Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ

[PJM]

Originally Posted by choy

our relationship with Jesus Christ is a communal one. we are all part of one Church, which is a community of believers, and this Church is One with Jesus Christ (the bride, the mystical body)

there is no “personal” relationship with Jesus. its not a one-on-one relationship between us and Jesus, but rather a relationship with Jesus and His Church, which is ALL OF US

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Of course we are in a Persoanl relatonship with God. That is the precise and proper use of our Minds, Intellcts and Freewill [all Siritual Gifts] Isaiah 43:21* “the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”.

**In fact the Relationship Catholics HAVE with Christ; is NOT ONLY Personal it is Intimate and Personal."/B] Catholic Holy Comunion where we receive the REAL Body, Blood, Soul and Dvinity of th Glorifed nad risen Christ. Amen!

 

[csx333]

All, I appreciate your responses and have much to consider, as I hope to become Roman Catholic soon. God Bless you for your care and concern,

Riley Kinney

 

[Newbie2]

In the Catholic Church I sense that a personal relationship is developed by participating in the Sacraments, although I have not been able to do so myself.

Yep. Both personal and communal.

our relationship with Jesus Christ is a communal one. we are all part of one Church, which is a community of believers, and this Church is One with Jesus Christ (the bride, the mystical body)

there is no “personal” relationship with Jesus. its not a one-on-one relationship between us and Jesus, but rather a relationship with Jesus and His Church, which is ALL OF US

Beg to differ.

“Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed”.

If there was not a personal dimension, why would we say “…I am not worthy…” rather than “…we are not worthy…”

the Sacraments are not a personal relationship with Jesus. Sacraments are ways Jesus delivers His Grace to us. and as with my earlier statement, the Sacraments not only forms a bond between ourselves and Jesus, it also forms a bond between ourselves and His Church. i don’t think there’s anything in the Church that would purely isolate yourself and Jesus from everyone else, the view is always communal because that is what the Church is, a community of believers

I think you’re misunderstanding the use of the term “personal relationship” as "an exclusive personal relationship. We can and do have a personal as well as a communal relationship between ourselves and our Lord.

So, you would teach us that the Eucharist is not personal ? That Confession is impersonal ?

Yep, Reconciliation has more of a personal dimension than a communal one. If that were not the case, we would have general confession and absolution instead of individual.

there is no error. the Eucharist unites us with Christ, but is in just you and Jesus? no. everyone who partakes in the Eucharist becomes one with Christ. its not just you in the body of Christ, or just me in the body of Christ. its all of us in the body of Christ as one.

fromt the CCC

1331 Holy Communion, because by this sacrament we unite ourselves to Christ, who makes us sharers in his Body and Blood to form a single body.151 We also call it: the holy things (ta hagia; sancta)152 - the first meaning of the phrase “communion of saints” in the Apostles’ Creed - the bread of angels, bread from heaven, medicine of immortality, viaticum. . . .

nothing personal about the Eucharist. it brings us all together into One Body

None of what you wrote or quoted disputes that we can have both a personal and communal relationship with our Lord through the Sacraments.

Sure we share it with others. But if our relationship isn’t personal with the Lord, why would he have every hair on our heads numbered?

You simply cannot deny a personal dimension in our relationship to our Lord or you deny implicit Catholic teaching. We do not stress the individual nature of this relationship as to many evangelical protestant groups, but we still hold it as true.

 

[PJM]

Originally Posted by choy
the Sacraments are not a personal relationship with Jesus. Sacraments are ways Jesus delivers His Grace to us. and as with my earlier statement, the Sacraments not only forms a bond between ourselves and Jesus, it also forms a bond between ourselves and His Church.

=TriuneUnity;6576669]As a Protestant, choy… I think your statements above are completely accurate.

Besides, everyone has a personal relationship with Jesus. You’re either under His wrath and condemnation or you’ve been buried with Him in Baptism and raised to new life in Him.

