Transubstantiation. Long word. The longest word I think I learned while becoming Catholic. It is a concept that I am still learning about.
It means changing the substance. The substance being changed is the bread of communion to the host of Jesus. The form remains the same, but the substance has changed from bread to host when consecrated by the priest through prayer and belief.
This reminds me of Plato's form and substance conversation. The form is the shape of the thing. While the substance is the essence of the thing.
Only, with transubstantiation, the thing isn't just a thing. The bread doesn't change in a physical way. It changes in a metaphysical way to actually be Jesus' body.The wine also changes metaphysically to be Jesus' blood.
The ancient Romans thought that what I just wrote meant that Christians were cannibals. I guess this is carried over into today's references to Jesus as a zombie since He was raised from the dead. Both are misunderstandings of, and ways of making fun of, Christianity.
What do you think?
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