Even without referring to Saint Thomas Aquinas or the Church Fathers, and if we just look at the Bible, the latter position doesn't add up.
- Three of the four Gospels report Jesus at the Last Supper holding up bread and wine and saying "... this is my body..." and "... this is my blood...", respectively. Saint Paul, in his First Letter to the Corinthians, also reports likewise.
- In the same letter, Paul issues a clear warning to those who receive Communion unworthily. Why would he do so for a mere symbol?
- Then, perhaps the most telling, there's the sixth chapter of John's Gospel, which reports Jesus identifying Himself as the bread of life and saying "... my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed." Where is the symbolism here?
With all this established, how and why do other Christians believe that Holy Communion is just a symbol?