Only say the word and we shall be healed

[TerryOfromCA]

I need some help answering a guy in another forum. Here is his post:
watchman1:

I tried to point out something that is happening in the mass every day to the catholic crusader on another thread and didn’t recieve an adequate response. I believe that each and every Catholic needs to approach their priest and make their concerns known. This isn’t something that can be pushed aside with a long email or some kind of mysticism, this is very serious.

It’s going to be hard to point this out no matter how humble i try and put this. It’s not an attack on your Faith!

I went to catholic school for 10 years at our Lady of Refuge in LB. Calif. I served as an alter boy and never had any negative experiences during that time. I have a teacher that has been critical of certain traditions of the catholic church, but never condemed their Faith. I also now work with catholics every day in my walk with the Lord. So believe me i’m pointing this out for your well being, but once i do, you will be responsable to do something about it, this burden will fall on any catholic here that reads this.

What i want to highlight is when the priest is preparing the elements, he lifts the bread and says,“Lord we are not worthy to recieve you, only say the word, and we shall be healed.” The entire congregation says this along with the priest.

This statement comes from Mt. 8:8

The work that Christ did on the cross is complete, finished. The priest and the congregation is in effect asking that Christ do something in addition to what he already did on the cross. This is i’m sure unintentional, but this is trampling on the blood of Christ. The one thing we as Christians never even want to come close to doing.

The problem isn’t that our Church services aren’t done perfectly. The problem is when God points out a unacceptable flaw, what do we do about it. And the fact that this has been done in the Catholic church since the beginning isn’t an acceptable response. Any practicing Catholic that reads this is responsible to try and undo this wrong being done in the mass. I really don’t think the priest is even aware he is doing this. But one thing for sure, every Sunday when you repeat this statement with your priest, you are accountable for it now.

Soruce: true2ourselves.com/forum/theology/7905-heart-felt-plea-catholics.html

He is stuck on the idea that this prayer is tantamount to Christ is being asked to do something in addition to the once and for all sacrifice made on Calvary for that healing. I cannot see to get through to him that he is wrong.

Suggestions? Thank you.

 

[smndtupidisaftr]

I need some help answering a guy in another forum. Here is his post:

Soruce: true2ourselves.com/forum/theology/7905-heart-felt-plea-catholics.html

He is stuck on the idea that this prayer is tantamount to Christ is being asked to do something in addition to the once and for all sacrifice made on Calvary for that healing. I cannot see to get through to him that he is wrong.

Suggestions? Thank you.

I wasn’t aware that sin was no longer possible because Christ died on the cross. Besides, that is an outdated translation. We now say “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, by only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

Besides, even Protestants do not believe that we are all saved because Christ died. Even they believe that only those who have faith will be saved. No one advocates that we are ALL now saved because of the sacrifice of Christ.

 

[LilyM]

I’m surprised that prayer is troubling. It simply asks for healing. Billions have asked God for -and received - healing since Jesus died.

When people asked God for healing, through Peter and Paul, in Acts the Apostles didn’t respond as your friend did, they understood that God wants to heal us and allowed Him to perform miracles through them.

If your friend is worried about any other aspect of the Mass, quite simply we are
commanded - ‘do this’. So we do. Simple as that.

 

[SMHW]

I need some help answering a guy in another forum. Here is his post:

Soruce: true2ourselves.com/forum/theology/7905-heart-felt-plea-catholics.html

He is stuck on the idea that this prayer is tantamount to Christ is being asked to do something in addition to the once and for all sacrifice made on Calvary for that healing. I cannot see to get through to him that he is wrong.

Suggestions? Thank you.

I am about to go on my “time rant” again.

The sacrifice of Christ on Calvary and the forgiveness of Jesus is not limited by our human experience of time as a linear series of events.

 

[TerryOfromCA]

I wasn’t aware that sin was no longer possible because Christ died on the cross…

There are certain Protestants who believe that.

…Besides, that is an outdated translation. We now say “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, by only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”…

Correct. Thank you.

…Besides, even Protestants do not believe that we are all saved because Christ died. Even they believe that only those who have faith will be saved. No one advocates that we are ALL now saved because of the sacrifice of Christ.

They have so many different beliefs, its hard to pin them all down.

 

[TerryOfromCA]

I am about to go on my “time rant” again.

The sacrifice of Christ on Calvary and the forgiveness of Jesus is not limited by our human experience of time as a linear series of events.

I agree!!. In fact, this is what I said:

First understand: God exists outside of time: There is no past or future for God. He is in the eternal “Now”. So Christ’s sacrafice on the cross, which for us happened 2000 years ago, is always & ever present before God. The beauty of the Mass is that, in a mystical way, God makes present before us what is always present before him: The once-for-all sacrafice on Calvary. So when the priest transforms the bread and the wine into the body & blood of Christ, we are present at Calvary, which is why the Mass is referred to as the “sacrafice of the Mass”. So, we do not sacrifiice Christ again and again as some people wrongly think, rather the once-for-all sacrafice of Christ is RE-presented before us in time.

