin. I also wouldn't use Him as a talisman for healing my physical ailments. However, Christ showed us that faith supersedes many a situation. Like the person that touched His garment while in a crowd. The advice to talk to a priest (any priest) is the best one. Pray (eg Novena) for easing and healing your health issues, again with complete faith... May God Bless you

[@arielwertlen6709]

Your conscious seems to be steering you already. Confession is a beautiful gift given to us, not an act of judgement. Speaking to a priest is sage advice.

[@markulop]

Sometimes I wonder how we are supposed to REALLY feel what we believe when it seems quite complex to intellectually understand what the meaning behind some of the beliefs and practices ist. My experience is that it is tremendously difficult to understand and grasp the interpretations of many things in the faith, the bible, the salvation story etc. And I know many more people who have an even lesser understanding and that's what it also makes so difficult to stay in the faith. Because it takes so much effort to wrap our minds around and understand what we are really believing in and what we really are practicing. I wonder, how this issue can be adressed? It just seems that there is always many underlying layers to understand and I can understand, when someone either doesn't want to or on an intellectual level just can't.

[@Mikail-jm2jv]

How to answer the prots who call eucharist 'cannibalism'?

[@dexterwestin3747]

I don't understand the Catholic idea of the transubstantiation of communion. I have read the gospels were Jesus blessed the bread and wine and said do this in remembrance of me. I have always understood this to be symbolic, why would this infer or even need to be the actual body and blood of Christ?

[@gu3r1tar]

The reason Jews banned drinking the blood of the animal (and the reason they were so shocked about it in John 6) is because the blood is what gives life. Drinking the blood of the animal makes you like that animal. And becoming like Christ is exactly what we want. We want to be partakers in the divine life

[@juniorrodriguez1307]

Fellow Christian my guess is that you have been thought it’s a symbolism. No one other than Christ can reveal HIS divinity to you and one can only point to prayer, read this passage and ask HIM to show you the way. In fact, If you truly believe Jesus resurrection from the death then this should be a walk in the park

[@taylorthatwriter6865]

I guess if the stone that gave water in the OT was Christ… then bread and wine can also be Christ?

[@letdaseinlive]

Essen, oder, fressen? 😮 Aquinas denies there are "dead bodies". He follows Aristotlean ideas of mere material divorced from psuke. He has two ordoi, if you like, each substantive for Descartes. If the body of Christ is a banquet of all jubilations it likely is charged with heavenly ways of sweet justification. Something of Christ clings to the hule or hyle, material. It's through the liturgy of the living churches. It takes many generations to sustain this.

[@JC-yr1ql]

It’s absolutely not real food. Hebrews 13:9-10, it’s a strange doctrine to say you have to eat the flesh of Christ. Your 2000 year-old religion is called strange by Paul.

[@iu9142]

JC you are definitely reading into the text and implying your own beliefs into the text. It's a strange doctrine not to believe that it is the real body and blood of Jesus and true food. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation* in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation* in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. - 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 1500 years no one believed that it truly was not Jesus and was not true food. Even Martin Luther believed it was true food.

[@iu9142]

JC you are definitely reading into the text and implying your own beliefs into the text. It's a strange doctrine not to believe that it is the real body and blood of Jesus and true food. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation* in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation* in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. - 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 Also in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 how do you reconcile if it isn't true food or true drink of Jesus he says not to partake of it. If it was merely a symbol, It shouldn't matter right? but if it really is Jesus Christ present in there, You should have it as clean and perfect as possible because then you're mixing the sins of your body with the glorified body of Jesus Christ, and that's why Paul says you become weak and ill. 1500 years no one believed that it truly was not Jesus and was not true food. Even Martin Luther believed it was true food.