Eucharist

[deborahslack]

Had a discussion with noncatholic coworker who stated that she believed that the communion that she receives at her church once a month is the body and blood of Jesus, because she says that there is scriptural evidance for this. She does not believe that the true Body and Blood is only in the Catholic Church because of the act of consecration by the priest. How do I explain that it is necessary for the consecration at the mass by a priest of the bread and wine inorder to have the true Eucharist?

Thank you,

Debbie

 

[Sean_O_L]

Hi Deborahslack,

Our Lord commissioned (“missioned”) his Apostles at the Last Supper when He said “do this (or “these things”) in memory of Me.” The Apostles became “valid ministers” (bishops) capable of consecrating the “proper matter” (bread and wine) - doing what the Church required (consecrating these things, acting in personna Christi). These bishops were able to pass on there valid Orders (the Order of Bishop and the Order or Priest/Presbyter) to other Disciples and followers.

They possessed the Power of the Episcopacy, and passed on the Power of Orders.

It sounds to me that your friend may be a member of a protestant ecclesial group which believed - not in the power of the priesthood - but in the power of the priesthood of the faithful. That is, they believe that Christ “becomes present” in the bread and wine by virtue of the faith of those present - rather than by the power of an ordained priest - a sacrificing priest.

As for Scriptural evidence for the Catholic position - go to "The Errors of Protestantism at protestanterrors.com

Click on Item 25 "To those who do not believe in the Seven Sacraments as the Catholic Church always has

Then scroll down to

“Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist (Real Presence)”

Even more on Scripture may be found at the web-site of “The Real Presence”
at therealpresence.org/eucharst/scrip/a6.html

Enjoy!

 

[wuppas]

during the reformation, the apostolic succession from Christ to Peter etc… was broken (however, as a side note, this is not true in the Orthodox Church–who still have this succession)
therefore there is not a direct line of authority to do this in prostestant churches.

one also has to look at the Old Testament’s forshadowing the New Testament with covenant bonds of kinship that were fullfilled in the New Testament in the Seven Sacraments. These covenant bonds were made by God with His people (Abraham, Moses,etc…) and Jesus fullfilled these covenents Himself through His Incarnation, Death and Ressurrection. God specifically made these in order to save our souls and the early Church fathers understood this and there were no changes for 1500 yrs until the reformation.

hope this helps a little
marco

 

[RobNY]

Dear Deborah:

First note, if I paint anyone with a broad brush, I apologize.

The question is a question of authority. The Church had always held that a priest needed to be ordained with the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The Protestants at the time of the Reformation wanted to break with the Church, and thus needed an alternate theology to justify themselves. Realize that Protestants like Martin Luther still believed in the Real Presence (although he would later alter the position, but still believe in a different version of it). So, in order to break, they still needed to find a source of authority for the consecration. Also, the alternate theology on the priesthood of all believers was a way to knock down the “wall” the Catholic Church had built which subjected temporal authority to spiritual authority. The special ordination of priests, and the Catholic belief of the indelible mark that Holy Orders imparts on the recipient made the ordained set apart.

Enter the Priesthood of all Believers. This is certainly a Catholic belief, but the Protestants took this to mean something entirely different. The Protestants took the idea that “you are a royal priesthood” to mean that everyone has all the power and authority that the ordain priesthood does. Catholic teaching is that the baptismal, or common priesthood is something distinct from the ordained, ministerial priesthood.

I have addressed this lately in this topic, and in another. Please read my posts there to understand the idea of the priesthood of all believers, and to understand why the idea that this makes everyone a member of the ministerial priesthood false.

The Catechism says:
1546 Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church "a kingdom, priests for his God and Father."20 The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly. The faithful exercise their baptismal priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in Christ’s mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are "consecrated to be . . . a holy priesthood."21

1547 The ministerial or hierarchical priesthood of bishops and priests, and the common priesthood of all the faithful participate, “each in its own proper way, in the one priesthood of Christ.” While being “ordered one to another,” they differ essentially.22 In what sense? While the common priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace --a life of faith, hope, and charity, a life according to the Spirit–, the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. The ministerial priesthood is a *means *by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church. For this reason it is transmitted by its own sacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders.

 

[RobNY]

And although I linked to that post, and it probably is not in etiquette to repost, I’ll reproduce the most relevant one here:

(Reproduced, my posts from the other thread.)
Angainor had quoted:

“’…Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

Exodus 19:5-6

My post began:
From Revelation 1:5-6:

5 …To him who loves us and has freed us 5 from our sins by his blood,
6 who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever (and ever). Amen.

Where you see a contradiction between God calling certain people to share in His priesthood and the way the Christian people form a royal priesthood, there is none. Priesthood is what we’re going to have to explore.

First, we need to look at Leviticus, 7:11-21. Here we have regulations set down by God for offering sacrifice. Only in the peace offering can the giver of the victim partake of the sacrificial meal. Usually only members of the priestly family can eat sacrificial offerings.

Leviticus 22:10-13

10 "Neither a lay person nor a priest’s tenant or hired servant may eat of any sacred offering. 11 But a slave whom a priest acquires by purchase or who is born in his house may eat of his food. 12 A priest’s daughter who is married to a layman may not eat of the sacred contributions. 13 But if a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced and, having no children, returns to her father’s house, she may then eat of her father’s food as in her youth. No layman, however, may eat of it.

Now, when it came to be that a man of the priestly clan was disqualified from the exercise of the priesthood (offering sacrifices), he could still partake in the sacrificial offering.

Leviticus 21: 21-23

21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any such defect may draw near to offer up the oblations of the LORD; on account of his defect he may not draw near to offer up the food of his God. 22 He may, however, partake of the food of his God: of what is most sacred as well as of what is sacred. 23 Only, he may not approach the veil nor go up to the altar on account of his defect; he shall not profane these things that are sacred to me, for it is I, the LORD, who make them sacred."

This is a distinction between the priestly ministry and the dignity of the priestly clan. Thus in Christ’s Church, priests are set aside to carry out sacred functions (especially the Eucharist, or as Lutherans term it, the Lord’s Supper). Priests also are official preachers of the Church. Everyone else, all the members, form a priestly people because they are called to unite themselves to Christ’s sacrifice by partaking of the Body of the Lord.

This is a distinction between the priestly ministry and the dignity of the priestly clan. Thus in Christ’s Church, priests are set aside to carry out sacred functions (especially the Eucharist, or as Lutherans term it, the Lord’s Supper). Priests also are official preachers of the Church. Everyone else, all the members, form a priestly people because they are called to unite themselves to Christ’s sacrifice by partaking of the Body of the Lord.

Hence, 1 Peter 2:9

95 But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

With 1 Cor 11:26

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

In the Old Testament, priests were called from among Aaron’s descendants who were a priestly clan within God’s people. NT priests are chosen from among baptized people, who are children of God, brothers of Jesus, and members of God’s family. The members of God’s Church form a race of priests. The ministerial priesthood is a special calling.