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Then why do you do them? Albeit every denomination has “processes” but why do you let them eat up so much of the time that could be spent on the Bible, praying, or witnessing.

It flows directly from Catholic sacramental theology.

To the non-sacramental Christian, liturgies may look like "processes" because that's all they are believed to be--just empty rituals.

We, however, regard every single Mass as a making present of Christ's sacrifice on Calvary, and a liturgy in which Christ Himself comes down upon the altar *literally* and feeds us with His sacred body and blood. It is, again literally, heaven breaking through to earth, and from that action flows infinite graces for humanity--not only the ones in the building but everywhere in the world. Yes, praying, reading the Bible, and witnessing are also encounters in some sense with Christ. But they are not as immediate and as intimate as the direct encounter with Christ at the Mass.

That's why we most decidedly do not see liturgies as "eating up our time." There's no better way, in fact, to spend one's time than to be at the Heavenly Banquet of the Lamb. :)

>>regard every single Mass as a making present of Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary, and a liturgy in which Christ Himself comes down upon the altar *literally* and feeds us with His sacred body and blood. It is, again literally, heaven breaking through to earth,<<

What you describe is the un-biblical mysticism that the RCC used to manipulate the common folk during the dark ages. Fortunately, Scripture rebukes such nonsense. Christ died once, (Rom 6:9-11, Hebrews 10) he does not die again and again every week. He will return once, he does not *literally* descend again and again every week.

This is why at the Lord’s supper, we are reminded to do “in remembrance of” him. Not literally *with* him.

I do not serve a perpetually-dying Christ. I serve a risen King who sits at the right hand of God the Father!

Thanks, Claude. Regarding liturgies -— your answer is excellent!

“We regard every single Mass as a making present of Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary, and a liturgy in which Christ Himself comes down upon the altar *literally* and feeds us with His sacred body and blood. It is, again literally, heaven breaking through to earth, and from that action flows infinite graces for humanity—not only the ones in the building but everywhere in the world. Yes, praying, reading the Bible, and witnessing are also encounters in some sense with Christ. But they are not as immediate and as intimate as the direct encounter with Christ at the Mass.”

Even more significant, the Holy Mass - or “liturgy” is the format used by the first Christians following their expulsion from the synagogues. They combined the Saturday synagogue prayers & discuaaion from the Old Testament with a discussion of Jesus as Son of God and Savior (eventually from the New Testament), and lastly, the apostles did what Jesus taught them to do. They consecrated bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ and shared this meal with those present. This was celebrated on the first day of the week, Sunday, as that was the day the Jesus rose from the dead.

This is not hard to understand or easy to refute. It’s all in Luke’s Act of the Apostles.

Yes, praying, reading the Bible, and witnessing are also encounters in some sense with Christ. But they are not as immediate and as intimate as the direct encounter with Christ at the Mass.

Interesting, because I find that Christ is most present and most intimate when I am in His presence in prayer. The act of Communion (the Lord's Supper), while it is precious and holy, pales in significance to the communion I share with Him daily in prayer. I need no priest, no liturgy, and no ritual to have an intimate experience with my Lord. Worshipping together as a body of believers is important, but is only a part of my relationship with Him.