
… By George, he’s right. :yup: God is more interested in our heart than our doctrines and church affiliation.
I am not sure if I totally agree with the Rev. Let me tell you why
Remember I asked you to think all week about the Sacraments? I still want you to do that. Okay?
Now the reason I believe that our doctrines and Church affiliation is so important is the reason I believe that Christ is the Church.
The Church is the extension of Christ’s incarnation, and the extension takes place through the SACRAMENTS.
That is why I wanted to show you from the beginning. God knows that we as humans need ordinary means. That is why he uses ordinary means to accomplish extra-ordinary means.
God sent his Sun who is the Redeemer of the world, but also the Creator. So the one who made Spirit and matter redeems spirit and matter.
Now here is the point I was showing you from the beginning. Remember how I told you Jesus is the same the 2nd person of the Trinity today just like when he was in the human body. Just because his human body is seated at the right hand of the Father, does not mean that he cannot use Spiritual matter to continue his work.
THe reason that the CC is Jesus CHrist is because he is alive today. Through the Eucharist. That is why there is no Salvation outside of the CC, because there is no Salvation outside of Jesus Christ. Salvation is by the means of the Sacraments, and the Living CHrist is the EUCHARIST.
THe Eucharist is no less the body and blood of CHrist then his Human body was the body and blood of Christ.
So just as he used physical matter or physical reality to acomplish our redemption. He continues to do so through the CHURCH. THe CHURCH is the extension of CHrist’s incarnation.
That is why we also say the CHurch is also a Sacrament. A Sacrament is an outward sign instituted by CHrist to give Grace. But the outward sign is just an ordinary means to accomplish an extra-ordinary means.
The reason the Church to Me as a Catholic does not have the same meaning to you is because I know that when the Priest through ordinary means, uses extra-ordinary means the Sacrament of Holy Orders to turn ordinary bread into the actual BODY OF CHRIST.
That is why the Eucharist is again the Center of our Faith. Because CHrist is the Center. The CHurch is made up of what? THe body of Christ right? How is this possible? The Eucharist!!
That is how we become one body of believers and are united into one body of Christ through the Eucharist.
While the CHurch as a building is just a building, the Church as Christ is the Eucharist. That is why we say that the bride and the bridegroom are united as Christ and his Church are united. They become ONE. It is because of the Eucharist.
Just like the sacrament of baptism is ordinary water it become extra- ordinary by the Grace that is poured out into it by the Sacrament of Baptism. When it is done in the name of the Trinity.
Yet as great as the Sacraments are they are not a permanent institution. When Christ comes in glory all Sacraments will cease, and it will be Christ in the body (human) as he is in the Body (Spiritual) in the Church.
Now we know him through signs, as through a glass darkly. (1 Cor 13:12) Then we will SEE Him as He IS (1 Jn 3:2) and we will have no need of signs.
That is why Rev a Church cannot save you when it does not have the Sacraments to give it life. Because it is CHrist living in the CHurch that gives us eternal life.
Reading scripture or listening to ewtn does not save me. The Sacraments which are the Core of our faith, are the CC which in turn are Jesus Christ.
Just like they killed his human body and it rose again, our human body will die, but our eternal body our soul will never die. That is why just as when we die our Human body will again rise, Our soul will not die. At least we pray it will not die, the only way it will die is if we are in sin.
But as our soul rises with Christ and our human body is left behind, Christ left his soul here and his human body is in Heaven. But he is the same body in the Eucharist. That is why we must eat the bread of life. It is called food for the soul. It is that same intimacy that we have with him in the Eucharist that we will have with him when he comes again in the 2n person of the Trinity which is Christ Body and Soul.
People say that if they could SEE him like before they would believe. But that is not true, People did see, and still did not believe. It is Grace and faith.
Like Jesus said blessed are they who believe (the EUCHARIST) and do not see. We do not have to see CHRIST in the CHURCH in the 2nd person to know that he is there. We know that he is as much the 2nd person in the Eucharist as he was the 2nd person in physical reality, He is still Jesus Christ. One in being with the Father. Christ is as much God in the Eucharist as he is in the 2nd Person. Nothing has changed.
Can you understand what I am saying Rev?