My Blog List

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Transubstantiation

Transubstantiation is the teaching that during the Mass, at the consecration in the Lord's Supper (Communion), the elements of the Eucharist, bread and wine, are transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus and that they are no longer bread and wine, but only retain their appearance of bread and wine.  In other words, the accidents (or physical properties) remain the same while the substance (it's true nature) is transformed.  While the Body and Blood still look and taste like bread and wine, it's essence is transformed.  Christ Himself is now actually and really present in the world today.

How incredible and mysterious this is!  What a grace and blessing!  Do not waste the opportunity!  Go to Him in the Blessed Sacrament during your times of suffering.  Do this consistently and your life will change.

Pope Benedict recently elaborated on this mystery.  He states that we are changed when nourished by the Eucharist.  God comes into and transforms our entire being.

"Dear brothers and sisters, we call on the Lord to make us see the importance of rediscovering the importance of nourishing ourselves with the body of Christ, participating with faithfulness and great awareness to the Eucharist, to be ever more intimately united with Him. In fact, 'It is not the Eucharistic food that is changed into us, but rather we who are mysteriously transformed by it. Christ nourishes us by uniting us to himself; .he draws us into himself. (Esort. Apost. Sacramentum caritatis, 70)'.

No comments:

Post a Comment