SUMMARY

1. God gives us bread and the food we need to make our bodies grow.

2. Our souls also need food to make them grow and become more and more like Jesus.

3. The soul’s only food is Jesus himself, and he gives himself to us as the Food of our souls in the Holy Communion when we receive him in his own Risen Body in the Blessed Sacrament.

4. The Blessed Sacrament also prepares the way for our resurrection body, as Jesus himself has told us.  “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever…” (NRSV, John 6:51).

References

1. Church of England (1662) The Book of Common Prayer.  A Catechism.  Available from:
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/liturgy/bcp/texts/catechism.html  (Accessed 25 August 2010) (Internet).

2. Ignatius of Antioch (died c 107 A.D.) Letter to the Ephesians, 20.  Available from:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-ephesians-lightfoot.html  (Accessed 25 August 2010) (Internet).

3. Irenaeus of Lyons (175-185 AD) Against heresies, IV(18)5.   Available from:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ix.vi.xix.html  (Accessed 03 December 2010) (Internet).

4. St Clement of Alexandria (182-202 AD) Who is the rich man that shall be saved? XXIII.  Available from:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/clement-richman.html  (Accessed 25 August 2010) (Internet).

AD MAIOREM DEI GLORIAM