Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-03-25
A CATHOLIC HEARD FROM ON THE
REAL PRESENCE.
Continued from last week.

But our Saviour, not content with
the above strong association OF the
real presence, and foreseeing the
great opposition winch the pride of
man would make against ii in after
ages, goes on in the following verses
to repea, it again and again, aud to
inculcate it in different lights. every
one more strongly affirming it than
another; he that eateth my flesh
says he, 'and drinketh my blood,
hath life everlasting, and l will raise
him up at the last day verse 55.
The body and blood of Christ i.
alone the rue life of eur souls, the
source Of all grace, life, and bene-
diction to us in this world, and of
everlasting life in the world TO come ;
consequently, the possessing this life
everlasting, by eating his flesh and
drinking his blood, necessarily i'm
plies our eating and drinking his real
flesh and his real blood; for how
could we possess Christ as the ever
lasting life If our soul. if we eat and
drink nothing but q figure; and
therefore, he goes ON to give this as
the reason Of what he last said: 'fer
my flesh,' says he, is meat indeed,
and my blood is drink indeed ) how
could this be so, if what he gives he
nothing but a bit If bread? Again.
he that eateth my flesh and drinketh
my blood says he, 'abideth in me
and | in him. verse 81; how strong
~ does this also confirm his real
presence! By giving Us his real flesh
and blood, he is himself received
within us, and abides in US. and we,
living by this food the spiritual life
of grace, abide in him, and are
guided and directed by him. But
this text would be evidently false
did he give nothing but a figure in
stead of the reality for how coulo
he be said to abide in US, and we il
him, by means of this heavenly food
if he be not there? He then goes OF
to show again the excellency of this
food, saying, AS tue living Fathe
hath sem me, and I live by tn
Father; so be that eateth me, TIN
same shall live by me. This is tn
bread that came down from heaven
I not as your fathers did eat manns
and are dead. He that eateth thi
bread shall live forever verse IS
Can a piece of common bread b
said to I've the bread that came dow
! from heaven? Can a bare figure b
more excellent than the mama
which was a most admirable figure {
Christ in many of his properties? {
can a bit of PLAIN bread, merely take
in remembrance of Christ, be SUI
posed to be a food by which we shs
live forever !?
=, tits manifest, then, that every OF
L. of these texts enforce and inculca
the reality of Christ's flesh ar
bloodin the plainest and stronge
terms; and it is most certain tn
were understood in the real |
all who were then present. Maj
~f his own disciples hearing hi
speak IN such a plain and strol
manner, and not being able to undo
N stand how this could be, but, folio
w ing the example of the unbelievil
Jews, we're scandalized at it; a
said, this saying is hard, and W
ed can hear it?' verse 81. But Jesl
knowing in himself that his dlscip
T. murmured at this, said to tt
Doth this scandaIize your verse
jObserve he does not say, you ar
Id a mistake. you misunderstood l
en- which he certainly was b und to
and would have done, had he
meant the reality of his pr. sence
they understood him; but we'll kn'
as ing they were under no mistake
OF that point, he endeavored to convi
them of the truth of what scanda
ed them, by proposing another m
hle Gle: if them says he. you shall
'uit the Son of Man ascend up where
you WAS before 2 verse 63, aud seeing
hardness of theii hearts, and Il
70 ~carnal mind, which hinderlng Il
from receiving the light OF II
which he offered them, he adds,
is the Spirit that q~uickeneth, the i
ries protilctt nothing, verse "a. L
ing the Spirit of God that ~qulckeneth
nm mind, BY the gift of faith; but J
cles feshy minds hinder you from pr
D IL M by him. just a. he said at
a to the Jews, when they refused
rorv believe him, aud which he adds
,po- also, therefore did l say to you,
E. no man can come 10 me unless II
given him by my Father, verse
bv q Immediately upon this, many OF
.oins disciples went hack, and walked
aus more will, him. verse ST, w
'otne Jesus Christ ever have let his
!. - disciples leave him, and run L
ncy, long to their own perdit'on, had
A been under q mistake about
odu- meaning, and a mistake which
AZ himself had o~ccasioned, without
n offering to undeceive them!
tine would be impious to imagine ii
Pile the contrary. their fault only la
n the their refusing to believe his v
nors' which they understood in his
Lh0S o,d tharufora as =,