non-Catholics receiving the Eucharist

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Last week my sister received God’s body and I knew she expressed very hostile views towards faith before so I asked her if she believed the Eucharist is Jesus’ body.

She said it is symbolic of God’s body.

I asked if she believed that it was physically God’s body and she replied ‘No its not Jesus’ skin (yuck)’

I told her that it really is Jesus’ body and that if she didn’t believe it was she shouldn’t receive it.

She got very angry and told me that I was acting ‘high and mighty’ and told me I think I’m ‘better than her’ and that I was being oppressive. Then she told me to get away from her and refused to speak to me.

We (the family) went to mass a few days after and she received the Eucharist then too. All I could do was pray to God when I saw her going up during Communion. I didn’t even approach her after because I thought she would just get angry and act hatefully towards me.

My younger sister said that at her confirmation class she was told that the Eucharist is symbolic and my eldest sister told me that she can do what she want (she does not believe in God but she received the Eucharist anyway). I showed my younger sister the part in the Catechism which says the Eucharist is substantial but I left it with her and I don’t know if she read it. She seemed surprised that such a Catechism existed.

I’d really like a Catholic Church source which says something like ‘No person who does not believe in the Eucharistic presence of Christ should receive’. I tried in the Catechism but I don’t know it very well.

Any other help is very welcome. I’m desperate.

Thank you
 
What is happening to the Church these days??? Teaching it is symbolic?? WOW, :eek::eek:
 
1 Corinthians 11:27 is good.

Does anyone know what I should say when I approach my sister with this? She will no doubt be angered by the sight of me walking towards her with a Bible.
 
Ask her why Jesus said “This is my body” and “This is my blood” if He didn’t really mean it.
 
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (my emphasis added):
1355:
In the communion, preceded by the Lord’s prayer and the breaking of the bread,** the faithful receive** “the bread of heaven” and “the cup of salvation,” the body and blood of Christ who offered himself “for the life of the world”:
Because this bread and wine have been made Eucharist (“eucharisted,” according to an ancient expression), “we call this food Eucharist, and no one may take part in it unless he believes that what we teach is true, has received baptism for the forgiveness of sins and new birth, and lives in keeping with what Christ taught.”
Click to expand...
usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt1art3.shtml
 
Tell the priest! Jeez!

Or Yank her from the line when she goes up. Just because she lives in a free country doesn’t give her the right to disrespect the Catholic faith
 
Perhaps the clearest statement in the Catechism is this one (Bolding and parenthesis mine):

1333 At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ’s Body and Blood…

1374 The mode of Christ’s presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as “the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend.” In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained." “This presence is called ‘real’ - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be ‘real’ too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present.”

1384 The Lord addresses an invitation to us, urging us to receive him (not a symbol of him) in the sacrament of the Eucharist: "Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."

1385 To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.” Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.
We are receiving Him, not a symbol and eating and drinking without proper discernment is definately NOT good.
However I do not blame your sister in this. Catechesis in the Church has been terrible over the last 40 some years and it’s going to take time to catch up.

Perhaps you could sit down and write her a pleasant, thoughtfully worded letter, apologizing for any ill feelings or misunderstandings from your previous encounter and stating that you only wished her to know what the Church truly teaches on the matter. Then share the references from the Catechism above.
If you are able to and choose to do this via e-mail, you might include this link to the Catechism for her. There is a search engine at the bottom of the page for looking up specific items.
Of course once you have done this, there is nothing else to be done. It will be entirely and strictly up to her at that point.

Peace
James
 
Loml said:
Last week my sister received God’s body and I knew she expressed very hostile views towards faith before so I asked her if she believed the Eucharist is Jesus’ body.

She said it is symbolic of God’s body.

I asked if she believed that it was physically God’s body and she replied ‘No its not Jesus’ skin (yuck)’

I told her that it really is Jesus’ body and that if she didn’t believe it was she shouldn’t receive it.

