Page "Historical roots of Catholic Eucharistic theology" Paragraph 10

From the earliest Christian documents, such as the Didache, the understanding follows this pattern: that the bread and wine that is blessed and consumed at the end of the ( transformed ) Passover meal literally is the body and blood of Jesus, and was treated accordingly: " Let no one eat or drink of the Eucharist with you except those who have been baptized in the name of the Lord ; for it was in reference to this that the Lord said: ' Do not give that which is holy to dogs '" ( Jurgens § 6 ).

The Didache also enjoins " confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure " ( Jurgens § 8 ).

Others state explicitly that the consecrated bread and wine is indeed the body and blood of Christ.

St. Ignatius of Antioch, who was martyred in ca.

107, wrote: " I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life.

I desire the Bread of God, which is the Flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David ; and for drink I desire His Blood, which is love incorruptible " ( Jurgens § 54a ).

He recommended Christians to stay aloof from heretics who " confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again " ( Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 8 ).

( Note the use of " which ", referring to " the flesh ", not " who ", which would refer to " our Saviour Jesus Christ ".

) St. Justin Martyr, ca.

150: " We call this food Eucharist ; and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true .... For not as common bread nor 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 blood and flesh is nourished, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus " ( Jurgens § 128 ).

From St. Clement of Alexandria, ca.

202: "' Eat My Flesh.

' He says, ' and drink My Blood.

' The Lord supplies us with these intimate nutriments.

He delivers over His Flesh, and pours out His Blood ; and nothing is lacking for the growth of His children.

O incredible mystery!

" ( Jurgens § 408 ).