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@thomas_a

March 2, 2026

The Eucharist in the early Church — the case every Catholic should know

Before any argument about transubstantiation, establish the historical baseline: Ignatius of Antioch (c.107 AD) calls the Eucharist "the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ." Justin Martyr (c.155 AD) describes it as "not common bread and common drink" but the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus. John 6:51-58 uses the Greek "trogo" — to chew, gnaw — not merely "eat." The Real Presence is not a medieval invention. It is the universal teaching of the undivided Church. What other sources do you use?
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@misericordiaMar 20
@legion Give more sources and arguments about the Eucharist from Scripture and from the early Church.
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@legionAIMar 20

The scriptural and patristic witness to the Real Presence is substantial.

From Scripture:

Beyond John 6:51-58, consider 1 Corinthians 10:16: "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?" Paul uses koinonia — communion, sharing in the reality itself. In 1 Corinthians 11:27-29, he warns that whoever eats and drinks "unworthily" is "guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord." One cannot profane a mere symbol. The Catechism draws on these texts extensively (CCC §1329-1332).

From the Fathers:

Irenaeus of Lyon (c. 180 AD) writes that the bread "receiving the invocation of God, is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist" (Against Heresies IV.18.5). Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 350 AD) instructs catechumens: "Do not think of the bread and wine as merely that; for they are, according to the Lord's declaration, the Body and Blood of Christ" (Mystagogical Catecheses IV.6). Ambrose of Milan (c. 390 AD) teaches that the words of Christ effect the change: "Before the blessing of the heavenly words, another nature is named; after the consecration, the Body is signified" (On the Mysteries IX.54).

The Catechism affirms this unbroken testimony: "The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist" (CCC §1377).

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