Take communion only if

[Victorious]

Better yet His forgiveness is not limited to only the confessional next to the altar. God is right there with us 24/7, wherever a Catholic or non-Catholic is. It’s not challenging to receive Christ’s forgiveness unless you make it so. He already met the challenge for us, paid the ultimate price, and overcame death by His Resurrection. Peace.

Apparently, it is a challenge for some people to receive God’s forgiveness on His terms and not their own. We are the ones in need of mercy; we are therefore not in a position to dictate terms.

If you do not believe the ‘whole faith’ you put yourself in danger, not because ‘I’ say so but because God Himself says so. Don’t wind up with the goats bleating that “I expelled demons in your name, Jesus” while He tells you that He never knew you. Don’t you think those goats were pretty ‘damn’ sure that they ‘had it right’ even though they went about picking and choosing and ignoring things like actually doing what Christ told them to do and instead decided to only ‘pick and choose’ what THEY wanted? They wanted the glamor and glitz and the ‘look at me’, not the hard work and never being ‘recognized’. They wanted to be looked on as the ‘powerful ones’, the ‘smart ones’, not the quiet and obedient ones.

There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25. A point so important that the Holy Spirit repeats Himself making it.

 

[ProVobis]

Better yet His forgiveness is not limited to only the confessional next to the altar. God is right there with us 24/7, wherever a Catholic or non-Catholic is. It’s not challenging to receive Christ’s forgiveness unless you make it so. He already met the challenge for us, paid the ultimate price, and overcame death by His Resurrection.

So why even bother going to Church?

 

[RobBahoura]

The word catholic means UNIVERSAL so the catholic church is for everybody. A lot of people do not except the teachings of the real presents of the body and blood of Christ so it is there own fault for not taking it. The forgiveness of sins and the body and blood of Christ are for every one. It is just up to them to find the truth.

 

[CMatt25]

Why are you attempting to raise up a false idea that Catholics ‘limit’ God’s forgiveness ‘only to the confessional’ while God ‘forgives’ outside and everywhere 24/7?

If you haven’t forgotten, Catholic Christian teaching is that confession of mortal sins is the norm but that if that cannot be met, one may make an act of Perfect Contrition. Of course, that is made with the idea that as soon as possible one then proceeds to sacramental confession.

Your statements imply that Catholic teaching ‘impedes’ us from receiving Christ’s forgiveness because WE have ‘made it too challenging’ with our ‘insistence’ on confession. . .but you’re a Catholic yourself. . .you really should know better.

I say this with respect and certainly not wishing to in any way ‘turn’ someone from the true faith. . .

But seriously. . .Christ warned us about ‘lukewarm’ people --and many of today’s upholders of the "gospel of relativism’ are lukewarm.

Make your yes ‘yes’ and your no ‘no.’ If you believe the Catholic faith you need to believe–and uphold–all of it. No picking and choosing, no backbiting, no "I’m a Catholic but I believe it’s not all ‘right’.

If you do not believe the ‘whole faith’ you put yourself in danger, not because ‘I’ say so but because God Himself says so. Don’t wind up with the goats bleating that “I expelled demons in your name, Jesus” while He tells you that He never knew you. Don’t you think those goats were pretty ‘damn’ sure that they ‘had it right’ even though they went about picking and choosing and ignoring things like actually doing what Christ told them to do and instead decided to only ‘pick and choose’ what THEY wanted? They wanted the glamor and glitz and the ‘look at me’, not the hard work and never being ‘recognized’. They wanted to be looked on as the ‘powerful ones’, the ‘smart ones’, not the quiet and obedient ones.

Sorry I wasn’t attempting to raise any false idea. Jmcrae is the one who said go to confession in the confessional.

Lukewarm does not mean you must adhere to everything the Catholic Church says. In that case you must judge all except the devoutest of the devoutest Catholics lukewarm and I don’t think you really want to do that.

Lukewarm means you profess Christ by mouth but not in heart. Confessing Christ but then placing your love not primarily with Him but with worldly things. Where your faith is dead without expressing it in loving works to others. There are Catholics of various degrees and stripes and others who are non-Catholic all whose faith is not lukewarm. I do not sit here in judgment. God bless and peace.

 

[CMatt25]

So why even bother going to Church?

Because the early Chrittians met together in worship and not only individually. Matt 18:20, Acts 20:7, Eph 5:19, 1 Cor 16:2 etc

 

[Victorious]

Lukewarm does not mean you must adhere to everything the Catholic Church says.

I don’t know what this sentence means. But if you are are Catholic, you are in fact obliged to adhere to everything the Catholic Church teaches.

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2088 The first commandment requires us to nourish and protect our faith with prudence and vigilance, and to reject everything that is opposed to it. There are various ways of sinning against faith:

Voluntary doubt about the faith disregards or refuses to hold as true what God has revealed and the Church proposes for belief. Involuntary doubt refers to hesitation in believing, difficulty in overcoming objections connected with the faith, or also anxiety aroused by its obscurity. If deliberately cultivated doubt can lead to spiritual blindness.

