THE EUCHARIST OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Victor M. Eskew

 

          The three synoptic gospels record the words and actions of Jesus as He instituted the Lord’s Supper. Matthew sets this picture before us:  “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:26-29).  Mark records the event in this manner:  “And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and gave it to them, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.  And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them:  and they all drank of it.  And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.  Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God” (Mark 14:22-24).  Luke’s gospel tells us about Jesus’ action with these words:  “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you:  this do in remembrance of me.  Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:19-20).

          As we read these three texts, we are impressed with the simplicity of the supper.  It contained two elements, the bread and the fruit of the vine.  Prayer was made before the elements were distributed.  The purpose of the event was set forth in one word by Jesus, “remembrance.”  This simple memorial feast is still conducted each Lord’s Day (Acts 20:7) by those who are faithful to the Lord’s will.  It will continue to be observed until the Lord comes again.  “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Cor. 11:26).

          The Catholic Church has taken this simple commemoration of the Lord’s death and turned it into a major production within the Mass.  They do not call it the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:20).  They refer to it as “The Eucharist.”  This term is foreign to most.  It comes from the Greek word “eucharisteo.”  The Greek word means “to give thanks, to express gratitude.”  In Luke 22:19, we are told Jesus gave thanks (eucharisteo) for the bread.   Both Matthew and Mark tell us that Jesus gave thanks (eucharisteo) for the fruit of the vine (Matt. 26:27; Mark 14:23).  Catholics took this term and applied it to the supper Jesus instituted.  It is interesting that is never called “The Eucharist” by any of the New Testament writers.  This is important because all of them were writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  This reveals that at least the title, “The Eucharist,” is manmade in nature.

          There are other things Catholics have done to the Lord’s memorial feast that are not taught in the sacred Scriptures.  Instead of serving the Lord’s Supper from a table (See 1 Cor. 10:21), they have an altar set up before the congregation.  An altar is a structure upon which a sacrifice is made.  Such an altar is NEVER mentioned in the New Testament.  The priest presides over this altar.  He is referred to as “the celebrant.”  We are told: “The Celebrant acts in the person of Christ as the head of his body, the Church” (www.usccb.org, “The Eucharist”).  The way the Celebrant is presented at this time, it is as if he literally becomes the Christ who is presiding over the altar.

          Jesus prayed one prayer for the bread and one prayer for the fruit of the vine when He instituted the Lord’s Supper.  The Catholic Church prays four Eucharistic prayers during this part of their worship.  When the focus is placed upon the bread and the fruit of the vine, the Catholics believe that the elements become the literal body and blood of Jesus Christ.  In the article about the Eucharist on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) website, we find these quotes.  “The presence of Christ in the Eucharist is real, true, and substantial.”  “The transformed bread and win are truly the Body and Blood of Christ and are not merely symbols.”  “In the celebration of the Eucharist bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the instrumentality of the priest.”  “The whole Christ is truly present—body, blood, soul, and divinity—under the appearances of the bread and wine, the glorified Christ who rose from the dead.” 

          Dear readers, either the bread and fruit of the vine becomes the literally body and blood of Christ, or it does not.  If it does, the Catholic Church is engaged in a form of cannibalism.  Too, they violate the teaching of the New Testament apostles to drink no blood (Acts 15:29).  If the two elements remain bread and grape juice, then the claim that they are literally the body and blood of Jesus is false.  There is no middle ground.  Either position puts the Catholic in a bind.

          Another aspect of the Eucharist we will discuss involves the concept of sacrifice.  The Catholic Church teaches that each time the Eucharist is performed, Jesus is literally sacrificed once again.  This denies the superiority of Jesus’ sacrifice over the sacrifices of the Old Testament that had to be made time and time again.  Too, it denies the power of the “once for all time sacrifice” of Jesus on Calvary.  “…but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9:26).  And again, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many…” (Heb. 9:28).  Then, in Hebrews 10:12, we read:  “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”  The divine sacrifice of the Lamb of God only had to be done one time.  That one time was sufficient to cleanse every sin of the past, present, and future when individuals submit to the conditions of forgiveness for those sins.

          The final element of the Eucharist we will discuss concerns the leftover hosts or bread.  This is placed in what is called the tabernacle.  It is put there for the sick, the dying, the homebound and for the prayers and adoration of the faithful.  This practice was not instituted by Jesus Christ or the apostles.  It is another manmade component of the Catholic Church.

          Let’s close with this thought.  Paul was not present the night the Lord instituted the Lord’s Supper.  He received the teaching from the Holy Spirit following his conversion.  In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Paul reminds the church at Corinth of what he had taught them regarding this memorial feast.  Here are his words.

 

                   “For I received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you,                                            That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed,                                            took bread:  and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and                                               said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you:  this                                              do in remembrance of me.  After the same manner also he took                                            the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testa-                                         ment in my blood:  this do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance                                       of me.  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do                                        shew the Lord’s death till he come.”

 

Paul did nothing more and nothing less than Jesus did the night He established the Supper.  We should have the mindset of Paul.  Let’s observe the Supper in the manner in which the Lord gave it not in the manner devised by human beings.