Ok, so this is pretty simple. If Jesus literally means that we have to eat his flesh and drink his blood then each Christian needs to ask themself, “How am I fulfilling this command?” And the answer will be that they cannot fulfill this requirement without becoming Catholic. If, on the other hand, Jesus is only speaking figuratively in this passage then I think the Catholic teaching about the Eucharist is virtually indefensible and should be rejected. Simple, but there is a lot at stake.
Before tomorrow’s blog, please read John 6 in its entirety. Then reread 6:22-71, and ask yourself, “Does he seem to be speaking literally or figuratively?” One clue that we often look for to determine if someone is speaking literally or figuratively is this, “Is what they are saying possible?” So when Jackie Gleason warns Alice that he is going to “Send her to the moon,” with one of his famous “pow, right in the kisser” threats we know he is speaking figuratively. It is not possible for his to accomplish this. This normal criteria must be set aside when evaluating Jesus’ words because he is capable of the impossible. For example, when he says the he will be raised on the third day, he was speaking literally even though such a thing was ‘not possible.’ When he told the paralytic to rise, pick up his mat and walk he meant literally to do so, again even though this was not possible. So, read John 6 asking yourself the voice Jesus is using, but set aside the notion that it must be figurative since it is not literally possible for all of us to eat his flesh.
 | About Pat Arensberg Patrick Arensberg is the Director of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Mobile. Previously, he taught for 17 years at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, where he served as Chairman of the Theology Department. He attended the Gregorian University in Rome and holds an M.A. in Theology from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. He is married to Connie and they live in Mobile with their 5 children. |
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