St. John, Chapter Six: "...Unless You Eat The Flesh Of The Son Of Man, And Drink His Blood, You Have No Life In You!

  This verse -- the wording -- taken from either the Catholic Bible or the Protestant Bible, is virtually the same.

Of course, you may still be able to breathe and live a totally human existence, but the purpose of St. John's discourse from our Lord, is to show that that is not enough if one wants to attain the Beatific Vision.  Being "nice" or being a "good" guy or gal, does not get one into Heaven.  Unless!  That guy or gal adheres to our Lord's words and lives accordingly.  And by fulfilling the two great Commandments to love God and love thy neighbor.

The following excerpt is taken from an article in Crisis Magazine and was written by Anthony Esolen:

"He [Jesus] preaches by stages, knowing where He wishes to lead us and preparing us, step by step, to see more of the truth, to see it more clearly, to see the interrelationships of one truth with another, and to bathe it all in light. For He says, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12). In no case does Jesus show us what is not there; and in no case does He command us to reject any truth He has already shown us."  

(My emphasis added...  Read the whole article here: The Papacy, Doctrine, and Development - Crisis Magazine.)

If one reads the entire chapter six of St. John, you'll see that our Lord does not begin His discourse with His disciples saying those "incredible" words of eating His flesh and drinking His blood.  But, starting with verse 35, Christ tells the disciples that He is the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst...

We continue to verse 41 and 42: The Jews then murmured at Him, because He said, I am the bread which came down from Heaven.  And they said, is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?  How is it then that He saith, I came down from heaven? 

(It seems, that many of the disciples are already in a state of disbelief at our Lord's words...)

In verse 48, He repeats: I am the bread of life.

Then, in verse 51, He states: I am the living bread which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever... 

Verse 52: The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, how can this man give us His flesh to eat?

Then, our Lord -- The Christ! -- hits them with verses 53, 54, 55, 56...

Then Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whosoever eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him... 

Foward to verse 66 showing what happened when they did not believe Christ's Words: From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.

(All the above verses are taken from the King James Version.)

I have one question for my Protestant friends: are you too walking away from the Bread of Life??

Come into the Catholic Church, eat His flesh and drink His blood and have eternal life in you!!  

Pray for strength and honor!

Viva Cristo Rey!  Bl. Fr. Miguel Pro, Fr. Emil Kapaun and Fr. Vincent Capodanno, pray for us...

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle...

Gene DeLalla