Eucharist -- Is It Cannibalism? Part 4.
Four weeks ago we set out to address the
concern of some people that receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion at Mass
is cannibalism, the eating of mortal human flesh. We asked: How did Jesus
answer this question when people raised it in the Bible? We first looked at Jesus’
own context of His words to understand what He is saying, and today we will
directly examine how Jesus answered the direct question from the people.
It is when Jesus says “The bread which I
shall give for the life of the world is My flesh” (Jn 6:51) that give the
people difficulty. They say, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (Jn 6:52). Is “this man” talking about cannibalism?
How does Jesus answer? “No, you misunderstand Me; I am only speaking
symbolically!” “It’s only an analogy.” “Your fathers ate Manna; well, we are
going to share bread together as well, just like the Passover meal, unleavened
bread and wine, that’s all.” No, hardly. What He does is double-down.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat
the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (Jn6:53). Jesus is really clear about what He is saying. But like all Jesus has
said earlier in His teaching that day, they still do not grasp that He is not
talking about earthly, mortal, perishable flesh. He specifically says, again,
that it is the flesh and blood of the “Son of Man.” As we saw in Part 2, the
Son of Man refers to one who was presented to the “Ancient of Days” (God) and given
“dominion and glory and kingdom” over all peoples (Dan 7:13-14) – a King; who
is also an “anointed one” (Dan 9:25-26) – the Messiah; and is no mere earthly man
but comes “with the clouds of heaven” and is exalted to God’s throne (Dan 7:13)
– Divine, the Son of God. Jesus, then, is speaking of the flesh and blood of this
exalted heavenly Son of Man. It is that heavenly Spirit-filled flesh,
resurrected and ascended into Heaven, which is the food of eternal life, food
of a whole different dimension. “He who eats My flesh and drinks my blood has
eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” This food gives eternal
life and promises bodily resurrection (Jn 6:27, 40, 47, 54, 68).
Now there are separate and important
nuances behind “drinking” His “blood.” Jesus says, “Unless you ... drink His
[the Son of Man’s] blood, you have no life in you; he who ... drinks My blood
has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (Jn 6:53-54). Now
the Old Testament Law clearly prohibits the drinking blood: “For the life of
the flesh is in the blood ... for it is the blood that makes atonement by
reason of its life” (Lev 17:11, 14). Life is given directly by God, so the
blood is a sacred sign of that life, that gift of God. Catechism section 2260
says, “This teaching remains necessary for all time,” is still true today. This
necessary and intimate connection between one’s blood and one’s life is the
reason why consumption of blood was always prohibited. Understandably, then,
the idea of drinking any blood (mortal, earthly blood) would be particularly
repulsive to the people.
But also, that same connection of blood
and life is why blood “makes atonement by reason of its life” (Lev 17:11). The
blood of animals was used by Moses and the Levitical priests as temporary,
earthly atonement and purification (Ex 24:6, 8). But only the Blood of
Christ makes eternal atonement and redemption (Heb 9:11-14; cf., Eph 1:7; Col1:20; 1 Pet 1:19; 1 Jn 1:7; Rev 1:5; 5:9).
To say it again: If the blood of mortals (men and animals) contain their God-given gift of life, then how much more does the Blood of the Son of Man, Christ risen and ascended into Heaven, having brought before God’s throne “His own Blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Heb 9:12) – that Holy Blood, the Blood that makes atonement – how much more does It bear in Itself eternal life! Jesus urges us to drink precisely so that we might receive His Life, the Eternal Life in His atoning Blood. (To be continued.)
Dibby Allan Green
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is located in California City, CA. Visit our website at ollcalcity.org.
Dibby Allan Green has a BA in Religious Studies (Westmont College, 1978) and MA in Theology (Augustine Institute, 2019), is a lay Catholic hermit, and a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.