The title of this post is a Greek word which transliterated appears as alethes. It’s an important word in the New Testament. It translates as truly, in reality, most certainly, indeed, real, genuine. In the papyri, it most consistently means “true” as in the opposite of “false” when statements of fact are the topic. In the New Testament, alethes usually means “truthful” as it relates to people, with the opposite being “untruthful.” Alethes appears in biblical verses like:Master, we know that you are true (Matthew 22:16 & Mark 12:14).
He that has received His testimony has set to His seal that God is true (John 3:33).
For you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband: What you have said is true (John 4:18).
If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true (John 5:31).
Let God be true, but every man a liar (Romans 3:4).
These are only some verses; there are plenty more.
Most exciting, however, is when alethes means “genuine” or “real” as the word appears twice in this verse:
For My Flesh is real Food, and My Blood is real drink (John 6:55).
Any angle one looks at this, there’s no way to water down the word alethes. It means truth in some aspect. Nowhere in Sacred Scripture is alethes implied figuratively, symbolically or allegorically. If we go back two-thousand years, we’ll find in the Scriptures surrounding John 6:55 that all who were present for this astounding statement understood Jesus to be speaking literally, including the apostles. Granted, some found this statement outlandish, but it is because they understood Jesus literally. Go back to the early Church and read the Church Fathers; they understood Jesus to be speaking literally.
The Real Presence in the Eucharist is not a fantasy; it is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He nourishes our souls at Mass and He waits for us in the Tabernacle, that we may pour our hearts out to Him.
