"Some men accordingly, not paying heed to these things, have contended that Christ's body and blood are not in this Sacrament except as in a sign, a thing to be rejected as heretical, since it is contrary to Christ's words. Hence Berengarius, who had been the first deviser of this heresy, was afterwards forced to withdraw his error, and to acknowledge the truth of the Faith." - St. Thomas Aquinas ("Summa Theologica" 13th century A.D.)
"And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake [it], and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup [is] the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." - Luke 22:19-20
You do know that this reference was before His crucifixion?
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." - John 6:51-56
Jesus spoke in parables to the Pharisees so let us go back to how Jesus was referring to salvation by believing in Him as the means of receiving life.
John 6:
28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
As one can plainly see, it ois not the taking of the bread and the wine that gives life, but by coming to and believing in Jesus that we have life. When teh disciples had trouble understanding what He told the Pharisees in your quote; Jesus said this:
John 6:
60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
62What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
So it wasn't about
not taking the bread and the wine as it was about
not believing in Jesus.
"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we [being] many are one bread, [and] one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread." - 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
Read on, brother Eric.
1 Corinthians 10:
18Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
19What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
20But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
21Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
22Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
23All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
The Mass edifies us not in the knowledge of Jesus Christ by implying a continual sacrfice to be received continuously. For the preists to be celibate in order to perform the Mass implies a power of them as being able to pull Him down from Heaven to sacrifice Him again. And yet, Jesus said to do this in remembrance of me so that believers may continually rest in Him that they have been bought with a price and sealed as His with the Spirit of promise... by doing what? Believing in Him.
"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me. 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 ****ation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." - 1 Corinthians 11:23-29
I would believe that taking the bread and the wine as the Mass has it being done is eating and drinking it in an unworthy manner for we are to be doing it in remembrance of Him, and thereby we are declaring the Lord's death.. not a continuous one. It cannot be done in remembrance if the sacrifice is being presently performed as the Eucharist, thus it becomes an idol.
How can you even ask that question? The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. The Lord's Supper [Eucharist], because of its connection with the supper which the Lord took with his disciples on the eve of his Passion and because it anticipates the wedding feast of the Lamb in the heavenly Jerusalem. 1 Cor 11:20; Rev 19:9, it was by this action that his disciples recognized him after his Resurrection, [Cf. Lk 24:13-35.] and it is this liturgy that the first Christians used in their Eucharistic assemblies; [ Acts 2:42, 46 ; Acts 20:7, 11.]. By doing so they signified that all who eat the one broken bread, Christ, enter into communion with him and form but one body in him. And so it has been with the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church for 2000 years. The Eucharist is the main means by which all Apostolic Christians [Catholic, E. Orthodox] worship God.
Being how the Eucharist is one of the sacraments necessary for a catholic believer to be saved, I would say that taking it is a dead work that denies Jesus as being able to save.
Below are excerpts from the catechism:
"The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation." Pg. 292, #1129
"There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony." Pg. 289, #1113
"In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner." Pg. 344, #1367
"When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, she commemorates Christ's Passover, and it is made present. As often as the sacrifice of the Cross by which Christ our Pasch has been sacrificed is celebrated on the altar, the work of our redemption is carried out." Pg. 343, #1364
So in plain English... is Jesus the Saviour or are catholics saving themselves by their merits? This is why catholicism is a system of dead works by labouring in unbelief.
Hebrews 10:
8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Eiether He saved us as we take communion in the remembrance of Him that He has saved us, or we are taking the Eucharist to save ourseloves.
2 Corinthians 6:
14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;
and I will receive you. 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
If we are to be witnesses of what Jesus has done, then we should put away dead works that deny Him as beiing able so that we may not come short of that rest provided by Jesus in labouring in unbelief.
Hebrews 4:
1Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
3For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world....
9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
May God cause the increase for all those that seek Him to love Him for what He has done for us.