Makes NO difference what Ignatius or anyone else taught - its what the Bible teaches that's important
And has been stated the wine and bread are only symbols of the body and blood of Christ.
One thing to mentioned - is that if the elements were actually the blood and body of Christ - than that means is constantly being re-crucified.
But Hebrews 9:29 explains it best.
It does matter what Ignatius taught, he was Bishop of Antioch, disciple of John the Apostle, and Martyr. If people want to know what the early Church believed, then an Apostolic Father and Bishop, Martyr like Him would teach it.
The Eucharist is Jesus Himself, put me in the arena with Ignatius and those lions and I will die for that same belief. I recognised the Lord at the breaking of the bread.
You think Jesus was humble dying on the Cross for us, He was even humbler yet to be the our very food of life and grace from the Eternal Father, our daily bread.
I am witness to Jesus miracles even this past weekend in street ministry, His Life passes out from me to give Life, real life to the dead.
The “losers” and “whores “ of this life are walking in heaven because of Jesus Love and Mercy. People don’t understand.
I understand the psalm “ As the deer longs for running streams, so my soul longs for you. “ . Each day at church my heart races uncontrollably right before Holy Communion with Jesus, as each night my soul wakes me early in spontaneous prayer.
My heart and soul can not wait till I receive Jesus in the morning. It is The Lord.
It can’t be explained, I wish you knew what I knew, Jesus is real Love and Peace and Joy, but those are just words, no one can describe His Love, it’s beyond anything.
Jesus Love will kill you if He didn’t tune it down for us. You think you will burst. I asked Jesus to expand and enlarge my heart, He did, and it didn’t matter, He will still burst those limits and beyond. There is no limit to Jesus. No limit.
All that happens when when your heart is enlarged is you suffer more and you long more for dear Jesus, sweet Lord Jesus.
Jesus is burning fire when you receive Him in The Eucharist. The longing in you is fire and when those two fires meet they must blaze out to the whole of creation. It must go out, this Love must express itself, it cannot be contained by anything.
Sometimes at night you are held in complete Love by Jesus and The Father, and other nights you are cold, in pain and shivering holding the infant Jesus to keep Him warm. An idiot labourer holding Jesus the King of kings peacefully asleep in my arms all night.
Then at Communion I am no longer tired, full strength and rested and out to do His Holy Will.
As we trust and rest in Him, He trusts us and rests in us. Jesus trusts us with His Infant Self as if at Bethlehem in a manger, a feeding trough for sheep. We are the warm place for Jesus in this cold dark world, as useless as we are. He makes His home in us as we make our home in Him.
We see another world through Him because His Kingdom is not of this world. Holding Him we say that He does not belong here, but His Most Holy Loving Face says it does and surely does.
At that holy time of Communion, we hand over everything and all of our being, and know in our longing that the Lord can not fail to respond with all of Himself. Jesus never fails, Jesus never betrays.
Our hearts are created for nothing but Jesus, and only Jesus can be it’s fill.
Those who truly Love Jesus will not fail to recognise Him at the breaking of the bread.