Does internet mass fulfill the Holy Obligation?

[Azzy]

Hmmmm, I see you answer a question with a question and that you also offer a ‘conclusion’ based on an unproven assumption. Also I don’t recall (though this is a long thread) an ‘absurd claim that all Catholic laws come from God and Jewish laws’ from man’ that you were 'refuting. . .

It appears though to me that you are attempting to separate Christ and His Church by inferring or implying that only a ‘Biblical’ statement by Christ is "Christ alone’ and that other things, be they dogma, doctrine, or discipline, come ‘outside of Christ’ or are ‘man made’.

Discipline, though it comes from men in prayerful communion with the Spirit, can change (just as the midnight fast before the Eucharist became the 3 hour and then the 1 hour fast). . .but you note that the conception of a fast itself DOES NOT CHANGE. Just as St Paul himself noted the transition of the Jewish Sabbath to the Christian Sunday (a decision made by the Church due to prayerful communion with the Spirit, and the ‘leading’ of the Spirit to all Truth), as well as the change from RECLINING at table to reception either standing or kneeling, the fact was that there was always a ‘setting apart’ to honor God (in the Jewish covenant, Saturday; for Christians, Sunday) and always a humble ‘reception’ of the Eucharist, whatever the posture was, it always indicated REVERENCE and humility.

The fact is, you seem to confuse dogma, doctrine, and discipline as well as to confuse the role of Christ and His Church at times, even when you claim to ‘agree’ with teaching. . .or so it seems to me.

I asked a question to your points because I did not see how they related to the topics at hand.

As I just mentioned, people who jump into the middle of internet threads routinely become confused. The fact is that we do elevate the sacraments for the exact reason they were instituted by Christ Himself and we do have direct biblical evidence. This is not the trivial point some people are implying. I gave the example of throat blessing on St Blaze’s feast. A great ritual I love but not Holy Communion or Last rites.

 

[pnewton]

??I think I know what the 1st question was, I am the one who wrote it. We went off on a tangent that did have to do with mass as a sacrament. People who jump into the middle of any internet thread often end up confused.

Perhaps your ability to discern confusion needs refinement. I am not confused. The way you used that word twice tells me that you do not use it as anything but a shut-down insult. On an internet forum, one does not own a thread. Anyone can jump in on the first, middle or the end.

The insistence that all man made laws are basically the same as those instituted by Christ has led to the widespread misconception that we think the pope is always perfect and infallible.

I do not see that here. No one has said all the rules are the same. However, the idea of defining the working of the Holy Spirit within the Body of Christ, carrying the temporal authority of Jesus on Earth as “man-made” is decidedly not Catholic. It matters nothing that canon law is not infallible. It is authoritative, with the authority of God. That should be sufficient for a Catholic.

 

[Michael_Francis]

Closed pending review by moderator Jean Anthony.