Searching

[Chris_W]

Much concerned:

Write and share with me how you are working at getting close to Jesus.

I know many people think of a realtionship with Jesus as being one of happy thoughts and peace and joy. I don’t mean to sound uncheerful or anything, but I find my relationship with Christ deepening most often in my sufferings.

When I hurt in body or spirit for some reason that is when I find my self somehow relating to Christ. It brings to mind His sufferings, and I’m in awe.

When I love and do not feel the love returned, I think if how many times I have not returned love to Jesus who loves me always…and I’m in awe.

When I am worried or stressed out, I imagine what Jesus must have felt in the Garden that night…and I’m in awe.

Many churches have a fellowship that is attractive, and even what seems like a lively faith, but I love the Catholic Church for the depth of beauty in the truths she protects. The merit of my suffering, the sacraments, the explanations of real love, the contemplations of the many saints we honor. I am astounded by how the Church, this great gift of Jesus to us, draws me ever closer to Him.

 

[Orionthehunter]

Much concerned:

Della, Can you show me scriptually that only Catholics can receive the Eucharist???
Much Concerned

I think this is a good question Much Concerned. Let me try to answer it.

First, I think it important to ask some rhetorical questions:

1. Do you believe that the Eucharist was instituted at the Last Supper and given to the Apostles to administer?
2. Are you aware that the Apostles began celebrating Mass immediately after the Resurrection and before the Assension of Christ into heaven adn the Pentecost?
3. Do you understand that the Primacy of Peter (greatest among equals) among the Apostles was evident prior to the Passion of Christ?
4. Do you understand that the heirarchy and institutional framework of the Church (genesis of the Magisterium) began with the selection of the successor to Judas Iscariott?
5. Thus the Pope, Magisterium, Mass and Eucharist pre-dates the Bible.

Now with that understanding, the Church (Pope, Magisterium, etc) was given the power to run the Church on Earth as Christ’s ordained Protector of the Faith. At Pentecost, the Apostles understood that the Eucharist was the source and summit and pinnacle of the Christian Life. And because of its central importance, the Church determined that one must be in full communion with the Church (Christian was once the operative word. However, because of the willfull and voluntary separation of our Christian brethren, being Christian is no longer sufficent but one must be Catholic.) and “worthy”.

For this reason, it is your choice to be separated from the Catholic Church that precludes you from recieving the Eucharist.

Now you might want to believe that you’re separation is insufficient cause since you at least have the wisdom to understand that the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ and I assume that you understand the the Eucharist can only be concecrated by validly ordained Priest by the Church.

However, you are not worthy. As an adult, I’m sure you have committed a mortal sin. The Church deems that anyone whose soul has a mortal sin for which it hasn’t been absolved in Confession is unworthy. This applies to non-Catholics and Catholics alike.

If you are looking for a direct scripture site, I refer you to 1 Cor 11-23-29:

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread,
and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.
A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.

Because the Church is obligated to protect everyone’s soul (Catholic and non-Catholic) they can not condone your receiving.

If this doesn’t answer your question, please let me know where you still differ and we’ll address the issue directly.

 

[Giver]

Aaron I.:

I think you are missing the point. The Eucharist is not the Beatific Vision (being in heaven). The Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus present in the host. No other denomination believes in this. Why would you want to receive the Eucharist if you do not believe Jesus is present? Pres. Clinton once received the Eucharist trying to show support for Catholics. All he showed was ignorance that should have infuriated every Catholic. To put it in perspective, imagine if a foreign diplomat had entered into the Holy of Holies of the Jewish temple.

The sacraments were left to us by Christ as a means of objectively getting closer to him. They were practiced by the early Church before the Bible was even set. I encourage you to view the the CA library and at least see that we have a justification for our beliefs and that we are fully Biblical.

I respect and understand your belief that you need to be a Catholic to receive the Eucharist. You have accepted the Churches teaching about the Eucharist and in most Catholics’ thinking the Church can’t be wrong. I don’t know if you are open to hear another option or not, but I would like to point out that Jesus did say in Mark:

(Mark 9:38 – 40) “John said to Him, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him’. But Jesus said, ‘you must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.”

So even if the Catholic Church is, as you think, the one true Church, Jesus let us know that we didn’t have to belong to any one group to belong to Him. Now if that is so, do you think He would deprive His Body and Blood from anyone who was for Him? Just think if He did deprive someone who was for Him His Body and Blood, then He would have people that were for Him, with no life in them.

You might like to know that in Scripture (Acts 2:46) “They went as a body to the Temple every day but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously they praised God.” Also read (Luke 24). In (Luke 24:30) “Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it an handed it to them.” I believe it is reasonable to believe that when Luke wrote about breaking of the bread he was describing people sharing the Eucharist. You also have to see there wasn’t no ordained priest there.

By the way I am not Catholic and I know that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ.

 

[banjo]

QuoVadis?:

And surely you realize they were written longbefore there was any distinction between Christian and Catholic. QUOTE]

QuoVadis?

I’m sure you already know this, but lest someone else read this and be confused, Catholics are Christians.

 

[banjo]

Giver,

As a matter of interest, do you believe Christ is present in the Eucharist by transubstantiation or by consubstantiation?

 

[Catherine_Grant]

This thread has veered too far off subject.

It is now closed.

For appropriate topics of discussion in this forum, please see
What belongs in Spirituality?

Anyone interested in continuing the discussion on closed communion, or the difference between transubstantiation and consubstantiation, would do well to visit the Apologetics forum.

These Ask An Apologist threads might also be of interest:

Consubstantiation

Transubstantiation

Transubstantiation “vs” Real Presence

Am I a heretic?

Did Augustine believe in transubstantiation?

How is Christ’s sacrifice continued in heaven?

Where can I find documentation that a non-Catholic should not receive Communion?

Wouldn’t Jesus share His meal?

If they believe in the real presence, do members of other faiths have it?

Why do we not give non-believers the Eucharist?

Why can’t I receive communion?

Am I sinning?

Can Christ be fully present when one only believes in spiritual communion?