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 3. But Holy  Scripture  proceeds  to  say:  "The Jews  therefore  strove  among  themselves." And why did  they  thus  strive? Because they  deemed it to  be  absolutely  impossible  that  Jesus  would really give  them  His  flesh  to  eat.

Now consider  for  a  moment:  if  Jesus  had not intended  to  give  His  flesh  —  His  real  body, but merely  bread  as  an  emblem  of  His  body, what would  He  undoubtedly  have  answered the Jews? He would  certainly  have  given  them the necessary  explanation,  and  said  something as follows:  "You  must  not  misunderstand  Me, good  people;  I  will  only  give  you  an  emblem  or My  flesh,  only  bread  to  eat." But did  Jesus speak in  this  manner? No I  On  the  contrary, He repeated  His  former  words,  and  confirmed them with  a  sort  of  oath:  "Amen,  Amen,  I  say unto  you!  Except  you  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son of  man  and  drink  His  blood,  you  shall  not  have life  in  you.  For  My  flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and My  blood  is  drink  indeed."

4. And  what  Jesus  promised  in  this  definite and certain  manner  He  has  not  failed  to  perform. At the  last  supper  He  truly  changed bread and  wine  into  His  most  sacred  body  ,and blood. He expressly  said  in  reference  to  the bread which  He  took  into  His  hands,  "This  is My  body,"  and  not,  "This  bread  signifies  My body,"  or,  "  It  will  become  My  body." And at the  same  time  He  commanded  His  apostles: " Do  this  in  commemoration  of  Me! "

5. And  remark  yet  a  third  proof :  ever  since the apostolic  ages  the  Holy  Catholic  Church  has understood the  words  of  Jesus  in  the  very  same sense. For example,  one  of  the  earliest  Fathers of the  Church,  St.  Justinian,  who  died  in  the year 166,  expressed  in  the  clearest  terms  the