Then I feel for the poor thief who experienced no sacramental graces, only the love of his Lord dying next to him. It is a shame that he missed out on something that would have been more effective.Sacramental Communion is more effective than Spiritual Communion, it is when we truely receive the Body and Blood of Our Lord JESUS CHRIST.
He had the actual blood of Jesus on him, and he actually imitated Christās death - how much more Sacramental can you get?
I donāt think you can get much more, but it wasnāt a sacrament as the Catholic church defines sacrament. It really is more of the spiritual communion that the thief was experiencing. Hence my response to Theodore who seemed to me to be diminishing the value of spiritual communion.He had the actual blood of Jesus on him, and he actually imitated Christās death - how much more Sacramental can you get?
I think St. Dismas, the āgood thief,ā was having a very physical experience, actually - he was experiencing exactly the same pain that Christ was experiencing, at the same time that he was experiencing it. If there is any Saint who has ever entered fully into the crucificixion of Christ, it has to be St. Dismas. In Baptism we sacramentally die with Christ on the Cross. St. Dismas actually died with Christ on the cross.
All experiences are good, of course - but they are not all equal. I think the person was trying to remind us that this is not just a religion of thoughts and feelings - there is also a physical component to our life with Christ.
I donāt presume to know what Theodore was trying to remind us. I do know that he said that sacramental communion is more effective than spiritual communion. And I disagree. I think that the effect of communion is to experience a oneness with Christ. Spiritual communion is just as effective as sacramental communion to help a person experience that. Indeed if there was no spiritual communion present in the sacramental one might question whether it could be effective at all. Is it not the spiritual reality that makes the physical reality have effect and meaning. But, I donāt want to say that the spiritual communion is therefore superior for we need to experience all of the various forms by which we can experience communion with Christ in our lives.
Spiritual communion is a long-distance connection, but the Sacrament of Holy Communion is an in-person connection.
Repeatedly you keep expressing this idea that the spiritual is long-distance. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The spiritual is God not just next to us walking hand and hand with us, but actually living within us. What could be closer than that?Spiritual communion is a long-distance connection, but the Sacrament of Holy Communion is an in-person connection.
It is the difference between a telephone call from your beloved, and a kiss.
Thatās not as close as it gets though. If you could experience the Sacraments, you would see the difference.
Being Catholic i speak as a Catholic, the Church has always taught that it is through the sacraments we are assured of making our union with Christ. As for the poor old thief, (the good thief) Christ himself spoke to him. ātruely i say to you, from this moment on you will be in paradise with meā What more could he want !
John 16:13 , Christ was speaking to his Apostles. So where in scripture did he give us the fundamental option ? In fact St Paul warns us against it.
Disagree with what ? Being a Catholic takes the āthinkā out of my faith, i know it to be trueā¦ We pray, that all maybe one .
I was a member of the Assemblies of God for about 20 years, so I know a little something about their beliefs and intentions.
While an Assemblies of God minister does not have valid orders nor does he claim to, he is still acting as a minister of the sacrament by conducting a communion service in which he is declaring the words of Christ which confected the bread and wine into His body and blood. By reciting those words an Assemblies of God minister does not mean what is meant by the Church.
The Assemblies of God is in open opposition to Church teaching here and makes no bones about it. For a Catholic to partake of such a communion would cause public scandal, as if the teachings of the Church mean nothing to him, when they are vitally important.
We do not receive communion to be sociable or kind or understanding of others but to follow Christās teaching that the Eucharist is what unifies us in Him, and is indeed what he said it isāHis very body and blood, not merely grape juice and a cracker.
the power of Jesus?Sacramental Communion is more effective than Spiritual Communion, it is when we truely receive the Body and Blood of Our Lord JESUS CHRIST.