If there is one thing that distinguishes a catholic Christian, it is our belief in the real presence of Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist. We believe he is present in the Assembly (“Where two or three are gathered, there I am in the midst.”). We believe he is present in each other (indeed our mission as Christians is to be Jesus to each other). We believe he is present in the actions of the celebrant. And we believe he is present in the bread and wine (“Take and eat, this is my body. Take and drink, this is the cup of my blood.”)
The following churches all have affirmed their belief in the real presence: Orthodox (all patriarchates), Old Catholic, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Reformed, Disciples of Christ, United Catholic, and (to the best of my knowledge) all independent and national Catholic churches.
All the great Protestant reformers believed in the real presence — Luther, Calvin, and Wesley (for example). And why not — they were catholic; and so were their churches. Alas, the new Protestant churches split and split again. Many of the new offshoots were so repulsed at everything Catholic that they abandoned everything “catholic” including, gradually and tragically, the real presence. Now, gradually, evangelical Christians are sensing that they have been missing out on something wonderful.
John Reid, in his little book “The Chief Meeting of the Church” argues that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper is the most important thing the church does. For the first 21 pages he does this quite convincingly. Then, without warning, he says that it is merely a commemoration, and is not to be regarded as a means of grace. He goes on to claim that, “The emblems never change or become anything but what they were, namely bread and wine.” Ironically, in arguing that there should be a doorkeeper to see that no unsaved persons are permitted to partake, he quotes 1 Corinthians 11:27 which says, “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.” But how can one be guilty “of the body and blood” of the Lord by consuming a symbol?? Then Reid goes on to quote verse 29, which says, “For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.” But how can one discern the body if (as he believes) it isn’t there??? He knows there’s something terribly important about the Eucharist, but he can’t seem to explain what it is. And as long as he can’t get beyond the “symbol” stuff, he never will.
Our great blessing as catholics is that we understand that just as we give ourselves to God, he gives himself back to us. Yes, Jesus gave himself, body and blood, for us at Calvary 2000 years ago. But he also gives himself to us as spiritual food, every time we celebrate the Mass.
Fortunately, many evangelical and charismatic Christians are discovering the real presence, and because of it are becoming catholic. The Chicago Call in 1977 started a process that has resulted in many thousands of Evangelicals becoming catholic Christians — some Orthodox, some Anglican, some Roman Catholic. Many have joined the independent Catholic churches. One of my favorite bishops is a former Baptist minister. Hundreds of his parishioners followed him into the catholic fold. Similar things have happened in other parishes around the country and around the world in a great Convergence Movement. And what unites these people now? They love to receive Jesus in the Eucharist!
At the United Catholic Church, we invite all baptized Christians (of whatever denomination) who perceive the real presence to receive Communion with us at God’s altar. And, as our Lord was at the Last Supper, we are lenient about how one perceives the real presence.
Roman Catholics (officially at least) believe in transubstantiation, meaning the bread and wine cease to exist at the consecration. Lutheran catholics believe in consubstantiation, meaning the body and blood are present along with the bread and wine. Methodist catholics believe in a spiritual presence. Orthodox catholics believe in a physical presence, but don’t define how it happens. They just call it a mystery. And all of them understand more about the real presence than did the apostles in the Upper Room. They heard Jesus say the words, but they didn’t have a clue what he was talking about until after Pentecost. Yet that didn’t keep Jesus from giving them that first Eucharistic meal. His attitude was “Partake now; understand later.” That is the attitude we should have in our churches. The mechanics of how Jesus becomes present in the Eucharist is unimportant. It is among the nonessentials. Transubstantiation, consubstantiation, and all the other legalistic explanations are the stuff of divisions. But the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist is the stuff of unity for all us catholics of whatever denomination.
“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”
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