Rapture & praying as Pagans Q's

[Presence]

Now regarding the Protestant version of the Rapture us Catholics, as a way of showing them that their belief is in fact erroneous, question them as to how Jesus can return two more times, as opposed to just the Second Coming where Jesus returns only once.

I am just wondering how our rebuttal to their belief squares away with Jesus being really present in the Eucharist. Can it really be considered a Second Coming if Jesus returns ‘invisibly’ to rapture away true believers? If so then are we ignoring the fact that He is already present in the Eucharist?

I wish I had time to write this more understandably…

Another question that popped into my head after listening to Catholic Radio at 2 in the morning was after I heard one of the Catholic priests lead a prayer group. And he would say something like, “Almighty God” or “Son of God” or “Most precious Lamb” or “Eternal Lord” and so on and so forth in naming God and Jesus Christ and the prayer group would in turn say “Graciously hear us O Lord” or something like that. My question has to do with praying “like the pagans”.

Reason being is because I was reading about what Jesus meant when He said that in an article that may have been in Q/A form and it explained that “praying as pagans” meant that the person praying would name their god in a variety of ways in hopes that they would say the right name and their god would hear them. Is this not exactly what is going on with this prayer group?

 

[Presence]

Bump

 

[ElizabethJoy]

I seem to keep plugging the same site.

John Martignoni has an absolutely wonderful CD called The Rapture and the Bible - it goes into many aspects of Rapture theology, including the Biblical notion that to be “Left Behind” means that you’re one of the “good guys!” You want to be one of those who are “left behind” - which is completely contrary to LeHaye’s faulty theology!

BibleChristianSociety.com - all of his CD’s are just terrific, with lots of Biblical references that are so necessary when you’re speaking with “Bible-Only” Christians, but this is one of my favorites.

 

[Presence]

Really great site, I clicked the first link I noticed on the page and have to say I’m already learning something. This is great!

Still haven’t got around to getting my answers yet, I’m sure the answer is out there, I could probably even answer this myself, but it doesn’t hurt to get another Catholics perspective.

 

[ElizabethJoy]

Presence:

I was reading about what Jesus meant when He said that in an article that may have been in Q/A form and it explained that “praying as pagans” meant that the person praying would name their god in a variety of ways in hopes that they would say the right name and their god would hear them. Is this not exactly what is going on with this prayer group?

Jesus was talking about praying to “gods” who don’t exist - idols and graven images or mythological “gods” - that is vain repetition because the prayer isn’t going to anyone, anywhere.

I haven’t been Catholic long enough to understand the reason for the litanies… The Litany of the Saints, I understand, but maybe the reason for naming Christ or God with so many different appellations is that some will resonate better with you than others, while I will identify more strongly with different ones than you do.

Litanies could also be a way of teaching about and praising the various characteristics of God - Lamb of God and The Good Shepherd as two of the many aspects of the Christ, for instance.

I’m sure that someone more knowledgeable than I about this topic will answer you better.