76. What does it mean to eat the crucified body of Christ and to drink his shed blood?

Answer

It means not only to embrace with a believing heart all the sufferings and death of Christ, and thereby to obtain the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, but also to be so united more and more to his sacred body by the Holy Spirit, who dwells both in Christ and in us, that although he is in heaven and we are on earth, we are nevertheless flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone, and that we live and are governed forever by one Spirit, as the members of our body are by one soul.

Scripture references

• John 6:35
• John 6:40
• John 6:47-58
• Ephesians 5:29-32
• 1 Corinthians 6:15
• 1 Corinthians 6:17
• 1 John 4:13

Question 76 of 129