[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you oh so very much for sharing your insights and especially, for those beautiful Scriptures!

If the sacrament confirs saving grace, it is indeed wrong to exclude any Christian. Therefore, the error probably lies in the fact that the sacrament does not confer saving grace, but in fact is a sign and seal of God's grace which is apparent to all believers, you included.

Indeed.

..unless any of us can prove from Scripture that God has commanded our ceremonies, we are all in big trouble.

So very true. I pray for increasing Spiritual discernment among all the members of the body of Christ.

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish [ought] from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. - Deut 4:2

What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. - Deut 12:32

Christ's explains it in Mark 7:

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with [their] lips, but their heart is far from me.

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.

For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, [It is] Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; [he shall be free]. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

And when he had called all the people [unto him], he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one [of you], and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, [it] cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. - Mark 7:5-23

Simplicity indeed. There is no substitute for Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ is altogether sufficient.

There is only one Great Commandment.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. – Matthew 22:37-38

Truly, complicating things by adding to the words of God is Spiritually unwise, as we can see from His wrath in Matthew 23.

To God be the glory!

[Dr. Eckleburg]

If I understand you correctly, you are not complaining about not being able to partake of the Eucharist in the RCC service; you are questioning the truth of its actual stated essence and purpose.

Which as you've shown us, is carefully explained by Christ...

"And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, [it] cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

Here Christ is saying anything exterior to Himself is a non-essential, and is ultimately ineffectual and therefore purged.

What is important is He who gives the new heart and what comes from this new heart.