communion

[Dokimas]

Didache 9:

The Eucharist – The Cup – The Bread

1 And concerning the Eucharist, hold Eucharist thus: 2 First concerning the Cup, “We give thanks to thee, our Father, for the Holy Vine of David thy child, which, thou didst make known to us through Jesus thy child; to thee be glory for ever.”
3 And concerning the broken Bread: "We give thee thanks, our Father, for the life and knowledge which thou didst make known to us through Jesus thy Child. To thee be glory for ever.

4 As this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains, but was brought together and became one, so let thy Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into thy Kingdom, for thine is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ for ever."

5 But let none eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptised in the Lord’s Name. For concerning this also did the Lord say, “Give not that which is holy to the dogs.”

 

[Dokimas]

Didache 10

The final prayer in the Eucharist

1 But after you are satisfied with food, thus give thanks:

2 "We give thanks to thee, O Holy Father, for thy Holy Name which thou didst make to tabernacle in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which thou didst make known to us through Jesus thy Child. To thee be glory for ever.

3 Thou, Lord Almighty, didst create all things for thy Name’s sake, and didst give food and drink to men for their enjoyment, that they might give thanks to thee, but us hast thou blessed with **spiritual food and drink **and eternal light through thy Child.

4 Above all we give thanks to thee for that thou art mighty. To thee be glory for ever.

5 Remember, Lord, thy Church, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in thy love, and gather it together in its holiness from the four winds to thy kingdom which thou hast prepared for it. For thine is the power and the glory for ever.

6 Let grace come and let this world pass away. Hosannah to the God of David. If any man be holy, let him come! if any man be not, let him repent: Maran atha, Amen."

7 But suffer the prophets to hold Eucharist as they will.

 

[Izdaari]

i was born into a family who went to the Church of Christ, faithfully. Communion was a very important time, participated in after baptism, and offered each Sunday. I have fallen away from the church, visited many others, and the Catholic Church seems to be the only one that views this “activity” as centrally important as I. This is one of the main reasons I am studying the Catholic faith, and contemplating converting. Any comments?

Lutherans regard it very highly also, and offer it each service, as do Anglicans/Episcopalians.

In that respect, I agree with them more than I do my own church (Assemblies of God), though I’m not going to switch over it.

 

[usemelord]

SCARLETTANN, I’ve been where you are now. I just celebrated my fifth “birthday” into the Catholic faith at Easter Vigil. Prior to that I was a “born again” Protestant Christian for all of my sixty years up to that point. About ten years or so ago my son and I were having a conversation about Mass (something I didn’t understand at all). I asked him point blank what was the climax of the Mass. Unhesitatingly, he answered that it was the Eucharist. This kind of surprised me since all my life as a Protestant, Communion was basically nothing more than symbolic. Fast forward to around March, 2005. I had decided on my own to enter RCIA to try to make sense of Mass and why Catholics do what they do at Mass. Then, about one month before the Easter Vigil of 2005, we had a retreat that pretty much changed my life. On the first night of the retreat one of the deacons put on his vestments and then proceeded to explain what happens when the priest consecrates the Host. He said that the priest calls down the Holy Spirit (a process called Epiclysis (sp.?). The Holy Spirit then transforms, or transubstantiates, the bread and wine into the Real Presence of Christ. For the most brief nano-second I thought to myself, “This is just some Catholic hocus-pocus.” Then in the very next nano-second I thought that if I denied that this was actually taking place, I would be denying the power of the Holy Spirit which is something I would dare not do. Ever since then, I now know and appreciate what my son told me years earlier; that the Eucharist, indeed, is the central point, the climax of the Mass. Christ lives in me, and I in Him. Praise God. How can it get any better than that?

 

[The_Reginator]

Christ lives in me, and I in Him. Praise God. How can it get any better than that?

 

[JRKH]

SCARLETTANN, I’ve been where you are now. I just celebrated my fifth “birthday” into the Catholic faith at Easter Vigil. Prior to that I was a “born again” Protestant Christian for all of my sixty years up to that point. About ten years or so ago my son and I were having a conversation about Mass (something I didn’t understand at all). I asked him point blank what was the climax of the Mass. Unhesitatingly, he answered that it was the Eucharist. This kind of surprised me since all my life as a Protestant, Communion was basically nothing more than symbolic. Fast forward to around March, 2005. I had decided on my own to enter RCIA to try to make sense of Mass and why Catholics do what they do at Mass. Then, about one month before the Easter Vigil of 2005, we had a retreat that pretty much changed my life. On the first night of the retreat one of the deacons put on his vestments and then proceeded to explain what happens when the priest consecrates the Host. He said that the priest calls down the Holy Spirit (a process called Epiclysis (sp.?). The Holy Spirit then transforms, or transubstantiates, the bread and wine into the Real Presence of Christ. For the most brief nano-second I thought to myself, “This is just some Catholic hocus-pocus.” Then in the very next nano-second I thought that if I denied that this was actually taking place, I would be denying the power of the Holy Spirit which is something I would dare not do. Ever since then, I now know and appreciate what my son told me years earlier; that the Eucharist, indeed, is the central point, the climax of the Mass. Christ lives in me, and I in Him. Praise God. How can it get any better than that?

