"Let us look steadfastly to the blood of Christ, and see how precious that blood is to God, which, having been shed for our salvation, has set the grace of repentance before the whole world." St. Clement, Epistle to the Corinthians, 7.

"There is living water springing up in me, which says to me inwardly, Come to the Father. I have no delight in corruptible food, nor in the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, the heavenly bread, the bread of life, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, the Son of God... and I desire the drink of God, namely His blood, which is incorruptible love and eternal life." St. Ignatius, Epistle to the Romans, 7.

"And this food is called among us Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake but the one who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing for the remission of sins and unto regeneration, and who is living as Christ has commanded. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but just as Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh." St. Justin Martyr, First Apology, 66.