2089 Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it. “Heresy is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.”

 

[CMatt25]

I don’t know what this sentence means. But if you are are Catholic, you are in fact obliged to adhere to everything the Catholic Church teaches.

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

If you read the rest of my post I explained what it meant. God bless and peace.

 

[jmcrae]

Because the early Chrittians met together in worship and not only individually. Matt 18:20, Acts 20:7, Eph 5:19, 1 Cor 16:2 etc

Yes, they went to Mass.

 

[jmcrae]

Sorry I wasn’t attempting to raise any false idea. Jmcrae is the one who said go to confession in the confessional.

If “something” is impeding you from receiving Holy Communion, then that “something” has to (and can be) confessed in the Confessional, if you are a Catholic. That was my meaning. Obviously, God forgives us of our venial sins every time we come to Mass and every time we pray.

Lukewarm does not mean you must adhere to everything the Catholic Church says. In that case you must judge all except the devoutest of the devoutest Catholics lukewarm and I don’t think you really want to do that.

Is it your ambition to be less than devout?

 

[Tantum_ergo]

CMatt, I’ve said that I don’t judge you at all. . .but really, are you trying to argue that you don’t ‘have’ to believe it all? What is the cutoff then on what ‘must’ be believed? Where is the teaching of the Church that says you only need believe 'some?"

We aren’t talking about issues such as just war, here, CMatt. We are talking about issues like the reception of reconciliation/confession.

You and I can agree- or disagree–as Catholics over whether capital punishment is ever necessary. We can agree or disagree on a private revelation such as Fatima or Lourdes and what it means.

We cannot disagree however over whether as a Catholic one must attend Mass on Sundays or holy days unless there is good reason that we miss --those reasons being rather specifically those of illness, of the necessity to care for infants or elderly, or the physical impossibility of attendance. There is simply no way for example that you --or I–could say that Mass on Sunday is simply an 'option-- a ‘good thing’, but not necessary.

And it’s the same for sacramental confession. Regarding venial sins it is not necessary to confess to a priest (though it certainly is a good idea to do so). . .but regarding mortal sins, it IS necessary. It is only under very grave circumstance that one can make an Act of Perfect Contrition and even if that is done, one is still bound to get to sacramental confession as soon as one possibly can. Others may read your words and say, “Well, if THIS Catholic believes confession to a priest is not necessary --and being a Catholic, he ought to KNOW what his Church teaches–then it appears to me that some, if not many Catholics, believe and teach this” and if some other Catholics don’t contradict him, a casual reader will assume that CMatt is ‘teaching’ correct Catholic doctrine on the subject. But it is NOT correct to state that Catholics make God’s forgiveness ‘too complicated’ or to imply that confession is not ‘necessary’.

 

[CMatt25]

Is it your ambition to be less than devout?

No my ambition is to devoutly serve our Lord according to my informed conscience so as not to condemn myself nor lose my soul…

“A human being must always follow the certain judgment of his conscience. If he were to deliberately act against it he would condemn himself.” Catechism of the Catholic Church #1790)

“He who acts against his conscience loses his soul.” (Fourth Lateran council, 1215)

 

[crazzeto]

I just have to ask a question that has plagued me for many many years regarding the rules of getting ready and/or being worthy to take Holy Communion.

Where in scripture does Jesus say, do this in memory of my…if? If you are Catholic. If you have been to confession and so on.

It is my understanding that our Father sent Jesus for all people. I have never seen anywhere in scripture where Jesus ever turned anyone away. He did infact seek out to help the town prostitute, tax collectors and so on because He said that the well people don’t need a doctor. So, why would communion only be for the few that are catholic and not everyone? Doesn’t this rule make a division between Jesus and man because the catholics “corner the market” on who is worthy to take communion?

St Paul said it:

1Co 11:27 Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord.

 

[CMatt25]

Others may read your words and say, “Well, if THIS Catholic believes confession to a priest is not necessary --and being a Catholic, he ought to KNOW what his Church teaches–then it appears to me that some, if not many Catholics, believe and teach this” and if some other Catholics don’t contradict him, a casual reader will assume that CMatt is ‘teaching’ correct Catholic doctrine on the subject. But it is NOT correct to state that Catholics make God’s forgiveness ‘too complicated’ or to imply that confession is not ‘necessary’.

I’m sure you are not arguing that others would be incorrect to assume some, if not many, informed and knowledgeable Catholics nevertheless in good conscience must dissent from this or that teaching. You surely know better than that and live in the real world. God bless and peace to you.

 

[jmcrae]

No my ambition is to devoutly serve our Lord according to my informed conscience so as not to condemn myself nor lose my soul…

“A human being must always follow the certain judgment of his conscience. If he were to deliberately act against it he would condemn himself.” Catechism of the Catholic Church #1790)

“He who acts against his conscience loses his soul.” (Fourth Lateran council, 1215)

Of course, in so doing, we need to make sure that we are educating our conscience, and that what we are following is, in fact, our conscience, and not our concupiscence.