Wonderful testimony.

Peace
James

 

[JRKH]

Something that occurred to me just quickly the other day was how communion - The Eucharist ties us, not only to Christ, but to Our Blessed Lady as well.

Mary, who is often called the “first disciple”, and the “perfect disciple” or “perfect model of discipleship” was also the first to have Christ within her. By virtue of the blessed sacrament we have this same opportunity to say “Yes” to God and to carry Christ within us. So each time we go forward to worthily receive communion, we are giving our fiat to God saying, “Let it be done to me according to Thy Will”.
When we return to our pew having received Our Lord, we are “pregnant” with promise. With the promises of Christ to us and with our promises to Christ to become, to give birth to “new creatures” - who are ourselves perfected in God’s Love.

Peace
James

 

[Lapey]

SCARLETTANN, I’ve been where you are now. I just celebrated my fifth “birthday” into the Catholic faith at Easter Vigil. Prior to that I was a “born again” Protestant Christian for all of my sixty years up to that point. About ten years or so ago my son and I were having a conversation about Mass (something I didn’t understand at all). I asked him point blank what was the climax of the Mass. Unhesitatingly, he answered that it was the Eucharist. This kind of surprised me since all my life as a Protestant, Communion was basically nothing more than symbolic. Fast forward to around March, 2005. I had decided on my own to enter RCIA to try to make sense of Mass and why Catholics do what they do at Mass. Then, about one month before the Easter Vigil of 2005, we had a retreat that pretty much changed my life. On the first night of the retreat one of the deacons put on his vestments and then proceeded to explain what happens when the priest consecrates the Host. He said that the priest calls down the Holy Spirit (a process called Epiclysis (sp.?). The Holy Spirit then transforms, or transubstantiates, the bread and wine into the Real Presence of Christ. For the most brief nano-second I thought to myself, “This is just some Catholic hocus-pocus.” Then in the very next nano-second I thought that if I denied that this was actually taking place, I would be denying the power of the Holy Spirit which is something I would dare not do. Ever since then, I now know and appreciate what my son told me years earlier; that the Eucharist, indeed, is the central point, the climax of the Mass. Christ lives in me, and I in Him. Praise God. How can it get any better than that?

I also thank you for this post! You “get it”, thanks for sharing your gift of faith!!!

 

[Nominefili]

i was born into a family who went to the Church of Christ, faithfully. Communion was a very important time, participated in after baptism, and offered each Sunday. I have fallen away from the church, visited many others, and the Catholic Church seems to be the only one that views this “activity” as centrally important as I. This is one of the main reasons I am studying the Catholic faith, and contemplating converting. Any comments?

The Eucharist is of central importance to the Confessional Lutheran church as well. In it, we recieve the true Body and Blood of Christ under bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of the Christian faith.

Check out lcms.org for more information, or send me a PM if you have any questions.

God bless!

 

[The_Reginator]

Something that occurred to me just quickly the other day was how communion - The Eucharist ties us, not only to Christ, but to Our Blessed Lady as well.

Mary, who is often called the “first disciple”, and the “perfect disciple” or “perfect model of discipleship” was also the first to have Christ within her. By virtue of the blessed sacrament we have this same opportunity to say “Yes” to God and to carry Christ within us. So each time we go forward to worthily receive communion, we are giving our fiat to God saying, “Let it be done to me according to Thy Will”.
When we return to our pew having received Our Lord, we are “pregnant” with promise. With the promises of Christ to us and with our promises to Christ to become, to give birth to “new creatures” - who are ourselves perfected in God’s Love.

Peace
James

I really like how you said that. Thanx for sharing those thoughts.

Dominus vobiscum, Reg.

 

[JRKH]

I really like how you said that. Thanx for sharing those thoughts.

Dominus vobiscum, Reg.

You are welcome.
Praise be to God’s Holy Spirit who inspires even this humble servant from time to time.

Et cum Spiritu tuo

Peace
James