Eucharist question

[Joey1976]

I am Catholic and believe the Church's teaching on the Eucharist and I recognize it as plain as day in Scripture. My question is why did Jesus want us to eat his body and blood? Why did he deem it necessary for us to eat his flesh to have eternal life? If you think about it it seems kind of strange to eat the flesh of Jesus. I was just wondering if there was a explainable reason he would have us eat him. Or if it is just one of those things where we don't have an answer for it and it is a mystery as to why he commands this and it is just the way it is cause he said says so. Thanks

[JimG]

I think that the Eucharist is Jesus' way of making it possible for everyone to participate in the paschal mystery of his suffering and death. By receiving the Eucharist, we join ourselves to Him (and to one another, since we all receive the one body), thereby making us present at the events of our salvation.

[Joey1976]

Oh never mind, i remember now. Because at passover they had to eat the lamb. And Jesus is the Lamb of God and the lamb in the Old Testament at passover prefigured Jesus. And just as in the Passover they had to eat the lamb for them to be spared and to be passed over. We have to eat the Lamb of God to receive eternal life. My bad, i don't know why i asked the question, lol

[JimG]

Originally Posted by Joey1976

Oh never mind, i remember now. Because at passover they had to eat the lamb. And Jesus is the Lamb of God and the lamb in the Old Testament at passover prefigured Jesus. And just as in the Passover they had to eat the lamb for them to be spared and to be passed over. We have to eat the Lamb of God to receive eternal life. My bad, i don't know why i asked the question, lol

Well, actually, I like your answer. Mine was a little on the metaphysical side.

[drafdog]

Note that this is also parallel to the nativist religions of agrarian societies wherein they celebrate the harvest by commemorating the god who came to help a starving people. He promised to help them after he died. After he died and was buried, a new plant never seen before grew from the god's grave, and the seeds of the plant were ground and made into bread. Thus they commemorate the god at harvest time.

Matthew

[Orionthehunter]

Joey and JimG:

And to posit a reason that is between your two:

We are created God's Image whereby we were made both spirit beings and physical beings. Christ is complete nourishment, physical and spiritual. To drill this into us, Christ brings Himself (Body, Soul, and Divinity) to us through the Eucharist. He wants us to consume Him so He may consume us, in total.

I think we also have to think about the concept of Sacramental Graces of which Christ Himself is the ultimate Source. And, in a practical sense, this is most important. We can't live our Call to Holiness without these Graces, which are a free gift from Christ solely because He loves us. He promised to give us these Graces and it is wise for us to accept them in gratitude and love.

[johnstown johnn]

When we ingest His Body and Blood He is one with us and we with Him.