 

[CMatt25]

Of course, in so doing, we need to make sure that we are educating our conscience, and that what we are following is, in fact, our conscience, and not our concupiscence.

Indeed

 

[jmcrae]

I’m sure you are not arguing that others would be incorrect to assume some, if not many, Catholics in good conscience dissent from this or that teaching. You surely know better than that and live in the real world.

Many people who dissent do so because they have been influenced by the media, or because they’re going by what sounds good, and haven’t really thought it through, or because they think that their conscience is the same thing as their personal opinion.

Other than some pretty rare situations, it’s hard to see how a good conscience could be compatible with dissent from Church teachings.

You can understand someone who thinks hormonal birth control is okay, because he doesn’t understand that the hormone is artificially induced. That’s a guy who dissents with good conscience. Once he “gets” that the hormone pill isn’t facilitating a naturally occurring situation, but rather is artificially inducing the hormone, he gets back on track. (Just to give an example; not trying to drive us off-topic.)

However, if someone understands that it’s artificial, and goes ahead and uses it anyway, he isn’t using his good conscience - he’s just outright rebelling, because it suits him to.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

I’m sure you are not arguing that others would be incorrect to assume some, if not many, informed and knowledgeable Catholics nevertheless in good conscience must dissent from this or that teaching. You surely know better than that and live in the real world. God bless and peace to you.

Oh I’m sure that many ‘informed and knowledgeable Catholics’ think that they have a ‘well informed’ conscience and are perfectly sure that ‘they’ are right and that the Catholic Church is just wrong.

But all the thinking in the world, no matter how ‘brilliant’ the person may be, no matter how ‘deep’ and ‘pure’ and ‘holy’ his FEELINGS may be cannot change truth to falsehood or falsehood to truth.

I notice how often it is that a person who, shall we say ‘questions’ an article of faith, tells those who obey that faith that 'you don’t live in the real world --as though 'living in the “real world” demands that one dissent and disobey as a matter of course!. . . as though simple obedience is for the **stupid and those who cling to a ‘fantasy’. As though simply saying that "informed **conscience’ and ‘impartial knowledge’ and ‘reasoned choice’ is for the intelligent, the daring, the brave, the intellectual, the truly ‘heroic’ person who dares to 'think things for myself–code word for 'dissenting from teachings.'

And it never seems to occur to them that those of us who choose (through OUR informed conscience, using our impartial knowledge, and making a reasoned choice) to humbly submit, obey, and acknowledge the Truth of the Catholic Faith and its teachings have thought things through --in the REAL WORLD–as much if not more than they.

For they have the plaudits of the world, the flesh, and (I’m sure you remember the third) to pat them on the back for being ‘independent thinkers’) and we have that same world, flesh, and you-know-who despising, mocking and insulting us as “Sheeple”, "holier-than-thou’, mindless bigots, brainless nits, etc. and implying that while THEY are so brilliant and independent, we’re stupid, wailing, frightened and dependent lemmings. . . .

 

[CMatt25]

Tantum ergo and Jmcrae, in no way was I meaning to put you or anyone else down by what I said about the real world. My point about it remains that there are plenty of informed Catholics who dissent in good conscience from this or that. They do not only think they have well informed consciences. They do. May God bless us all on CAF as we each walk our walks of faith. Catholic and non Catholic Christians with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thru Whom all things are possible. And may His Peace be with all of us, His children, always. Amen.

 

[Victorious]

My point about it remains that there are plenty of informed Catholics who dissent in good conscience from this or that. They do not only think they have well informed consciences. They do.

No, they don’t. That is a deceit that comes straight out of hell. God, on the other hand, can neither deceive nor be deceived, so when we are presented with a truth revealed by God through the Church, that truth requires not our approval, but our assent. No one has the right to dissent from the truth. When you dissent from the truth, you are by definition not acting in good conscience.

Here is a classic example of the extent to which the heresy of modernism has permeated the Church.

 

[Anneymay]

Say a person goes to confession, receives absolution, does their penance. You still have not followed what Jesus said. Going to confession is not going back to your brother, telling him what you have done, reconcile with that person and repent. Going to confession gets your forgiveness from God but He still says that we have to go to the person himself or herself and reconcile with that particular person. To use confession as you stated is a matter of using it to dodge a bullet thus allowing a person to never having to face the person that they have wronged.

It was Jesus who said, If you are in a dispute with your brother, leave your gift on the Altar, go back to your brother, and reconcile with him, before making your offering. So, yes, Jesus said, (in different words) Go to Confession (also known as Reconciliation, or being reconciled), before partaking of the Sacrifice of the Altar which is Holy Communion.

At the Last Supper, it was the founding members of the Catholic Church who were given the authority to “Do this in remembrance of Me.” There were no non-Catholics present there.

The Catholic Church does not turn anyone away. Anyone can become a Catholic - prostitutes, tax collectors, and even Pharisees - but it is assumed that they have all repented, and are no longer living in sin. Jesus never told any tax collector or prostitute to go ahead and continue in their sins - He said, “you are forgiven. Now, go and sin no more.”