Here! Here!
Also, I would add that when one views any interpretation of John 6 that is only spiritual, or that denies the Real Presence dogma, one has to ask “How is this a ‘hard saying’? Would any disciples leave Jesus over the concept that He would be spiritually with them in the bread and wine?”
One cannot take Christ’s teachings and re-formulate them so that they are more palatable. One has to say, “Christ said it. It’s a hard saying. But I accept it because I accept Him!”
My friend, I wish it was possible to narrow it down to John 6 and that passage clearing all understanding for the real body, blood and divinity of our Lord. Because most of the separated brethren that I talk to, believe in a Real (Spiritual) Presence. And most of them with all their hearts and with most reverence.
It is a bit complicated, to be honest. My best argument would be to believe like children, since my 3 teenagers all had their 1st Communion last Christmas and we are working on my 9 y/o 1st Communion for this year. I have received a much deeper appreciation of the mystery through them.
It is complicated for this reason (mostly): After leaving Catholicism and while going Church hopping, I found 2 amazing communities in an AoG church and a Non-Den church. The AoG church had an amazing good works ethics, I mean these people would stop at nothing to help others (Very Catholic like in the Faith/Works principle), and while they did have a spiritual life in the church, it was still lacking. The Non-Denom church I went to was the opposite - the spiritual life was amazing, some of the best prayer warriors I’ve met and people loved to have deep theological conversations. They wanted to have a physical manifestation of their faith, but it was lacking (And very clickish).
The one thing I can’t deny in either of these Churches was that Christ was being gracious to them and within their limits, working through them. There is no doubt in my mind that they believed in the same Christ I do - but in a different manner, of course. I spent over 2 years at each one of them.
On the same hand, before I found the fullness of Catholicism in the Parish I go to now - I did not find it in the Churches I went to before. Does it mean they don’t have the fullness of the faith? No. What does it mean? They were not using it.
So, while I understand in some lacking of fullness in our separated ecclesial communities, I cannot deny some, or a lot of, elements of that fullness.
It also helped me understand that our Lord, will get the job done! We, more than anyone else, should know this. Either we get off our couches and start working (And we have come miles and miles with our last 3 Popes) or other people will do it.
Because, we really need to work hard to deny what Christ can do in our lives. He is that amazing!!!
But like us, a lot of Protestants become content to where they are. And look at things: Why would I need to keep looking if I am in a great place right now? I know I asked myself the same question. But there was a fire in me that needed more fuel, that was the driving engine. Like St. Peter says to our Lord - Oh Lord, don’t just wash my feet but wash my head, my arms (This is paraphrased under poetic license
). So there is a measure of Faith we each have and a measure of Grace - and it is sufficient for each of us. What is not sufficient is if we don’t respond to the call, if we get complacent and don’t get more fuel for our fire because it’s flaming right now - even though it will go down without fuel. And this is where a lot of our separate brethren don’t know about Catholicism: There is something for everyone! Seriously! We have done a lousy job of living our Faith (I know I have) and it is because of that lousy job, that we have such a hard time evangelizing. But it is changing, thank God it is changing!
Anyways, I think I wrote more than what I originally intended and there’s more I’ll stop. For now
God Bless you, my friend.
as the true faith which bears the ripest, sweetest fruit.
