Question: How do you know that the bread
and wine after the consecration are not 'substantially' bread and wine but the Body and Blood of Jesus?
Answer: I ‘know’ this because I am
convinced that this is the consistent teaching of the catholic church since the
earliest times and is consistent with the scriptures.
Strictly speaking, I do not ‘know’ this in the same way that I know that 2+2=4 or that Australia exists as a place. I ‘know’ it based on trust, understanding and – above all – gift. At baptism, confession, communion and confirmation we are, each of us, given particular gifts compatible with our age, development and experience. Like when I switch on a computer in the morning I do not understand the internal workings, codes and complicated interactions that occur. I trust that the machine will boot up and give me a view of windows and whatever programme or application I run.
