The Sacraments (why don't Catholics, who disagree with teachings of the Church, just leave)

CERC ^ | Peter Kreeft

[NYer]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Kreeft, Peter. “The Sacraments.” Chapter 45 in Fundamentals of the Faith (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1988), 282-286.

Reprinted by permission of Ignatius Press. All rights reserved. Fundamentals of the Faith - ISBN 0-89870-202-X.

THE AUTHOR

Peter Kreeft has written extensively (over 25 books) in the areas of Christian apologetics. Link to all of Peter Kreeft's books here.

Peter Kreeft teaches at Boston College in Boston Massachusetts. He is on the Advisory Board of the Catholic Educator's Resource Center.

[NYer]

Thus they don’t see why Catholics who come to disagree with essential teachings of the Church don’t just leave. The answer is symbolized by the sanctuary lamp. They do not leave the Church because they know that the sacramental fire burns there on the ecclesiastical hearth. Even if they do not see by its light, they want to be warmed by its fire.

[Mad Dawg]

I wonder what He turns blood into?

I'm guessing fire or light.

[Jmouse007]

One word =

F E A R

[NYer]

Of what?

[mlizzy]

It has ceased to scandalize me, though it has not ceased to amaze me, that Almighty God suffers me to touch him, move him and eat him! Imagine! When I move my hand to my mouth with the Host, I move God through space. When I put him here, he is here. When I put him there, he is there. The Prime Mover lets me move him where I will ...

Communion in the hand scandalizes me to some point as well (and I could listen to Mr. Kreft's words more intently if he received on the tongue only). I, myself (even though it is allowed), am no longer a go-between in the transfer of Our Most Precious Lord.

And those that stay with the Church -- although they do not believe in the essential teachings of the Church -- is beyond me as to why they do, except maybe they never did understand them to begin with -- in which case they should not have become Catholic -- and their ignorance causes their folly. If they DID understand, they'd never sit on the sidelines while the rest of the team fights, seeks, and strives to win the game (through the Most Holy Eucharist, Reconciliation, Adoration, good works, and so on).

Pray the Rosary for the end of abortion!
Pro-Life video we put together from this past Saturday

[AnAmericanMother]

I wonder what He turns blood into?

I'm guessing fire or light.

Life everlasting. John 6:53-54.

[Not gonna take it anymore]

I am receiving in the hand right now because our bishop has requested it due to H1N1.

We also no longer receive the blood.

Can’t wait til things get back to normal.

[vladimir998]

Fear of what?

[redgolum]

Just a note or to.

Lutherans believe in the Real Presence, not consubstatution. The latter is an Anglican term.

And there are non Catholics/Protestants that have Sacraments. I suspect the author came from a Baptist or similar background, and really didn’t have much contact with that.

[Melian]

I believe they don’t leave because deep in their hearts they know the truth. They don’t want to live it right now, but they know it’s the truth.

[Desdemona]

They don’t want to live it right now, but they know it’s the truth.

In a lot of ways this is probably true. Then there are MANY who were not well catechized at all and remain willfully ignorant. They're not interested in knowing the details, but they know the overall truth. Unfortunately, it's become commonplace.

[Campion]

I suspect the author came from a Baptist or similar background

Prof. Kreeft was Dutch Reformed. He converted to Catholicism in college.

[boatbums]

Well, as an adult convert from Catholicism to catholicism - as in non-Catholic Christian - I can say the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or Communion, means far more to me now than when I received it in Mass. I know it is not literally THE body and blood of my savior, Jesus Christ, but a representation and recognition of the truth that his body was broken and his blood shed for my salvation. When I eat the tiny piece of cracker and drink the tiny cup of grape juice, I see in it a participation in that last night supper of Jesus and his disciples, where he told them as often as you eat the bread and drink the wine, you do show the Lord's death until he comes again.

I partake, as a symbol, these elements to proclaim with my brothers and sisters in the Lord that I have accepted him as my savior and that because of his sacrifice I will have eternal life with him in heaven.

In my heart, I see this sacrament, if you want to call it that, as a gesture of faith that I have already received the grace necessary for salvation and not as a way to actually receive the grace. Scripture so clearly states we are saved by grace through faith...not of works. This indeed is an area where we differ, but I do not think it is the "Protestants" that have missed the true point.

[Salvation]

It is my understanding that Lutherans believe in the Body of Christ, but they still believe it is a piece of bread, also. Therein may lie the difference.

Catholics believe that the consecrated host/bread IS the TRUE Body of Jesus Christ.

[Salvation]

Were you baptized in the Catholic Church? You are still a Catholic unless you filled out paperwork (lots) and sat for a hearing in front of a panel of priests.

[patton]

Every time the bell rings, It startles the heck out of me.

I guess you just have to be there.

[boatbums]

Been through this before...I am sure the Catholic Church still counts me as one in the official tally, but since I had no say in the matter as an infant I can definitely make that decision for myself now. It really doesn't matter to me anyway, because I know the Lord sees my heart to know I am one of his, he doesn't need a certificate to tell him. :o)

[NYer]

I know it is not literally THE body and blood of my savior, Jesus Christ, but a representation and recognition of the truth that his body was broken and his blood shed for my salvation.

Not, according to scripture and not according to science. In Mark 14, verses 22 through 26, we hear the words of institution, "And as they were eating He took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them and said, 'Take, this is my body.' He did not say 'Take, this represents my body'.

Science has corroborated this by a study done on a consecrated host in Lanciano, Italy.

---

In 1970-'71 and taken up again partly in 1981 there took place a scientific investigation by the most illustrious scientist Prof. Odoardo Linoli, eminent Professor in Anatomy and Pathological Histology and in Chemistry and Clinical Microscopy. He was assisted by Prof. Ruggero Bertelli of the University of Siena.

The analyses were conducted with absolute and unquestionable scientific precision and they were documented with a series of microscopic photographs.
These analyses sustained the following conclusions:

• The Flesh is real Flesh. The Blood is real Blood.
  
  
• The Flesh and the Blood belong to the human species.
  
  
• The Flesh consists of the muscular tissue of the heart.
  
  
• In the Flesh we see present in section: the myocardium, the endocardium, the vagus nerve and also the left ventricle of the heart for the large thickness of the myocardium.
  
  
• The Flesh is a "HEART" complete in its essential structure.
  
  
• The Flesh and the Blood have the same blood-type: AB (Blood-type identical to that which Prof. Baima Bollone uncovered in the Holy Shroud of Turin).
  
  
• In the Blood there were found proteins in the same normal proportions (percentage-wise) as are found in the sero-proteic make-up of the fresh normal blood.
  
  
• In the Blood there were also found these minerals: chlorides, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium.
  
  
• The preservation of the Flesh and of the Blood, which were left in their natural state for twelve centuries and exposed to the action of atmospheric and biological agents, remains an extraordinary phenomenon.

Read More.

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[boatbums]

You can believe whatever you want. A “study” done 30 or 40 years ago can hardly be considered scientific proof, give me a break. According to this doctrine, ANY eucharist taken from any of the millions of masses performed every day in the world should be able to prove this, why aren’t they? I remember the rumors in Catholic grade school about someone taking the host out of their mouth and hiding it in their pocket. When they got home they stuck a pin in it and BLOOD came out!!! Scary to kids, but a myth only.

It is symbolic, not a real physical change. BTW, I am O negative. Any idea what the Rh factor of the “scientific” study blood type was? I should have antibodies against an AB positive blood as many times as I received communion, and I don’t. Why such stubborness on such a strange assertion?