***Sorry to disagree with both of you. But it is IMPOSSIBLE to seperate Chrsit from HIS Sacraments. Can’t be done.

Further the Sacraments make possible, enhance and facilitate our [Catholics] Personal Realtionship with God through Jesus Christ.***

Love and prayers,
Pat

 

[distracted]

our relationship with Jesus Christ is a communal one. we are all part of one Church, which is a community of believers, and this Church is One with Jesus Christ (the bride, the mystical body)

there is no “personal” relationship with Jesus. its not a one-on-one relationship between us and Jesus, but rather a relationship with Jesus and His Church, which is ALL OF US

thanks for that reminder.

but what if the Church members think you are a fanatic or [whatever]?

sometimes it seems that we are all left alone with Jesus…

but on the other hand… whne i feel separated from Him… which is almost all the time i’m ouside the Church… talking to Him … wel, it does me some good and i get direction and all that… but i feel my personal relationship w/ Jesus is solely centered on the Real Presene When i’m There i know Him and i know how my life looks to a holy God… The longer i stay There the better i understand what it is He wants to show me… give me… .etc…

so the most intimate relationship u can w/ Christ is found in the Ctholic Church…

not surprising since thts the original Church… and Jesus said He would never leave us (St Mt 28:20 etc…)

 

[distracted]

***Sorry to disagree with both of you. But it is IMPOSSIBLE to seperate Chrsit from HIS Sacraments. Can’t be done.

Further the Sacraments make possible, enhance and facilitate our [Catholics] Personal Realtionship with God through Jesus Christ.***

Love and prayers,
Pat

why do u disagree w/ the 2nd one?

i agree w/ it more/less… i think its incomplete cuz i think evn those of us who NOT under His wrath are still under the wrath of God…

as long as we are human and living on this earth… (but hopefully not afterwards) we have to deal with God’s wrath against our sinfulness…

thats why Jesus hadto come and suffer so much and pay the price for us… do for us what we could not do 4 ourselves…

 

[brb3]

God the Father, God the Son, God the H.S. … 3 persons, one unified Being — to whom the Christian is BONDED in Familial / Personal Covenantal Relationship.

The Apostles had a personal relationship with Christ. Can the Christian today exist w/o that same relationship ? Theoretical relationships are imaginations, a zero, a nothing. Thus, Christ taught that at the final judgment he would say “Depart from me, I never KNEW YOU”. That’s why Paul repeatedly taught we must be IN CHRIST, to see the Kingdom.

 

[Donkey_Gong]

Gotta get that personal relationship, man

 

[distracted]

Gotta get that personal relationship, man

and the best way to do that is to be with Him in the Real Presence as much as possible

maybe thats why Jesus said that not many find the narrow way to Heaven… not many find Him There… just a thought

 

[Reuben_J]

I have no problem with the term ‘personal relationship’. I guess it depends on what we mean by it. If it means to be exclusive without being communal then of course it is not right.

It’s been said nicely here but if I may add, my personal relationship with Jesus is my personal response to him. And that is me alone who decides, who’s responsible for my soul. NO other can do that for me. Even if we are members of the same family, I am responsible for my own salvation. I cannot do it on behalf of my daughter, for example. SO I need to have the correct personal relationship with Jesus because it is about me and him.

All of this personal relationship certainly does not mean that Jesus or we do not have a communal relationship. I think it boils down to the definition. I suppose we should not be too defensive about it especially if Protestants seem to use it more than us. Not everything Protestant is wrong. There are lots that we have in common especially in the basic.

I note that the Alpha program, which is started by an Anglican Pastor. It has attracted so many Christians and the bulk of them are Catholics. One of the reasons why it is acceptable to Christians of so many denominations is because it simply focuses on the basic belief of Christianity which we share.

Na, no problem with the term ‘personal relationship’.

 

[distracted]

I have no problem with the term ‘personal relationship’. I guess it depends on what we mean by it. If it means to be exclusive without being communal then of course it is not right.

. I suppose we should not be too defensive about it especially if Protestants seem to use it more than us. Not everything Protestant is wrong. There are lots that we have in common especially in the basic.

I note that the Alpha program, which is started by an Anglican Pastor. It has attracted so many Christians and the bulk of them are Catholics. One of the reasons why it is acceptable to Christians of so many denominations is because it simply focuses on the basic belief of Christianity which we share.

