Powerball Question?

I received this question via email:

"Why do you think we would have to actually eat Jesus's flesh? In your own words, your own thoughts? If Jesus was the final flesh sacrifice and He Himself said *It is finished*, why do Catholics insist on crucifying him every mass and eating Him as well...What could this possibly do to fortify one's SPIRITUAL walk? "

Here is my response:

I'd be happy to share my thoughst with you.

I believe we are taught very clearly though scripture. Look at John 6:48-66.

This passage starts out with Jesus telling His disciples that He is the bread of life and that if people eat His flesh that, unlike their ancestors who ate manna and died, they would live for ever. This statement upsets many of His disciples because of the words used by Jesus in John's Gospel. For the word “eat” Jesus used “phago” which means to literally eat, chew or consume. For the word “flesh” Jesus used "sarx" which can only be translated or mean literal flesh. Many began questioning each other saying; "How can this be possible? "Who could accept such a teaching?" To end any confusion they might have, Jesus becomes more emphatic as he continues to preach. Now when He makes any statements pertaining to eating His flesh (starting with verse 54) He uses the word “trogo” which means to “gnaw or crunch with your teeth.” As he finishes He asks, "Does this upset you?" Many of His disciples began to leave but Jesus didn't call them back and say, Wait, you are misunderstanding me. He didn't grab anyone and say, Please stop. He didn't say, I meant that statement only figuratively not literally. He doesn’t do that because the words he used made it perfectly clear what he meant. Someday His disciples would literally eat His flesh.

In Corinthians Paul states that anyone who eats the bread or drinks the wine unworthily is behaving unworthily towards the Body and Blood of the Lord. He goes on to say that the person who eats the bread and drinks the wine not discerning that it is the actually the Lord's Body and Blood is bringing condemnation or damnation to himself.

1 Corinthians 11:26-29 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
If it were only bread and wine, how could taking it unworthily bring condemnation? The only way the above verses would make any sense would be if the bread and wine were actually the Body and Blood of Jesus. This is what I contend is taught by the Bible and the Catholic Church.
As for "it is finished" my question is what is finished? How do you know what he meant and is there the slightest chance you could be wrong. Was his life on earth finshed? Was his prayer finished? Was his suffering finished?

Catholics do not crucify Jesus at every Mass. You have to understand, Jesus said his words before he was crucified. He also instructed us to continue the tradition. If you sit down with a prayerful open mind and look at scripture without the teaching of the Catholic church or the protestant church and just read the words I believe it's very clear and therefore completely biblical.

I contend that for one to be in the physical presence of Christ is a great benefit to one's spirtual walk.