Is the Eucharist "essential"?

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SteveVH said:
We could spend an entire thread discussing invincible ignorance and the possibility that one may be saved in spite of it. But I am speaking of that which Jesus himself instituted; the normative means of salvation; what he intended for us to do and the importance of recognizing this in the life of a Christian.

The words in the Gospel concerning the Eucharist are certainly clear in this respect: It is necessary for our eternal life. There is nothing ambiguous about those words. It seems to me that is something which all Christians should be interested in exploring, if nothing else. Yet it isn’t a second thought in may Christian faith communities.
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I would say it would definitely be a Christian duty to warn those who reject the Eucharist that they are endangering their salvation.
 
Christ himself said it’s essential for salvation.

But that said, no, the Eucharist isn’t essential for one to be a Christian. For that, what is needed is Baptism.

Those communities who have a valid baptism but even with no Eucharist are truly Christians, and the Catholic Church calls them so.
 
If the Eucharist was absolutely essential for salvation, what of children who have not yet had their first communion? Or perhaps the Orthodox are correct with communing infants?
 
Stilldreamn said:
If the Eucharist was absolutely essential for salvation, what of children who have not yet had their first communion? Or perhaps the Orthodox are correct with communing infants?
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Yes; but remember, Eastern Catholics commune infants, too. Infant communion was a major reason for my leaving Lutheranism.
 
SteveVH said:
We could spend an entire thread discussing invincible ignorance and the possibility that one may be saved in spite of it. But I am speaking of that which Jesus himself instituted; the normative means of salvation; what he intended for us to do and the importance of recognizing this in the life of a Christian.

The words in the Gospel concerning the Eucharist are certainly clear in this respect: It is necessary for our eternal life. There is nothing ambiguous about those words. It seems to me that is something which all Christians should be interested in exploring, if nothing else. Yet it isn’t a second thought in may Christian faith communities.
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I agree, and this is one VERY BIG reason why we should be extremely grateful to be Catholics and have the unfathomable privilege (as well as obligation) to receive the Eucharist.

Accoring to St. Faustina from her revelations, the angels are actually jealous of us for two reasons:
  1. We can receive the Eucharist, and they cannot.
  2. We can suffer; they can’t. (Though I’m not personally real fond of this one myself.)
 
porthos11 said:
Christ himself said it’s essential for salvation.

But that said, no, the Eucharist isn’t essential for one to be a Christian. For that, what is needed is Baptism.

Those communities who have a valid baptism but even with no Eucharist are truly Christians, and the Catholic Church calls them so.
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True that.
 
Stilldreamn said:
If the Eucharist was absolutely essential for salvation, what of children who have not yet had their first communion? Or perhaps the Orthodox are correct with communing infants?
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I actually agree with the Orthodox on that point. Same with Confirmation. Good question!
 
Another thing that the Church teaches with regard to the Eucharist, is the sacrifice at the Mass is one in the same sacrifice at Calvary (See CCC note below).

You can’t separate the sacrifice (Love for all) from the Eucharist.

The Mass and it’s apex, the Eucharist, is the eternal Love of God for us, carried out through the sacrifice on the cross. (Second CCC note)

There is never a second that goes by that a Mass is not being held.

Thus, not a moment goes by that God is not loving all of us through his sacrifice on the cross. (Which he perpetuates through the miracle of the Eucharist by his action and instruction at the Last Supper)

If Jesus instituted it, I’m not going to argue against essential.

Note from the CCC:

“1323 “At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet ‘in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.’””

“1139 It is in this eternal liturgy that the Spirit and the Church enable us to participate whenever we celebrate the mystery of salvation in the sacraments.”
 
Indubitably
usccb.org/bible/john/6
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.x
46
Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.y
47
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
48
I am the bread of life.
49
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;z
50
this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.
51
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”a
52
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?”
53
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
54
Whoever eats* my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
55
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
56
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
57
Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.b
58
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
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JamalChristophr said:
Well, to change the logical proof around a bit…although it is no less valid…It is commonly held Catholic doctrine that those officially outside the Catholic Church can still be saved, they do not this side of Heaven partake in the Eucharist. Therefore in that sense, them receiving the Eucharist in this life is not essential for their salvation.
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If someone non-Catholic knows of the existence of the Roman Catholic Church but does not believe in it, they cannot be dammed for that lack of grace. If they do understand the Catholic Church to be the true church and willingly depart from one of its dogmas, only God is in charge of mercy and justice. I might add Jesus did say to Peter, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth, will be loosed in heaven, the Lord did not make this statement as an empty phrase; The church in its wisdom has not banished anyone to damnation as it knows the possibilities of salvation for all,always exists within management.