She got very angry and told me that I was acting ‘high and mighty’ and told me I think I’m ‘better than her’ and that I was being oppressive. Then she told me to get away from her and refused to speak to me.

We (the family) went to mass a few days after and she received the Eucharist then too. All I could do was pray to God when I saw her going up during Communion. I didn’t even approach her after because I thought she would just get angry and act hatefully towards me.

My younger sister said that at her confirmation class she was told that the Eucharist is symbolic and my eldest sister told me that she can do what she want (she does not believe in God but she received the Eucharist anyway). I showed my younger sister the part in the Catechism which says the Eucharist is substantial but I left it with her and I don’t know if she read it. She seemed surprised that such a Catechism existed.

I’d really like a Catholic Church source which says something like ‘No person who does not believe in the Eucharistic presence of Christ should receive’. I tried in the Catechism but I don’t know it very well.

Any other help is very welcome. I’m desperate.

Thank you
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**She’s entirely wrong. You have to be in a state of Grace to receive the Eucharist…that means the sacrament of recondillation…If she doesn’t it is the body , the real body of Christ she has no right to line up for Communion…she’s commiting and mortal sin as we were told in RCIA classes.

stormy**
 
stormy99 said:
**She’s entirely wrong. You have to be in a state of Grace to receive the Eucharist…that means the sacrament of recondillation…If she doesn’t it is the body , the real body of Christ she has no right to line up for Communion…she’s commiting and mortal sin as we were told in RCIA classes.

stormy**
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**Easy now here…
Before we go making a “mortal sin” judgement lets take a deep breath. **

Based on the OP, it appears that her sister is not aware that the Eucharist is Really and substantially Jesus. It may well be that she was not properly catechized. Without the proper understanding, that is, withour full knowledge, how can she be in a state of mortal sin? The truth is that we here cannot know the state of her knowledge and intent and so cannot assess whether she is in a state of mortal sin or not.

At this point the best approach is to assume she has (name removed by moderator)erfect knowledge and try to help her come to a full understanding and appreciation for the sacrament. We want to help her to grow in her faith rather than jump on her with an accusation of “mortal sin”. We wish to draw her into full communion with Christ, not force her into submission with hellfire.

Peace
James
 
Review the Papal Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia for information on this subject.

Regarding your thread, the title says “non Catholics” receiving the Eucharist, but from the contents of your post it seems your entire family-- including your sister-- is Catholic.
 
it’s a very difficult position to be in…one that I have experienced in my family as well. Yet, this sort of discord within the family is not to be unexpected. Scripture tells us several times that the Truth will turn “father against son” (Matthew 10:35)… I think we can see this as a “sign of contradiction”…that is, that the precepts of God who IS Communion (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) can have the power to divide families.

Pray for your sister and continue to do your best to receive in a state of Grace. The way in which the faithful reverence the Eucharist has the power to convert hearts… mine was. And I was a cradle Catholic! I knew in my head what the Church taught Transubstantiation…but it was not until I witnessed the faithful literally fall on their knees in recognition of Christ’s True Presence in the Eucharist that the Truth began to live in my heart… and remember that Charity is the greatest virtue

in Christ, Our Communion

k~
 
Kolbelover said:
it’s a very difficult position to be in…one that I have experienced in my family as well. Yet, this sort of discord within the family is not to be unexpected. Scripture tells us several times that the Truth will turn “father against son” (Matthew 10:35)… I think we can see this as a “sign of contradiction”…that is, that the precepts of God who IS Communion (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) can have the power to divide families.

Pray for your sister and continue to do your best to receive in a state of Grace. The way in which the faithful reverence the Eucharist has the power to convert hearts… mine was. And I was a cradle Catholic! I knew in my head what the Church taught Transubstantiation…but it was not until I witnessed the faithful literally fall on their knees in recognition of Christ’s True Presence in the Eucharist that the Truth began to live in my heart… and remember that Charity is the greatest virtue

in Christ, Our Communion

k~
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This is a wonderful witness and testimony. It demonstrates how actions can be a powerful evangelization tool.
We Know that Christ spoke against “praying on street corners” and such, but it is important to remember the reason - those he condemned were doing it for selfish reasons - to be noticed.
Those who approach the Holy Eucharist with great reverence can and will have an effect on others who do not. Especially Children who see their parents receive reverentially.

