My friend says he receives Mary in the Eucharist?

[phil19034]

The way he explains is that Jesus was 9 months in Mary’s womb so Jesus shares in her flesh and blood. So that when we receive the Eucharist we are receiving Jesus and Mary. He’s also told me that Mary’s blood, too, has redeemed us because of this same sharing of Jesus in Mary’s blood. Would the church teach anything like this?

What your friend is saying is a Heresy

 

[phil19034]

Mary is a co-redemtrix (it isn’t dogma) because of her sufferings at the foot of the cross. Her body and blood made up that of Jesus’s in a certain way and she also gave up her son in accordance with the will of God.

Yes, but being the co-redemtrix doesn’t mean she’s part of the Eucharist.

This 89 year old is unfortunately subscribing to a Marian Heresy.

 

[phil19034]

“Taking someone seriously” takes into account their role and what they are doing. An 89-year-old in a leadership or ministry position who is teaching wrong doctrine is a concern. An 89-year-old speaking enthusiastically about the Virgin Mary to his friend and getting a couple things wrong is not a concern.

And the vast majority of 89-year-olds are not in leadership or teaching positions, and do not express themselves as well as they did even at age 75.

But by all means, go ahead and write a letter to the Bishop that this old man is the next Arius or Luther if it makes you feel better. Don’t be surprised if the Bishop rolls his eyes just like I am doing.

I don’t think anyone here is suggesting to the OP that he/she should walk up to the 89 year old and call him a heretic to his face.

Rather, most of us are firmly acknowledging that this is a heretical belief.

After all, when people Google questions about the Catholic Church and/or Catholic beliefs, it not uncommon to receive a Catholic Answers Forum discussion.

People coming here in the future for answers (just not the OP) need to know that such a belief is heretical.

God Bless

 

[ConstantLearner]

Second, we DO KNOW ( I am talking about Catholics) who will be saved or not. We cannot say which specific individuals will be saved or go to Hell but we can say with 100% certainty that objectively anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin goes immediately to Hell.

We can say no such thing, even about Catholics. You have no way of judging what a person does with his dying breath. A person who might seem to be a sinner could repent; a person who might seem “saintly” could be hiding sins. And, if someone mistakenly believes something to be true, God does not hold it against him. That, too, is infallible church teaching.

This isn’t a thread about what Catholics believe the Eucharist to be, it’s actually a thread about an elderly man who mistakenly believes Jesus’s mother is also present and how best to handle him.

 

[ConstantLearner]

Rather, most of us are firmly acknowledging that this is a heretical belief.

In the case if this man, I would call it “simply mistaken.” He seems to actually believe it, so that would negate any heresy.

 

[ConstantLearner]

I hardly think his salvation is in danger. I can only imagine them putting their arms around him…maybe they would mention this to him, and maybe they wouldn’t. I couldn’t begin to say.

From the information you’ve given, @Autumn-Smoke, your friend sounds like a lovely, and loving, man whose salvation is in absolutely no danger simply because he’s made a mistake. A mistake made out of love, too. If he can’t understand the correct explanation, he can’t. God understands this man’s limitations, I’m sure.

I hope to make it to eighty-nine, and if I do, I hope to be able to get around well.

God bless you and your friend.

 

[Autumn-Smoke]

I love this reply. Thanks @ConstantLearner

 

[ConstantLearner]

You’re welcome, @Autumn-Smoke. God sees what’s in the heart, and he sees love in this man’s. And yours.

 

[thistle]

We can say no such thing, even about Catholics. You have no way of judging what a person does with his dying breath. A person who might seem to be a sinner could repent; a person who might seem “saintly” could be hiding sins. And, if someone mistakenly believes something to be true, God does not hold it against him. That, too, is infallible church teaching.

You should read my posts with more care and pay attention to what I actually said.

Let me repeat it.
We cannot know if a specific individual is saved or not when they die because that depends on the state of their soul at death and only God knows that.
Now pay attention!!
What we can know is that anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin goes immediately to Hell. That is an infallible teaching of the Church. Do you deny this teaching?

 

[MagdalenaRita]

We cannot know if a specific individual is saved or not when they die because that depends on the state of their soul at death and only God knows that.
…
What we can know is that anyone who dies in a state of mortal sin goes immediately to Hell. That is an infallible teaching of the Church. Do you deny this teaching?

This is true.

 

[MagdalenaRita]

If he can’t understand the correct explanation, he can’t. God understands this man’s limitations, I’m sure.

This is very good. To add to this, @Autumn-Smoke I would say maybe ask the priest to talk to the both of you informally and bring the topic up in the conversation, and that could perhaps open an opportunity for correction. Maybe try to make it one of many subjects brought up while talking to the priest, so as not to emberass him. I don’t think his salvation is in danger either but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to help to ensure it is not.

I still say it is possible he heard something somewhere, maybe even on Catholic radio or tv that he completely misunderstood or couldn’t hear very well.
Perhaps he read or heard some medical story, somewhere that confused him.

 

[catholic1seeks]

And we wonder where Protestants get the idea that Catholics worship Mary…

 

[MagdalenaRita]

And we wonder where Protestants get the idea that Catholics worship Mary…

I think it is because we don’t have enough conversations like this. We hide her away from our protestant friends out of fear they will misunderstand.

It is good we have this thread.

 

[God_Is_So_Great]

That is completely false. Please, do what you can to convince him otherwise.

 

[ConstantLearner]

You should read my posts with more care and pay attention to what I actually said.

Why? You are straying from the thread topic, and I’m not interested in doing that. This is a thread about what to say to an elderly man, who LOVES his church and is BELOVED by the parish members, but who MISTAKENLY believes he receives Mary in the Eucharist.

The Church teaches this:

On the other hand, we must avoid generating a morbid fear of hell or an obsession with it. It is not a fate that can overwhelm us against our will; any who go there have chosen evil deliberately. The doctrine should be seen in the light of God’s greatness and our dignity as free beings. He is so great that hell is a just punishment for rebelling against him; our dignity as responsible beings is so great that we can deserve that fate.

Library : Do Many Go To Hell?

Do Many Go To Hell? An examination of the doctrine of hell and why society needs to be reminded of its existence.

www.catholicculture.org

Did this man seem to be choosing evil? No, let alone deliberately. There doesn’t seem to be an evil bone in his body. No mortal sin attaches to his MISTAKE.

I think it’s wise to remember Jesus’s words, “Judge not lest you also be so judged.”

Maybe your priest could help you understand the difference between deliberately evil actions and innocent mistake and the need for compassion. Confusing the two is a far more serious fault than this loving elderly man’s very innocent mistake. This man seems to be the LAST person on earth to DELIBERATELY choose evil. He loves God, his church, and his fellow worshippers.

Mortal sin attaches to deliberate, unrepentant evil, not mistake.

Good luck.

 

[ConstantLearner]

And we wonder where Protestants get the idea that Catholics worship Mary…

I know where they get the idea. To a certain extent, it seems Catholics do worship her.

Edit: But I know you don’t.

 

[ConstantLearner]

Kindly correct him when you have opportunity.

I appreciate your compassion toward this man, but I do not know him. He is the friend of the original poster, not me. I don’t know anyone who thinks Mary is present in the Eucharist.

 

[MagdalenaRita]

No, wrong. There are times our devotion to her looks like worship, but no, that is another way they get the idea that Catholics worship Mary by Catholics not understanding our own Church’s true devotion to her.

I am assuming you are Catholic, I am not sure, but we do not worship Mary. You can love someone and be devoted to someone and in relationship with someone and not worship them.

 

[MagdalenaRita]

Yes, I know. I thought I was replying to the comment from the OP.

 

[ConstantLearner]

Yes, I know. I thought I was replying to the comment from the OP.

You replied to mine by mistake, I guess. It happens.