God Bless:)
 
If you were a Protestant Pastor would you provide a teaching about the Eucharist which, if researched fully by your congregation members, would cause them to leave your church? Neither would they, nor their seminaries.

Realistically, this teaching Is so counter to that which they have been taught, even when shown John 6 they have to allegorize it to remain within their traditions’ teaching.
 
I will give a simple answer to this. God is a just and merciful God so if God believes a person should be saved and brought to heaven they will be…
 
We have skirted around the point in a number of posts, but I’d like to share a paraphrase of an answer I once heard on Catholic Answers Live about this question, but regarding baptism.

I forget who the guest was, but a Protestant brother called in and asked about the necessity of baptism for salvation. He was very clear on the point: he wanted to know whether it was considered essential for salvation. The guest speaker responded that, as sacred scripture reveals, baptism is ABSOLUTELY essential, in the normative sense, but not essential in the sense that we must consider God bound by the sacraments. In other words, to know of the essential nature of the Eucharist, yet to reject Him, is to choose damnation. However, to be ignorant is simply to be ignorant, and we trust such souls to the mercy of our loving Father.

Is the Eucharist essential? Yes. In a normative fashion, in the manner in which Christ desires all men to be saved, it is as essential as baptism. However, as another poster said above, God is not bound by the sacraments, and we consider those cases of people who are saved without recourse to the sacraments to be exceptional cases. They are not the norm. And that is the distinction.
 
Son_of_Jonah said:
We have skirted around the point in a number of posts, but I’d like to share a paraphrase of an answer I once heard on Catholic Answers Live about this question, but regarding baptism.

I forget who the guest was, but a Protestant brother called in and asked about the necessity of baptism for salvation. He was very clear on the point: he wanted to know whether it was considered essential for salvation. The guest speaker responded that, as sacred scripture reveals, baptism is ABSOLUTELY essential, in the normative sense, but not essential in the sense that we must consider God bound by the sacraments. In other words, to know of the essential nature of the Eucharist, yet to reject Him, is to choose damnation. However, to be ignorant is simply to be ignorant, and we trust such souls to the mercy of our loving Father.

Is the Eucharist essential? Yes. In a normative fashion, in the manner in which Christ desires all men to be saved, it is as essential as baptism. However, as another poster said above, God is not bound by the sacraments, and we consider those cases of people who are saved without recourse to the sacraments to be exceptional cases. They are not the norm. And that is the distinction.
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Baptism & the Eucharist are essential to us as Catholics . But…the thief on the cross was granted “Paradise” by Jesus & he was neither baptized nor received communion.
 
truetofaith said:
Baptism & the Eucharist are essential to us as Catholics . But…the thief on the cross was granted “Paradise” by Jesus & he was neither baptized nor received communion.
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You know what though, I have heard that argument usually when others want to say that baptism isn’t what saves us its a change of heart which saves us…So I thought, well it’s not as if a thief on a cross had the opportunity be baptized or receive communion. He was dying, up on a cross and there weren’t many Christians, or disciples around who would do either for him. And also, I don’t think that having the actual sacraments done were on his mind with Jesus Himself next to the thief in his last hours telling him he would be all right…

Of course in the same situation…Say an infant who was dying or a dying solder who wasn’t around water, would say that ‘spiritual’ baptism would suffice in these instances as out of the norm… But when it comes to a whole lifetime as a Christian with the opportunities and ability to receive baptism and communion, the spiritual baptism scenario doesn’t suffice…
 
Karen107 said:
You know what though, I have heard that argument usually when others want to say that baptism isn’t what saves us its a change of heart which saves us…So I thought, well it’s not as if a thief on a cross had the opportunity be baptized or receive communion. He was dying, up on a cross and there weren’t many Christians, or disciples around who would do either for him. And also, I don’t think that having the actual sacraments done were on his mind with Jesus Himself next to the thief in his last hours telling him he would be all right…

Of course in the same situation…Say an infant who was dying or a dying solder who wasn’t around water, would say that ‘spiritual’ baptism would suffice in these instances as out of the norm… But when it comes to a whole lifetime as a Christian with the opportunities and ability to receive baptism and communion, the spiritual baptism scenario doesn’t suffice…
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I agree with what you are saying, but most Christians have a communion service. They don’t believe it is the actual Body & Blood of Christ, though.

So, only Catholics are going to heaven? I doubt it.
 
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