.

i find the term rather subjective sounding… or maybe very subjective sounding actually…

you can think u have a relationship with someone… but you realy don’t have a GOOD one…

i have read stories about men who stalked women they didn’t even know… it was… say some co-worker they saw one time and they get fixated… start following, calling the person… leaving notes… but they don’t KNOW her…

yet they call this a relationship…

some people are like that with Jesus, it seems… they knew OF Him… they speak OF Him and hear others speak OF Him at Church… whether Cath or P…

but they let all or most of His words go in one ear and out the other… apparently…

In other words, you can tell by their fruits that that relationship is… uh… not too good…

so the Q should be Do you have a CLOSE relationship w/ Jesus… ?

and i never did…

well, its true that i had a close thing w/ Him when i was “saved” (arg… hate that way of saying it… but i had a conversion experience in my teens… fell in love w/ Jesus…) In any case… that only lasted 2 yrs… then… long story… things began to unravel for me… in just about every way, not just spiritually…

then i prayed the rosary (obviously a very Catholic prayer)

Then i began to go to Mass as often as possible… and spend long periods of time in His Presence…

That was when i started to have a close relationship with Jesus… one that could not be destroyed by… uh… “things [that] begin to unravel for me… in just about every way, not just spiritually…”

I’m so thankful i found HIm… and His Church

 

[brb3]

zenit.org/article-27296?l=english

Good find ! Pope Benedict says its a Personal Relationship, and a great Church saint taught this many years before the Protestants ‘co-opted’ this Catholic teaching existing from Day One of the Church.

It seems some Catholics avoid or reject the term because the Protestants emphasize it. These Catholics need to be reminded the Church Universal has ALWAYS had this understanding — that Christ taught his disciples. Protestants need to be reminded they cannot claim this idea as their Original one.

Christ taught BOTH private and collective unity in Himself. We come to him as free will individuals, yet we can only truly grow IN CHRIST within the brotherhood of his Church body. Scripture teaches 'whereever two or three are gathered in my name, there am I ".

 

[PJM]

=brb3;6626770]Good find ! Pope Benedict says its a Personal Relationship, and a great Church saint taught this many years before the Protestants ‘co-opted’ this Catholic teaching existing from Day One of the Church.

It seems some Catholics avoid or reject the term because the Protestants emphasize it. These Catholics need to be reminded the Church Universal has ALWAYS had this understanding — that Christ taught his disciples. Protestants need to be reminded they cannot claim this idea as their Original one.

Christ taught BOTH private and collective unity in Himself. We come to him as free will individuals, yet we can only truly grow IN CHRIST within the brotherhood of his Church body. Scripture teaches 'whereever two or three are gathered in my name, there am I ".

This truth extends to the FACT that judgment wil NOT be our our “communal beliefs”, RATHER they will be on our Personal beliefs.

 

[FaithInHim84]

even my parish priest makes that distinction. he says during easter vigil that we should put the candle high up above our heads. and explains that if we hold in low and close to our face or bodies, it doesn’t shine as bright as if its held high. and this is the difference between faith that is personal, and a faith that is shared to all

Wow. That’s so beautiful

 

[Karmartia]

Wow. That’s so beautiful

Yeah, I thought the same thing. What a wonderful priest!

When I pray (and I’m not particularly gifted at prayer) I do sometimes feel a “personal relationship” with Christ. However, more often than not it is less personal because I am asking for something or whining about something. I call out to Him as the beggar that I am and hope for the crumbs that fall from His table. It is a Lord and servant dynamic. But when I recieve Him in Holy Communion I am filled, because He has shared Himself not only with me but with all my brothers and sisters. The relationship I feel is more deeply personal, because I have joined in His sacrifice, and I share in His blood and His life, and His death and His spirit, with everybody else. I have become greater than the sum of my parts. It’s hard to describe with words, as is anything that is truly beautiful. But it is complete and I am left wanting nothing.

 

[FaithInHim84]

Yeah, I thought the same thing. What a wonderful priest!

