Here's what one of the hero's of the Catholic Church has to say about that.
The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps, and candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water; asylums; holydays and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesiastical chant, and the Kyrie Eleison, are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church.[Cardinal Newman - Development of Christian Doctrine, pg 373]
And you didn't think the Catholic Church incorporates paganism? And please don't give me that "but they were sanctified nonsense. God said don't do it period.
Deuteronomy 12:30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God:
>>The context of the Last Super institution of the mass and Eucharist is enough for a whole book, I would recommend Brant Pitre’s “Jesus and The Jewish Roots of the Eucharist.”<<
Any person who understands scripture doesn't have to read past the title to know that guy is totally off. Jesus was born under and lived under the law and would NOT have encouraged anyone to drink blood. If He had He would have been a sinner.
Are you saying that none of these things can be used today because they are 'of pagan origin'? Pagans used temples, yet God commanded the building of temples which included lamps, incense, etc. Are you implying that God commanded people to be pagan? It is ridiculous to say that anything that was used by pagans can never again be used to the Glory of God. They are only pagan if they are used to worship false gods. It is not how you worship but Whom you worship which makes your form of worship either holy or sacrilegious. Sanctifying these things to God is not nonsense, using them to worship God is exactly what makes them legitimate. And you can repeat your belief otherwise as many times as you want and it will still not be true. I do not worship anybody but the One True God.
(2)
Jesus was born under and lived under the law and would NOT have encouraged anyone to drink blood. If He had He would have been a sinner.
Under the old covenant. Jesus instituted the new covenant with the Last Supper, not only allowing but requiring that we eat his flesh and drink his blood 'indeed'.
(3)
You conveniently use selective quotation of 1 Corinthians, leaving out verse 27 entirely and 'of the Lord' a couple of times:
[27] Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. [28] But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. [29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. [30] Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep.
They 'sleep' because they do not discern the body of the lord when they eat, which supports the real presence as opposed to the way you presented it out of context.
Love,
O2
Almost everything listed here was available in the Temple - not Pagan, but Jewish origin. Moreover, try Newman in context. Holy Days and Calendars not in Jewish custom? Not so.
Also, vestments incense and Chapter 1 and 4 of Revelation. Jesus, the High Priest, Chapter 1 of revelations, Priest reverence the altar, chap 6:9, The Gloria, chapter 15:3-4. etc.
“To be deep into history is to cease being a Protestant” - John Henry Cardinal Newman.
Our Lord commanded to drink His Blood, in the nature of wine. The sacramental nature of Holy Thursday and its foreshadow in John 6 make that clear. The Catholic Church, far from being a false religion, is a true Biblical Church, with each form of the mass tying out directly to scripture.