From Pastor to Parishioner: My Love for Christ Led Me Home (to the Catholic Church)

This Rock Magazine ^ | Drake McCalister

[OLD REGGIE]

my Catholic church offers both bread and wine, the Body and Blood of Jesus, at each mass. Jesus is fully present in either one.

Jesus said, concerning the bread, "this is my body"; concerning the wine, "this is my blood". He did not say, concerning either the bread or the wine, "this is my body and my blood."

You know better?

[tioga]

I receive His complete body in the bread. His complete blood in the wine. Many Catholic churches have just the Body of Christ.....I am not bothered by it. He is present in either form and my “communion” with him is complete.

Do I detect a bit of arrogance in your post? I hope not.

[Running On Empty]

I believe that this post is a personal affront to the person you are adreesin it to.

[Running On Empty]

ping

[Running On Empty]

adreesin=addressing

[tioga]

I agree, but I am attempting to be a Christian and play nice. Thanks.

[OLD REGGIE]

Do I detect a bit of arrogance in your post? I hope not.

Well, I do admit to arrogance at times, but not in this instance. Your Church, in it's wisdom, has arbitrarily changed the Eucharist.

FWIW I don't doubt your sincerity or your standing with God.

[tioga]

How so?

[OLD REGGIE]

How so?

Communion in one kind is a change from the way Jesus taught it to His disciples. It is not Scriptural.

[Running On Empty]

I’m glad you are practicing Christian charity.

I still believe the post I referred to is a personal attack on your integrity and should be recognized as such. None of us is in a postion to pronounce condemnation on another—even under the disguise of “you have condemned yourself”.

ears-to-hear, you have also told tioga that he/she has not repented. What is the source of your knowledge of anyone’s repentance or lack therof?

It’s out of line.

[ears_to_hear]

There is repentance and there is repentance.
There is the repentance the world gives and the repentance granted by God

The repentance granted by God leads one to run to the cross for salvation and not to a church

[Running On Empty]

And are you the arbiter of the difference?

[tioga]

Amen!

[tioga]

Which is why the Church has corrected itself and now offers both. I, however, often suffer from sinus infections and do not receive from the cup so as not to infect others. When I am infected it usually takes months to clear up. Do you mean to imply that if I do not take both I am not in Communion with my Lord? The reason I do often don’t is just to keep others from becoming ill.

Do you find ANY reason acceptable for not receiving both?

[tioga]

Are you suggesting NO church is acceptable?

[NYer]

You figure some of your church fathers were as ignorant as we are when it comes to sola scripture and your church tradition (which apparently didn't exist at the time of your church fathers)???

The early church fathers followed the teachings of Christ and the Apostles.

Paul speaks of oral tradition as authoritative.
2 Thessalonians 2:15
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

2 Timothy 2:2
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

1 Corinthians 11:2
Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

1 Thessalonians 2:13
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Early Christians followed apostolic tradition.
Acts 2:42
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

The great commission by Christ was to preach not to write.
Matthew 28:19-20
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.

Notice they followed what our Lord commanded. Can you show me where in the Bible our Lord commanded His disciples to write down His words, compile them into a book and distribute it for all to follow?

[Iscool]

The early church fathers followed the teachings of Christ and the Apostles.

Exactly...And your early church fathers believed in sola scripture as was pointed out...

An interesting thing is that your church fathers are every Christian's church fathers...But neither did our church fathers nor Jesus Christ start the Catholic church...According to the church fathers, it was the universal (universal in English, small c catholic in Latin) church that was the one, only and true church...

Your capital C Catholic church didn't come into effect til much later...

I imagine it was when your group started killing off the universal church that it claimed to be the (big C) Catholic church...The one and only...

But when you realize the church fathers believed in Sola Scripture, it puts a different twist on your church history...

[NYer]

And your early church fathers believed in sola scripture as was pointed out...

Did you not read my post? And where is your response to my question:

.. show me where in the Bible our Lord commanded His disciples to write down His words, compile them into a book and distribute it for all to follow?

I'm a patient person.

[OLD REGGIE]

Do you find ANY reason acceptable for not receiving both?

I thought I had answered that question in my post #137.

To repeat; I believe you are in perfect standing with God.

We, the nutty Unitarians, believe God loves each one of us and doesn't insist on any specific formula's. Simply spoken, love God and do the best you can do.

I know you love God.

[armydoc]

Catholics are TOTALLY based on Scripture. It is unbelievable that if you are so Bible based, then why don't you do the main thing that Jesus told you to do.... "This is My Body..."Take My Body and Eat It....Take My Blood and drink It"??? Why do Protestants just blow that off like it's not in the Bible, yet they accuse us of not being Bible based?

That's great news! If I'm to take the Bible's teaching on the Eucharist literally, then I am eternally saved no matter what I believe, profess, or do! John 6:51 reads: I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world".

The great news is that I took the Catholic Eucharist hundreds of times. I'm saved!