Consecration in a Bakery

 If a priest goes into a bakery and says the words of consecration, what would happen?

NOTHING.  

Absolutely nothing because it's not the words, by themselves, that change the bread into the Body of Jesus.

The priest isn't saying magic words that create change.  It's the prayer of the Church, the congregation, the faith of the people--the Church, expressed in the words Jesus used at the Last Supper, that empowers the priest to act as Jesus.  It's the liturgy in prayer, not a formula of words.  

This is difficult.  We can see natural, concrete, worldly bread and wine. However, through the power of the Holy Spirit communing with these natural substances, transubstantiation occurs.  The term Transubstantiation was first used at the Lateran Council IV (1215).  Thomas Aquinas explains that the natural substances aren't reacting to physics but deeper, rather metaphysics.  It's the inside that changes, not the outside (the accidents).  Surely, it is a miracle of faith. 

When we offer the gifts at the oblation of the Mass, we are joined by Christ.  That's the only offering we can give to the Father--His Son, who is transforming not only bread and wine but all of us as the Body of Christ for the salvation of the world.

Changing Reality

 How to explain the Eucharist to my grandchildren, that's the question.  The appearance of the bread and wine doesn't change, no matter what the priest says.  But when the priest in persona Christi says, This is My Body; this is My Blood, the substance of the bread and wine change, even though they still look like bread and wine.

If the grands look at me and I tell them to look at me and watch, do they see that I'm sad?  Unless I'm crying, they won't.  An example would be when someone says something terribly hurtful to me.  I may be deeply hurt inside, but the outside will still look the same.  My appearance stays the same but what happened inside me was transformative.

That's what happens during the consecration.  The church calls it "transubstantiation".  

I pray they understand.

Transubstantiation is NOT a Force Field

By Force Field, I mean an invisible shield of protection from germs. Some of my friends who insist on receiving the Eucharist only on the tongue are true believers in the words of Jesus, "Take and eat; this is my body."  And they are 100% correct.  Jesus does truly say this and means it to be taken literally.  The same with, "this is my blood."  Matt 26: 17-30, Mark 14: 12-26, Luke 22: 7-39, John 6: 53-56

Through transubstantiation, the bread and wine are not only bread and wine but have transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Jesus.  Why?  Because Jesus said so.  How?  Ask Jesus. He said, "Do this in remembrance of me." 1Cor. 11: 23-25

However, the priest at Mass who is persona Christi is consecrating bread and wine.  The bread and wine undergo transubstantiation.  Transubstantiation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this in Part Two, Section Two, Chapter One, Article 3.  Another look at transubstantiation is in Catholic Answers.

Transubstantiation means the reality of bread and wine has changed.  It's essence, not its appearance.  It's appearance still looks like bread and wine and acts like bread and wine. There is NOT some miraculous protection undertaken by the bread and wine.  Did not Jesus suffer?  He was not protected.  Do not people with celiac disease get sick on the Eucharist made with wheat?   They are not protected--because the bread is still bread and the wine is still wine.  (allergens and germs, et al!)

It is a mistaken idea that you cannot pick up germs from the Host and Precious Blood.  The teaching of transubstantiation can be confusing.  Some disciples didn't understand it from Jesus explaining it, Himself. John 6: 61

The physical characteristics remain, including any germs attached to bread, wine, paten, ciborium,and chalice.  To assume that you are protected by the Body and Blood of Jesus is going beyond what the Church teaches and what Jesus said.

Transubstantiation Exercise | Ave Maria Press

Transubstantiation Exercise | Ave Maria Press

This weekend we're teaching adults about the Eucharist. This Lesson Plan by Ave Maria Press is the most useful.

I do believe in the True Presence. So did everyone else, up until John Calvin. Even Martin Luther believed in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharistic Host.

Think about it. Can't God do anything? Doesn't Jesus say "...unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you..." (John 6:54-58) Then believe it!

The Visible Invisible

Granted, I'm not the sharpest tool in the box.  But I find it hard to believe that I missed a Eucharistic reference in a book I read and loved.  Bishop Robert Barron's book review of All The Light You Cannot See is impressed with the author's, (Anthony Doerr) crafted illusions to the Eucharistic miracle celebrated in the Catholic Mass.  During Mass, through the words of the ordained celebrant, a transubstantiation occurs.  It is invisible to the common human eye, but not to the spiritually attuned eye of faith.  It is extraordinarily transcendent.  As the bishop points out in Doerr's wonderfully worded supposition, "If invisible electrical impulses travel constantly along certain paths, is it so hard to believe that souls might also travel those paths?"  It shouldn't to Catholics.

And here I thought the novel was about a jewel.  I'm embarrassed.

Questions About the Eucharist

Going to Mass was interesting. I have lots of questions, but first is the one about when everyone went quiet. The atmosphere changed, too. I could hear the old man behind me praying in a whisper, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus….” And then everyone said, “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”

What was that all about?

This is the part I was telling you about that was so important, it has many names: the Sacrifice of the Mass, Holy Sacrifice, Holy Mass, the Lord’s Supper, the Breaking of the Bread, the Eucharistic assembly, the Memorial of the Lord’s Passion, death, and Resurrection, the Holy and Divine Liturgy, the Sacred Mystery, Communion, Holy Communion. We have so many names and terms because it’s so ineffable. It’s what keeps me Catholic. It’s because you don’t get this, that I told you not to come up and receive it.

Look. I’ll quote the Bible for you, this is from John 6: 53-58. Sorry, I can’t quote from memory, we Catholics don’t memorize verses. “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; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”

There! Right from Jesus’ mouth. Who would dare tell Him that He didn’t mean what He said? Was He lying? Did He say pretend? Reenact? He specifically said, “Do this in memory of me.”

So even though those little round pieces of bread, and the wine, look the same as they did before the priest prayed over them, they’re not the same. Whether you believe this is not depends on the grace of God. If you desire to understand, then pray for understanding. Even Jesus lost disciples because they thought His teachings too hard. John 6: 61.

This is called Transubstantiation. I can’t explain it any more. I can give you books. We can google it, but I still say your best shot at understanding is praying for it.

You know, Transubstantiation is so important that I think that’s enough for you to chew on today. Next time, I’ll answer more than one question. I’ll meet you tomorrow: same place, same time. Your turn to pay.