The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

""THE HOLY EUCHARIST. 339The Fathers of the Church, without an exception,re-echo the language of the Apostle of the Gentiles,by proclaiming the Real Presence of our Lord inthe Eucharist. I have counted the names of sixtythreeFathers and eminent ecclesiastical writersflourishing between the first and the sixth century,all of whom proclaim the Real Presence some byexplaining the mystery, others by thanking God forthis inestimable gift,and others by exhorting thefaithful to itsworthy reception. From such a hostof witnesses, I can select here only a few at random.St. Ignatius, a disciple of St. Peter, speaking of a"sect called Gnostics, says They abstain from the:Eucharist and prayer, because they confess not thatthe Eucharist is the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ."St. Justin Martyr, in an apology to the EmperorAntoninus, writes in the second century: We donot receive these things as common bread and drink ;but as Jesus Christ our Saviour was made flesh bythe word of God, even so we have been taught thatthe Eucharist is both the fleshand the blood of the sameincarnate Jesus."Origen (third century) writes "If thou wilt go:op with Christ to celebrate the Passover, He willgive to thee that bread of benediction, His own body,and will vouchsafe to thee His own blood."St. Cyril, of Jerusalem, (fourth century) instructing the Catechumens, observes : He Himself having declared, This is My body, who shall dare toidoubt henceforward? And He having said, This