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jan bryant
Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 01:16 pm
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does anyone know if the christians after the resurrection and before 200ad or so, believed in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist or celebrated Mass? My brother left the Church and said early Christians were not Catholic and a few hundred years later Catholics took over and claimed to be the true church.


Anonymous
Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 05:29 pm
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circa 150 A.D.: St. Justin Martyr,
First Apology, 66

St. Justin is talking about the Mass, and he has described the consecration and communion. Then he says

"We call this food Eucharist; and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true and who has been washed in the washing which is for the remission of sins annd for regeneration, and is thereby living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread nor as common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by Him, and by the change of which our flesh and blood is nourished, is both the flesh and blood of that incarnated Jesus."


Christina (Chrissy)
Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 06:33 pm
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Jan, I think you will find what you are looking for on this website. The Real Presence I would also recommend a book for you to read. Mother of the Secret, subtitle: From Eucharistic Miracles to Marian Apparitions Heaven has sought to illuminate and defend what was once the Church's greatest secret, by Thomas W. Petrisko......published by Queenship Publishing Company

[John E. (TX)]

If you look at the earliest document of the Church, the Didache document, it explain how to pray the Mass.  This was written before any of the scriptures.  It is not in scripture because it is more of a catechism than an inspired word of God.  If you also look at the early Church Fathers writings you will see when they talk about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.  Here is an example: St Ignatius (110 AD) "[heretics] abstain from Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the Flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ . . ."  Letter to Smyrnaeans 6, 2.  St. Justin Martyr (150 AD) ". . .not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these, but . . .  as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh in nourished, is both the Flesh and Blood of that incarnated Jesus."  First Apology 66,20.  St. Irenaeus of Lyons (195 AD) "he [Jesus] has declared the cup, a part of his creation, to be His own Blood, from which he has established as His own body, from which He gives increase to our bodies." Against Heresies 5,2.2.
There are many more, but the research is yours.  Check out New Advent.com  They have an area of the Church Fathers.  God bless you!

[Bruno]

Some Biblical references:

1 Cor. 10:16  "The chalice of benediction, which we bless, is it not the communion of the Blood of Christ? And the bread, which we break, is it not the partaking of the Body of the Lord?"

1 Cor. 11: 27-29  "Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink this chalice of the Lord unworthily (in Mortal Sin), shall be guilty of the Body and of the Blood of the Lord. ..... For he that eateth and drinketh unworthly, eateath and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Body of the Lord.