Eucharist catholic and protestant

Anonymous asked this question on 4/3/2001:

hello, I'm a convert to Catholicism.....as once a protestant I know they believe in the symbolism of the Eucharist rather then the true meaning, but I never understood the whole thing fully, why they differ in view ...can you please explain to me what in the bible causes this argument between the two opposing sides and can you tell me when this ritual first started,,, you know when did the communion as we as Catholics see it first become practiced.. and how clear as a catholic you think it is stated in the bible that the body and blood are really there....many have told me that for me to practice communion is worshiping witch craft because we view it wrong....why is this not more clear...why would god give us this great book yet leave so much open for different interpretation why isn�t the way of GOD just clear so there is no argument over these issues.....thanks

Greetings:

The joy of the Lord be in your heart.

Suppose you get a new contraption and in order to install it in your home you read the booklet explaining how to install it and how to use it. At the same time, the expert from whom you bought it gave you precise verbal explanations how to proceed and these are not written in his booklet. Suppose your brother accepts as necessary only the booklet. You read the booklet and at the same time remember clearly the specifications given to you verbally by the author. Won't there be many needless discussions? Your brother insists that only the booklet counts. You insist that the author has explained carefully things that are not in the booklet. Your brother questions your memory, your truthfulness and your intellectual capacity. He says that you can't be right. Who knows better? Assuredly you! You interpret the booklet in the way it was intended from the author.

Our protestant brethren only accept the Scripture. The inevitable consequence is that the evangelical denominations interpret the Holy Book in their own way. That's why there are so many Christian denominations.

The Catholic Church has the Tradition, the verbal instructions that are not contained in the Holy Book. Remember that at the end of Saint John's gospel it says that the whole world could not contain all the books if everything about Jesus had been written down. The apostles ha transmitted these instructions. The Catholic Church knows how to interpret the Scripture because she guarded and transmitted carefully these instructions. Therefore, the problem is no ours. It's the Protestants'. They should accept the verbal instructions too and then they would know better. You pay attention to what the Catholic Church teaches and you will know the truth.

Therefore, don't complain to God, complain about the obtuseness of man.

The miracle is that God loves them all the same as you should love your brother even if he argues out from ignorance.

vale

mscperu