Now here is an even more beautiful thing: The bread and wine represent our work, the fruit of the vine and the work of human hands. When that bread and wine are transformed, our work - OUR sacrafices - are joined with the sacrafice of Christ and offered back to the Father. It is mystical and it is amazing. It is the beauty, and the awe, of the Mass

Yes, the work that Christ did on the cross is complete, finished. And by God’s grace, we are transformed out of time and made present at that event every Sunday.

I suggest you read a book called “The Lamb’s Supper” by Dr. Scott Hahn. You will find it quite illuminating

 

[MaryT777]

I need some help answering a guy in another forum. Here is his post:

Soruce: true2ourselves.com/forum/theology/7905-heart-felt-plea-catholics.html

He is stuck on the idea that this prayer is tantamount to Christ is being asked to do something in addition to the once and for all sacrifice made on Calvary for that healing. I cannot see to get through to him that he is wrong.

Suggestions? Thank you.

l
The answers given were great and I hope they are useful to you. In my years of posting on Protestant/Catholic it is a very common comment; we are always asking Christ to do more than the sacrifice once made. Eucharist is usually the number one and then Mary.
Why do you need to add Mary to Christ, etc, etc. Saints when you can pray directly to God etc etc
You’ll find some good responses here.

If you ever turn the tables and start asking questions about their faith many are shocked.
I always do to learn more about their teachings to come closer towards a better understanding.

Mary.mn

 

[SMHW]

I agree!!. In fact, this is what I said:

First understand: God exists outside of time: There is no past or future for God. He is in the eternal “Now”. So Christ’s sacrafice on the cross, which for us happened 2000 years ago, is always & ever present before God. The beauty of the Mass is that, in a mystical way, God makes present before us what is always present before him: The once-for-all sacrafice on Calvary.

It can be hard to convince the temporally narrow minded.

But you gave that poster some food for thought. Maybe given some time p) it will sink in.

 

[paperwight66]

I wasn’t aware that sin was no longer possible because Christ died on the cross. Besides, that is an outdated translation. We now say “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, by only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” QUOTE

Just in the interests of accuracy, and of not confusing anybody, the actual words are ‘BUT only say the word’, not ‘BY only say the word’.

Only a mistyping on your part, I’m sure.

 

[IrishRush]

Maybe by pointing out that whenever we say an act of contrition, you can show that we’re pretty much asking for the same thing - forgiveness. An act of contrition isn’t wrong, theologically or otherwise. You may also point out that because Christ died for us on the cross, it means we can be forgiven our sins, not that we never sin again.
This would also be an excellent time, I think, to point out that this is why Church teaching and Catholic Tradition is so important - individual interpretation of scriptures can be twisted to mean what we want it to mean.

 

[thomasf]

That part of the mass, right before communion, is a scriptural prayer where we ask God to heal us and make us worthy of receiving communion. We are not worthy of Him, but in His mercy we are made worthy. What’s wrong with that prayer? Nothing.

 

[MaryT777]

That part of the mass, right before communion, is a scriptural prayer where we ask God to heal us and make us worthy of receiving communion. We are not worthy of Him, but in His mercy we are made worthy. What’s wrong with that prayer? Nothing.

That was certainly SOOOO NIIIICCEE of Watchman 1’s post to warn Catholics of this error. I especially like this part (Watchman 1 clipped from original post)

“Once I do you will be responsible to do something about it. This BURDEN will fall on ANY Catholic that reads this.”

That takes the cake. I hope I can sleep at nights @@@
Mary.

 

[TerryOfromCA]

Thanks for the answers so far.
Any others?

 

[Glacies]

St. Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787) emphasizes that it was necessary for Christ to die in order to institute the priesthood and the Holy Mass. If Christ had willed He could have gained the salvation of the whole mankind with His infinitely meritorious prayers or only one drop of His Most Precious Blood. He did not choose to do so wherefore we have the Crucified Lord to be offered up on our altars in Holy Masses. Herefore the manner God gave Himself to us points to the fact He wished it to be renewed in the Catholic way.

Dignity and Duties of the Priest by St. Alphonsus de Liguori, Chapter I. The Dignity of the Priesthood, II. Importance of the Priestly Office:

Jesus has died to institute the priesthood. It was not necessary for the Redeemer to die in order to save the world; a drop of His Blood, a single tear, or prayer, was sufficient to procure salvation for all; for such a prayer, being of infinite value, should be sufficient to save not one but a thousand worlds. But to institute the priesthood, the death of Jesus Christ has been necessary. Had he not died, where should we find the victim that the priests of the New Law now offer? a victim altogether holy and immaculate, capable of giving to God an honor worthy of God. As has been already said, all the lives of men and Angels are not capable of giving to God an infinite honor like that which a priest offers to Him by a single Mass.