I’m sorry…although I get what you’re all saying (and thank you SOOOO much for all of the replies!!!), I still don’t fully understand something…maybe it stems from confusion elsewhere. I can definitely see how receiving communion at another church could be sinful…I guess what I don’t fully understand then is communion itself. Maybe the passages from the bible that I was hoping for pertain to why it is even performed the way it is. I do know the passages regarding the last supper, but, off the top of my head, Christ said something along the lines of -do this often in remembrance of me- …not do this everyday and oh btw this is my actual blood and flesh… I guess I am confused as to where all that came from…I don’t remember (not that it’s not there, just that I don’t remember) anywhere else in the bible that they mentioned consuming the actual body and blood of God on a regular or even rare occasion…it seems like that would be really REALLY important, especially in Paul’s ministry…at what point in “history” did this become a norm for the catholic church??
Matthew 26:26-28 (NABRE)
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat;
this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for
this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins."
Mark 14:22-24
While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it;
this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “
This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many."
Luke 22:19-20
Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “
This is my body, which will be given for you;
do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “
This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.”
Luke 24:13-35
Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and
how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
(continued below)
