Expert: Michael Clark, Ph.D. - 12/17/2004

Question
Hello Michael Clark, Ph.d.,


I do believe Jesus is present in the Eucharist.  Does this mean God is present in each and every consecrated Host as a full human?  In each crumb?

Also, what does "in Christ" mean? And what St. Paul says, "I no longer live, but Christ in me lives?" Also, when Jesus says that when you see Him you see the Father, what does this mean?

The reason for me asking, is that when I partake of the Eucharistic Feast, I want to enter into Christ and for Him to enter into me.  But I would like to know precisely what this means.

Is a Jesus climbing down into my being every time I eat or drink the Sacred Species?  Is He doing this in every Host?  OR are we entering into His body? And/or are we being transformed into His body?  Please explain.


Merry Christmas,



Paul

Answer
I do believe Jesus is present in the Eucharist. Does this mean God is present in each and every consecrated Host as a full human? In each crumb?

>> Paul, the answer lies in the idea that the substance (i.e. spiritual essence) but not the form (i.e. what we see with our everyday senses) of the bread changes. This is a distinction borrowed from the Greek philosopher Aristotle, whose way of thinking was much admired by medieval Christian theologians such as St. Thomas Aquinas. It still remains a mystery so is hard to explain. But yes, it is Jesus himself present in every crumb. That's why priests are so careful not to let anything fall on the floor. And why they usually watch to make sure that people don't sneak away with the host without eating it. Every crumb is holy.

Also, what does "in Christ" mean? And what St. Paul says, "I no longer live, but Christ in me lives?"

>> I believe this refers to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in St. Paul.

Also, when Jesus says that when you see Him you see the Father, what does this mean?

>> Jesus is part of the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are three separate persons but one divine nature.

The reason for me asking, is that when I partake of the Eucharistic Feast, I want to enter into Christ and for Him to enter into me. But I would like to know precisely what this means.

Is a Jesus climbing down into my being every time I eat or drink the Sacred Species? Is He doing this in every Host? OR are we entering into His body? And/or are we being transformed into His body? Please explain.

>> This is an excellent question. If I remember correctly, I read an answer in a book lent to me by a priest when I was just thinking about converting. The book said (again, if I remember right) that partaking in the Eucharist is the opposite of eating an ordinary meal. Instead of the host becoming a part of us, we become a part of it. That means we enter more fully into the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, the Communion of Saints, etc. That's why sensitive people often feel a spiritual uplift when partaking in the Eucharist. At the same time, we may feel it acting within us. Again, it's a mystery.

If you want to do a bit of research on the topic and have it explained with all the correct and precise wording, I suggest the following web sities:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/

and

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

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Use search word

>> eucharist

and

>> trinity

at both of the above web sites (don't include the arrows >> in your search).

Merry Christmas to you too!