Peace
James
 
PiousTemplar said:
Or Yank her from the line when she goes up. Just because she lives in a free country doesn’t give her the right to disrespect the Catholic faith
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Ohhhhh…I’d love to be there to see that. What a way to add a bit of excitement to a Sunday morning.
 
Loml said:
Last week my sister received God’s body and I knew she expressed very hostile views towards faith before so I asked her if she believed the Eucharist is Jesus’ body.

She said it is symbolic of God’s body.

I asked if she believed that it was physically God’s body and she replied ‘No its not Jesus’ skin (yuck)’

I told her that it really is Jesus’ body and that if she didn’t believe it was she shouldn’t receive it.

She got very angry and told me that I was acting ‘high and mighty’ and told me I think I’m ‘better than her’ and that I was being oppressive. Then she told me to get away from her and refused to speak to me.

We (the family) went to mass a few days after and she received the Eucharist then too. All I could do was pray to God when I saw her going up during Communion. I didn’t even approach her after because I thought she would just get angry and act hatefully towards me.

My younger sister said that at her confirmation class she was told that the Eucharist is symbolic and my eldest sister told me that she can do what she want (she does not believe in God but she received the Eucharist anyway). I showed my younger sister the part in the Catechism which says the Eucharist is substantial but I left it with her and I don’t know if she read it. She seemed surprised that such a Catechism existed.

I’d really like a Catholic Church source which says something like ‘No person who does not believe in the Eucharistic presence of Christ should receive’. I tried in the Catechism but I don’t know it very well.

Any other help is very welcome. I’m desperate.

Thank you
Click to expand...
One must understand transubstantiation. Senses can perceive only accidents, and consecration changes only the substance. Only the mind knows the substance.

She may be grossed out by the idea that she is receiving molecular flesh and blood rather than molecular bread and wine. She need not be.

Council of Trent, 13th session:
CANON lI.-- If any one saith, that, in the sacred and holy sacrament of the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and wine remains conjointly with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and denieth that wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood – the species Only of the bread and wine remaining – which conversion indeed the Catholic Church most aptly calls Transubstantiation; let him be anathema.

CANON III. – If any one denieth, that, in the venerable sacrament of the Eucharist, the whole Christ is contained under each species, and under every part of each species, when separated; let him be anathema.
history.hanover.edu/early/trent/ct13ce.htm

Before: bread substance + bread species
Before: wine substance + wine species

After: Body & Blood of Christ substance + bread species
After: Body & Blood of Christ substance + wine species

In CCC 1333 states that “the signs of bread and wine become, in a way surpassing understanding, the Body and Blood of Christ; they continue also to signify the goodness of creation.”

So the bread and wine signify and continue to signify the goodness of creation, yet in a mysterious way, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.

CCC 1413 By the consecration the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is brought about. Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself, living and glorious, is present in a true, real, and substantial manner: his Body and his Blood, with his soul and his divinity (cf. Council of Trent: DS 1640; 1651).
 
Can you tell her that going up to receive and saying “amen” mean she agrees with what the Church teaches about the Eucharist?

Will she want people to think she agrees?

It’s shallow, I know, but some people are more worried about what others think of them.
 
rick43235 said:
Ohhhhh…I’d love to be there to see that. What a way to add a bit of excitement to a Sunday morning.
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It won’t however, beat the time that a local transsexual prostitute came in and disrupted the priest’s homily before leaving in a huff. 😛
 
1 corintheans 11:29 states that if you eat the bread and drink from the cup in an unworthy manner without discerning (recognizing) the body of the Lord you eat and drink judgement onto yourself. According to the apostle one must believe that the bread and wine is the body and blood of Christ or that person is unworthy to receive it.
 
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