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To: bdeaner; Markos33
What a tremendous gift it is, for me, to stand before the Eucharist and KNOW, before me, that IS My Lord present materially in the flesh

But that is not how Christ told us to worship him. We are spiritual beings and we are to worship and enjoy Him spiritually.

If the materialistic so enthralls you, it's too bad you don't experience the spiritual. It is far superior. As God wills.

"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." -- 2 Corinthians 4:18

880 posted on 06/29/2009 11:57:33 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg
We are spiritual beings and we are to worship and enjoy Him spiritually.

Yes, but you misunderstand what "spiritually" means for St. Paul in his letters. "Spiritually" does not mean 'without a body.' Christ came in the flesh; do not deny the Incarnation! EVERYTHING the Lord made, including our bodies, is GOOD, as we learn in Genesis. He loved our bodies so much He took a body for Himself. In Heaven, we will not be without bodies; on the contrary, the "Lord Jesus Christ...will transform our lowly bodies, so that they will be like his glorious body" (Phil 3:20). Be careful lest you fall prey to the heresy of the Manicheans, who falsely believed that God does not utilize the physical to interact with us spiritually.

"Spiritually" for St. Paul means acting genuinely from within rather than just externally; not merely acting the part, but believing in it from the heart.

Romans 12:1
In view of God's mercy...offer your bodies...this is your spiritual act of worship.


The importance of incarnate reality, and its spiritual implications, are revealed simply by the fact that God cured our spiritual problem through a physical act of dying on the cross for us. Our spiritual fall required from God a physical solution. This was always the case if we follow salvation history back to the time before Christ. The OT demonstrates that physical atonement is ALWAYS required to address a sin against God -- but we now know that no physical atonement by man would ever be enough. Only Christ's sacrifice on the cross -- in the flesh -- could pay the price. But that does not make it a purely spiritual act -- it is an INCARNATE activity on the Lord's part.

More Scriptural evidence:

Romans 8:20
We...groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.


Hebrews 10:22:
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart...and having our bodies washed with pure water.


1 Cor. 6:19-20
Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit...you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.


1 Cor. 6:L15
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ Himself?


The Scriptures overwhelmingly support the Catholic position with regard to enacting physically our spiritual sanctification.
884 posted on 06/30/2009 12:33:46 AM PDT by bdeaner (The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Cor. 10:16))
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