Official church teaching

  • Thread starter Thread starter goodsoil
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

goodsoil

Guest
I am contemplating a return to the Catholic Church. In sharing some of this with a protestant friend he made two comments which I believe are incorrect:

1.) why do Catholics believe that communion ‘saves’ them, and
2.) why do Catholics sacrifice Christ again at each Mass.

As noted, I believe both questions are a misunderstanding of Catholic teaching, however I don’t want to merely disagree with him, or provide nothing more than my opinion. I want to provide ‘official’ church teaching on those subjects. Can someone provide help with this?
 
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is your friend:
1356 If from the beginning Christians have celebrated the Eucharist and in a form whose substance has not changed despite the great diversity of times and liturgies, it is because we know ourselves to be bound by the command the Lord gave on the eve of his Passion: "Do this in remembrance of me."183

1357 We carry out this command of the Lord by celebrating the memorial of his sacrifice . In so doing, we offer to the Father what he has himself given us: the gifts of his creation, bread and wine which, by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the words of Christ, have become the body and blood of Christ. Christ is thus really and mysteriously made present .

1358 We must therefore consider the Eucharist as:
  • thanksgiving and praise to the Father ;
  • the sacrificial memorial of Christ and his Body;
  • the presence of Christ by the power of his word and of his Spirit .
 
goodsoil said:
I am contemplating a return to the Catholic Church. In sharing some of this with a protestant friend he made two comments which I believe are incorrect:

1.) why do Catholics believe that communion ‘saves’ them, and
2.) why do Catholics sacrifice Christ again at each Mass.

As noted, I believe both questions are a misunderstanding of Catholic teaching, however I don’t want to merely disagree with him, or provide nothing more than my opinion. I want to provide ‘official’ church teaching on those subjects. Can someone provide help with this?
Click to expand...
One must abide in Christ after baptism to be in a state of grace at death. The nourishment of increased grace occurs in the justified through the worthy reception of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. One in that state of sanctifying grace may remain in it for life if there is cooperation with that grace since the Holy Trinity does not allow the temptation of the justified one beyond ability. The Catholic Church provides the confected Real Presence in the Eucharist, not merely symbolic.

John 6:
52-59 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, 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; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.” This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
On the subject of “why do Catholics believe that Communion ‘saves’ them”, I am not clear on what your friend is contending. Obviously Catholics, like all other Christians, were saved by Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. However, as Catholics who understand that the Eucharist is Christ’s body and blood, we have a duty to receive the Eucharist at least once a year as directed by the precepts of the Church. Jesus stated in Scripture that “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.” (John 6: 53-54) So we need to do what Jesus said.

Here is a CAF apologist article discussing in more detail:

 
Take this and eat of it, for this is my body - Jesus

"48 I am the bread of life.

49 Your fathers ate manna in the desert and they are dead;

50 but this is the bread which comes down from heaven, so that a person may eat it and not die.

51 I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’"

 
Tis_Bearself said:
On the subject of “why do Catholics believe that Communion ‘saves’ them”, I am not clear on what your friend is contending. Obviously Catholics, like all other Christians, were saved by Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. However, as Catholics who understand that the Eucharist is Christ’s body and blood, we have a duty to receive the Eucharist at least once a year as directed by the precepts of the Church. Jesus stated in Scripture that “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.” (John 6: 53-54) So we need to do what Jesus said.

Here is a CAF apologist article discussing in more detail:

Is the Eucharist Necessary for Salvation? | Catholic Answers
Click to expand...
I understand that the CC requires each member to partake of the Eucharist at least once a year. I have often wondered how this works when the member is “not in a state of grace” for more than a year? I gather that one must go to confession first but I also understand that in order for confession to be valid, the confessing member has to be sincerely repentant before God. If he is not, but only going through the motions, he is not forgiven by God even if the priest grants absolution. Am I understanding this correctly?
 
In order to meet the requirement of receiving Eucharist once a year, a Catholic must be in a state of grace.
If he is not in a state of grace then he must repent, go to confession, be absolved and get back in a state of grace.

A Catholic who makes a confession and receives absolution, but is internally not repentant, has made a bad confession, which is in itself another sin on top of the sins he already has. Of course God doesn’t forgive sins when you’re not repentant, even if you manage to fool the human priest into thinking you are.

Nowadays, when there is not as much emphasis on confession (unlike past centuries, the priest is not keeping track of who goes and people don’t go once a week like they used to), very few Catholics would bother going to confession if they weren’t sincerely repentant. The only ones who would go to confession while being unrepentant would likely be compelled to go by some authority figure (parent, teacher, spouse) or else they might have some mental disorder, which could also call into question their ability to seriously sin if their free will is affected by their mental state.
 
Last edited:
Wannano said:
I have often wondered how this works when the member is “not in a state of grace” for more than a year?
Click to expand...
That should not happen… but in that case one should make amends to correct his life. If one does not try to correct his relationship with our Lord, then they are hardly a catholic in full communion with the Church. If they are trying and failing, divine law of not receiving Eucharist in state of mortal sin overrides Church precept. However that is only if there is really no way to fulfill obligation in reasonable way. Way too extreme.
Wannano said:
in order for confession to be valid, the confessing member has to be sincerely repentant before God
Click to expand...
Fear of Hell is enough. Depends what you mean by sincere repentance. One can have imperfect contrition for their Sins and be forgiven through Sacrament.
Wannano said:
If he is not, but only going through the motions, he is not forgiven by God even if the priest grants absolution. Am I understanding this correctly?
Click to expand...
Yes if there is no contrition at all, then he is sinning even more by going to confession. However, people go to confession from desire to be forgiven and if they feel like they want to be forgiven, some kind of contrition should be present. Again, extreme situation but yes very much possible. I can see scenario where someone goes to Confession just because it’s a custom or because it’s required by the Church (for example people who only receive Sacraments in the Church but otherwise do not really care about religion).
 
OrbisNonSufficit said:
One can have imperfect contrition for their Sins and be forgiven through Sacrament.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by imperfect contrition? Is it enough to be sorry that you got caught, or sorry that you have to face consequences, or do you actually have to have remorse for the act itself?
 
lanman87 said:
do you actually have to have remorse for the act it
Click to expand...
Remorse for act itself… but remorse can have different types. One can be sorry that he did the act because they fear damnation (imperfect contrition) or because they think it’s evil… or because they love God and regret actions they have done against Him (perfect contrition).
 
I can’t say for sure what his own understanding is either, as this was a question posed briefly Sunday night. My guess is that he sees Catholic communion as a form of ‘works’ in an effort to merit God’s grace. I told him my understanding is that communion (as well as other sacraments) are a means of receiving grace to strengthen and nourish the believer, but not a ‘cause’ of salvation. Catholics are saved by grace, through faith (and not works), just as Protestants are, yet without the emphasis Protestants make on ‘faith alone’.

The purpose for my question was to search for ‘official teaching’ that I can stand on. Over time I’ve heard many critical comments about Catholic teaching that, when I investigated, weren’t entirely true. As you can see from the two comments (from my friend) I posted last Sunday, neither are correct, but they were the immediate response he offered after I told him about my interest in the Catholic church. My opinion is that many Protestants have a misunderstanding about several areas of Catholic teaching.

My friend takes his faith seriously and I appreciate his thoughts. I believe responding with documented teaching is the best approach.

Thanks for your help.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top