When I pray (and I’m not particularly gifted at prayer) I do sometimes feel a “personal relationship” with Christ. However, more often than not it is less personal because I am asking for something or whining about something. I call out to Him as the beggar that I am and hope for the crumbs that fall from His table. It is a Lord and servant dynamic. But when I recieve Him in Holy Communion I am filled, because He has shared Himself not only with me but with all my brothers and sisters. The relationship I feel is more deeply personal, because I have joined in His sacrifice, and I share in His blood and His life, and His death and His spirit, with everybody else. I have become greater than the sum of my parts. It’s hard to describe with words, as is anything that is truly beautiful. But it is complete and I am left wanting nothing.

You described it well. When we are in Holy Communion, we stop whining and thinking about the things that are un-important. When I married my husband, our pastor had us take Communion. I cried because even though I’ve been a Christian for a long time, I acquired a deeper, more “personal” understanding, that I don’t have to be over-zealous in my Faith. It is the faith and example that speaks for itself.

Thank you for what you said. When we are filled with His spirit, there is no room for anything wicked.

 

[distracted]

i hate to say this (or do i?)

but anyhow, just personal observation… it seems that those who claim to have such a “personal relationship” w/ Jesus (which again, is a very subjective-sounding term and really doesn’t tell anyone much)… are the worst ones as far as …

well, an example:

i had a “friend” who claimed she had this personal thing w/ Jesus and kept asking people… even total strangers: “Do you have a personal relationship w/ Jesus?”



when i got really strong in the Catholic faith… which (surprise surprise) she had long ago rejected… she began to act like the devil himself… started screaming at me all the time… criticizing my beliefs… making me seem like i was FAR FAR from Jesus because i was going back (not that i ever really left) to the Catholic Church…

She told me that GOD had told her to leave the Catholic Church…

i asked her, “What God… the god of this world?”

to which she began to spew out more venom…

lovely…

 

[choy]

not that i’m saying Catholics do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, but our overall relationship with Jesus is more than just personal. there is the personal aspect, and there is also the communal aspect, which is the Church. it goes together and inseperable

the problem with the definition of some of the Protestant Churches of PERSONAL is that it means you have a one-on-one relationship with Jesus, and that you don’t need a Church to have that relationship with Jesus. which is contrary to Catholic teaching. the emphasis of Catholic faith is communal because the Church is communal, its composed of the entirety of believers in Jesus. when we receive Jesus through the Eucharist, we seek communion with Jesus, which is to become one with Jesus. this is the personal aspect of it, but the Eucharist also forms a communion between us and His Church.

i think the way “personal” is used in context today is one of the greatest heresies of our time. because the thrust is to move away from the Church. i have a conversation with a non-denom once, and he always says, “i don’t need a religion, i don’t need a church. i have a personal relationship with Christ.” and thats the problem, we’re forgetting what the Church is and what it is for. we do not become one with Christ with our bodies and our souls alone, we become one with Christ through the Church. the Church is the mystical body of Christ, if we’re not part of the Church, we cannot be part of Christ.

 

[Mayita30]

Southern Baptists, among other groups, speak of needing a personal relationship with Jesus. Being a “not-yet Catholic but hunger to be” can you tell me what the Church’s position is on this term, process, etc. and if it is considered orthodox.

Thanks,

Riley Kinney

A personal relationship with Chrsit for me is praying to him at night and also in the morning, thanking God before eating meals,going to Church every Sunday and receiving the sacraments, reading God’s word in the bible, offer my daily work/sacrifices to God…

 

[distracted]

A personal relationship with Chrsit for me is praying to him at night and also in the morning, thanking God before eating meals,going to Church every Sunday and receiving the sacraments, reading God’s word in the bible, offer my daily work/sacrifices to God…

proud to be Catholic??? Pride comes b4 a fall…

just giving you a hard time…

because i (bill clinton moment) … could…

anyhow… dont know if you’ve spent much time in the Real Presence, but to me that is the ultimte personal relationsjhip with Jesus…

so to say that Catholics dont have this personal relationship w/ Jesus is… uh… well, i have to say some of them dont… it seems MOST Catholics dont spend any appreciable time There… but the one who do…