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eucharist

It is the way of the world that not all who find themselves called to Jesus stay with Him; it was so in his earthly ministry. One of the problems with the idea that the spirit enters you and gives you unique insights to the truth of Jesus is that it is so often clearly not true. So, Bosco quizzed about what Jesus says in John 6:51-66 about eating his body and drinking his blood, tells us blithely:

Do this in rememberance of me as oft as ye do this.

The bread wasnt human tissue that Jesus handed out. No, the catholic idea that the wafer is actually gods body isnt true. The euchrist is that golden sun symbol, correct?
Now catholic communion is fine. Anyones communion is fine. It remembers the Lords body was broken for us.
The catholic teaching that eating Jesus flesh and blood will save you is just a gimmick. catholics pay good money to be told they are going to heaven and by gosh by golly, the CC is going to serve it up.

It is not, of course, just Catholic teaching, and there is no money involved. If Jesus had meant what Bosco says He meant, then no disciples would have left Him; indeed, all Jesus needed to have said to have stopped these men turning from Him and Eternal Life, was to say what Bosco says here:

Heres how I see things. Youre very correct good brother, Jesus Words are the bread of Life. By believing his words we are eating his flesh and blood. One can conside any food Jesus body, because the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof. So, theres no harm in saying the catholic wafer is his body. 

This is where Bosco is right in saying that the NT is not properly read by those outside the Church, because his own reading is that of one who knows what Jesus said better than Jesus. Let us see what Jesus says.

The word translated as ‘eat’ in John 6:54 is ‘trogo’, a verb meaning to ‘chew’ or ‘gnaw’. It is used five times (verses 54,56,57,58) in John’s Gospel and only once elsewhere. It was usually used to describe the mastication of cows or mules. The word John uses most commonly for ‘eat’ is the Greek verb ‘esthio’ (John 6, 49,50,51,53). So why the change in vocabulary? Why use the word’ gnaw’ or ‘chew’? Because Jesus is adding a layer of meaning to the word ‘eat’, one which his hearers pick up – which is why they go away. Flesh is to be broken, blood is to be spilled. This is not, as Bosco says, that anything can be considered Jesus’ body and blood, had that been the case why would the Jewish disciples have left? No, it is HIs body and His blood which we have to eat. Jesus is not, here, talking only of ‘belief in’ Him, He is talking of the one who ‘gnaws/chews’ him – ‘ho trogon me ‘.

It was this, to the Jews, repulsive notion, involving overtones of cannibalism, which drove so many away. Jesus asked Peter if he and the others wished to go, but they, although not understanding, trusted and had faith.

When Jesus talked about eating Hm, He meant it, and if Bosco and others wish to call Him out and say He meant something else, they can take take it up with Him – and St John. If we do not eat and drink of His body and blood, then we are with those first disciples, walking away from the one who has the word of life.