Dear Joyce:

I think your friends are referring to John 6 where Jesus talks about Himself as the Eucharist, and not the scene of the Last Supper. In John 6 we read:

53 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56*  He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. 58*  This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever." 59*  This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

60 Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" 61*  But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? 62*  Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? 63*  It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64*  But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. 65*  And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."

66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. 67 Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" 68*  Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

Jesus lost some of his disciples when he gave this teaching on the Eucharist. But Jesus stood his ground when they walked away. He did not say, "Hey guys it is only a symbol, I did not mean it literally." No, he risked losing even his beloved Twelve and ask them if they were going to leave him too. But Peter said, "to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life"

As a Baptist preacher it was this passage that proved to me that the Catholics were right about the Eucharist and the Real Presence. This passage and the passage about Peter being the Rock that the Church would be built upon (Matthew 16:13-19), backed up and proven by Isaiah 22:21-23, making Peter the first Pope of the New Covenant, converted me to the Catholic Church.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary