Pope Francis elevates the Eucharist during Mass outside the Basilica of St. John Lateran in observance of the feast of Corpus Christi in Rome June 4. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
Posted on 06/07/2015 2:12:22 PM PDT by NYer
Readings:
• Ex 24:3-8
• Psa 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18
• Heb 9:11-15
• Mk 14:12-16, 22-26
I’ve written several times about the centrality of the Eucharist in the decision made by my wife and I when we decided to become Catholic. Our recognition, by God’s grace, of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament was not sudden; I would be hard pressed to think of an exact moment when I realized, “The Eucharist really is Jesus!”
Rather, it was a long and rather steady process.
Reflecting on it these many years later—we entered the Church in 1997—I liken it to the gradual and mysterious recognition of my love for the woman who has now been my wife for 21 years this week. There was, of course, the initial spark of attraction, followed by the sort of relational dance—awkward, exciting, confusing—that many couples go through as they embark on a courtship. There were conversations, questions, and time spent thinking about each other. And when it finally dawned on us that we did, in fact, love each other, it was as though the wonderful fact had been staring us in the face for many weeks and months before we “got it”!
My recognition of the Eucharist was set in motion when I was a young boy, a Fundamentalist who knew nothing about the Eucharist or the Catholic Church. But I was taught to love Jesus and the Bible. And who better to bring me to the Catholic Church than the Incarnate Word who founded the Church and the written Word of God gifted to the Church by the Holy Spirit? While growing up I read and heard many of the key stories in the Old Testament, including that of Moses leading the people out of Egypt and being given the Law at Mount Sinai. I was familiar with the “blood of the covenant”, and the establishment of animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins.
Later, while in Bible college as a young Evangelical, I came to see more clearly how Jesus is the new Moses, sent by God to save his people from slavery to sin, and that as author of the Law, Jesus was able to perfectly fulfill the Law (see Mt 5:17-18). One of my final classes (bearing the clinical-sounding name “Bible Synthesis") explored both the continuity and differences between the Old and New Covenants. We learned that while Moses was the direct mediator between God and the people, able to speak directly to God and to relay “all the words and ordinances of the LORD,” Jesus is the perfect, final and everlasting mediator between God and all men. Moses was able, as God’s mediator and prophet, to play a vital role in God’s plan of salvation, overseeing the establishment of the covenant at Sinai. But it was only Christ, fully divine and fully human, who could establish a new and eternal covenant through his life, Passion, death, and Resurrection.
As the Epistle to the Hebrews relates with profound theological insight, Christ’s priesthood does not involve the sacrifice of animals in the Temple, but offering himself—the new Temple—as the perfect, unblemished sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God whose body was broken and whose blood was shed on the Cross. Risen from the grave and seated in glory, he now offers his flesh and blood, soul and divinity, in the Eucharist.
Scripture, then, was essential in my education in the Eucharist. But I also had to sit at the feet of the Church, listening to her supernatural wisdom. If the Church is the mystical body of Christ, as I was also seeing, then the Church is able to instruct about the Body and Blood of her head, Jesus Christ. The saints, doctors, and teaching office of the Church gave witness.
“For in the figure of bread His Body is given to you,” stated St. Cyril of Jerusalem, “and in the figure of wine His Blood, that by partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ you may become the same body and blood with him.”
Catholic ping!
Praise Jesus!!!!
What a testimony!
Many of these people are from very poor areas of Africa and Asia. All they have is the Church. Nobody else hardly came into these areas. So they learned on a whole better communion/spiritual discipline I think with Christ. Why? because this is all they have compared to our spoiled materialistic land. Of course in my humble opinion.
Praise Jesus.
Wonderful testimony. God Bless.
This is the very thing our pastor said in his homily today. That when we receive communion, to receive it as an embrace, or hug, from Christ. I usually pray the Anime Christi after communion. Today, it had special meaning for me.
Amen, praise Jesus, with us in the Blessed Sacrament “even unto the end of the world”!
wow! Nice. Thank you Lord. Amen.
AMEN!!! AMEN!!! AMEN!!!
Yet Catholics claim Jesus and the apostles broke the law ans sinned by eating blood.
We are not forbidden from the everlasting blood of the Eternal Lamb of God. Jesus Christ is immortal. He is the Lamb who is resurrected with immortal everlasting blood of the New Testament. He lives on and on in eternity. Therefore it is everlasting. This was done by Jesus not man. Notice how Paul admonishes those who do not take it seriously. If it was just a " symbol " why would he even admonish believers. It has to be real or it does not matter.
Also remember Moses declares we will always eat the victim/Lamb to every generation. Jesus had the Last Supper on Passover that continued this tradition. Noticed how he does it in the New Testament but still has that we eat the victim to fulfill Moses's requirement for all time during the act that Moses started. Passover.
You can't eat a symbol to fulfill the requirement from Moses to every generation. Only the Eucharist fulfills it otherwise how else has it continued. A communion as symbol only does not do anything. It is not real which will never fulfill the promise of Moses.
May God open up your mind to the Truth through his Son Jesus Christ.
He also said it needed to be roasted.
Exodus 12:8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire
He also said only those who were circumscribed were allowed to eat it.
Exodus 12:48 A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat it.
Then there is this.
Leviticus 7:27 Any person who eats any blood, even that person shall be cut off from his people.
Would you care to go into more of what was said about eating the sacrifice?
What your bringing up is in the Old testament. We are in the New Testament . Do you eat according to the mosaic dietary rules. So according to you - no bacon or pork or shellfish? Did you ever eat these? It is called New Testament for a reason.
I'm bringing up the Old Testament? Here is YOUR quote I was responding to.
>>"Also remember Moses declares we will always eat the victim/Lamb to every generation."<<
Now you claim it was I who brought up the Old Testament?
Because that specially in the Old Testament has it to be done forever if I remember right. And I think I do.
That's for the ISRAELITES only and it was under the old law which was abolished with the death of Christ.
The Old was abolished but the new went on and on in Jesus. We just differ on it. I once thought like you I left the Catholic Church for awhile. God showed me otherwise. I pray for all. Soon you and I will not be on this site the time is short for USA. I believe no other president after Obama. I saw it all after accurate dream visions for personal family and friends then a national. It is on my profile.
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