Posted on 04/27/2008 3:36:18 AM PDT by markomalley
The Catholic Church teaches that in the Eucharist, the communion wafer and the altar wine are transformed and really become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Have you ever met anyone who has found this Catholic doctrine to be a bit hard to take?
If so, you shouldn't be surprised. When Jesus spoke about eating his flesh and drinking his blood in John 6, his words met with less than an enthusiastic reception. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat? (V 52). "This is a hard saying who can listen to it?" (V60). In fact so many of his disciples abandoned him over this that Jesus had to ask the twelve if they also planned to quit. It is interesting that Jesus did not run after his disciples saying, "Don't go — I was just speaking metaphorically!" How did the early Church interpret these challenging words of Jesus? Interesting fact. One charge the pagan Romans lodged against the Christians was cannibalism. Why? You guessed it. They heard that this sect regularly met to eat human flesh and drink human blood. Did the early Christians say: "wait a minute, it's only a symbol!"? Not at all. When trying to explain the Eucharist to the Roman Emperor around 155AD, St. Justin did not mince his words: "For we do not receive these things as common bread or common drink; but as Jesus Christ our Savior being incarnate by God's word took flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food consecrated by the word of prayer which comes from him . . . is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus."
Not many Christians questioned the real presence of Christ's body and blood in the Eucharist till the Middle Ages. In trying to explain how bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ, several theologians went astray and needed to be corrected by Church authority. Then St. Thomas Aquinas came along and offered an explanation that became classic. In all change that we observe in this life, he teaches, appearances change, but deep down, the essence of a thing stays the same. Example: if, in a fit of mid-life crisis, I traded my mini-van for a Ferrari, abandoned my wife and 5 kids to be beach bum, got tanned, bleached my hair blonde, spiked it, buffed up at the gym, and took a trip to the plastic surgeon, I'd look a lot different on the surface. But for all my trouble, deep down I'd still substantially be the same ole guy as when I started.
St. Thomas said the Eucharist is the one instance of change we encounter in this world that is exactly the opposite. The appearances of bread and wine stay the same, but the very essence or substance of these realities, which can't be viewed by a microscope, is totally transformed. What was once bread and wine are now Christ's body and blood. A handy word was coined to describe this unique change. Transformation of the "sub-stance", what "stands-under" the surface, came to be called "transubstantiation."
What makes this happen? The power of God's Spirit and Word. After praying for the Spirit to come (epiklesis), the priest, who stands in the place of Christ, repeats the words of the God-man: "This is my Body, This is my Blood." Sounds to me like Genesis 1: the mighty wind (read "Spirit") whips over the surface of the water and God's Word resounds. "Let there be light" and there was light. It is no harder to believe in the Eucharist than to believe in Creation. But why did Jesus arrange for this transformation of bread and wine? Because he intended another kind of transformation. The bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ which are, in turn, meant to transform us. Ever hear the phrase: "you are what you eat?" The Lord desires us to be transformed from a motley crew of imperfect individuals into the Body of Christ, come to full stature.
Our evangelical brethren speak often of an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus. But I ask you, how much more personal and intimate can you get? We receive the Lord's body into our physical body that we may become Him whom we receive! Such an awesome gift deserves its own feast. And that's why, back in the days of Thomas Aquinas and St. Francis of Assisi, the Pope decided to institute the Feast of Corpus Christi.
I LOVE your tagline!
That is just great Niceness. See how easy it is once you try?
It is EXTREMELY easy. Evidently it is much easier when one has Truth on their side. *grin*
Good thought.. or prayer.. except that a Roman Catholic would be open to the fullness of truth BEYOND the Roman Catholic Churchs theology...
Many are you know.. Daily; many leaving that hinderance to a reformed way of thinking.. After they become a reformed christian THEN they might pray to go on to even greater truths than the reformed(all of them) posses..
From Roman catholic to reformed to even greater truth being the "path".. Because I am neither roman catholic or reformed.. Both theologys hamstring the spirit..
We’re a cultural and canonical anomaly.
One might get that impression, yes.
The RCC fighting protestants and protestants engaging the RCC.. is a chinese fire drill..
I love John ch 10 which explains it all..
I notice traffic runs in both directions.
I would also say that Truth is not relative and is irrespective of human choices.
It is my firmly held belief that the Catholic Church possesses the fullness of Truth. I believe anything else falls short.
BTW...for accuracy sake, please have the respect to call the Church by its correct name. It is not the “Roman” Catholic Church, it is the Catholic Church. I am offended by a misnaming of the faith I hold so dearly.
Some Roman Catholics (to use a less than totally precise, but generally understood term) come to St. Luke's and are aghast. "This isn't a church!" Well, it's not a church, canonically: it's a multipurpose facility. We plan to build a church, but we have to find a new location because of the endangered Carolina Heelsplitter Mussel and a danged enormous shopping mall.
Other people go there and say, "This is wonderful!" So we're all ... what we are, and what we think is ... what we think.
True you do.. And the RCC is the place for you.. I don't deny that.. All roman catholics should stay in the roman catholic church as long as they can stand it.. maybe even longer until they get a snoot full.. Its a good place for them,.. As are the reformed churchs a good place for the reformed.. (John ch 10).. They all they shoul dremain there until they cannot anymore.. Like me..
The dance in the RCC and reformed churchs are painful to me.. To painful to remain.. I know I tried in both.. I'm just bearing witness to a few lurkers(and others) that they are not alone.. There are others(ME) that notice both the reformed and RCC and EO by the way are just playing church.. There is something beyond them both.. John ch 10..
Have you ever, ever read any of the Ante Nicene fathers and those of the Early church who wrote before the Schism between the Eastern and Western churches? Do you know that some of the AnteNicene fathers were taught by the Apostles themselves, and that these men did hold and preach the same teaching on the Eucharist that Catholics, Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox have today?
Because like it or not the school of thought that the Eucharist is only a symbol is the new one. This was not even expressed by the Reformers who though they condemned the Catholic doctrine on the Eucharist had a higher view of the bread and wine than it only being a way to express church unity and/or as a way of remembering (in the sense that we remember any historical event) the Last Supper.
Since Catholicism is an affront to you, I suggest you parcel out some of that affront for the Orthodox, the Oriental Orthodox, The Copts and even for some of your Reformed brethern such as LCMS who would quickly condemn any assertion that the Body and Bread are only symbols.
And as to your gorge rising everytime you see the Pope. Well I manage to keep my gorge down everytme I read a stinking lie, libel, falsehood, attack, gross misconception, hostile post, infamy or calumny upon Catholics and their Church. Which I suspect is a lot more than the number of times you see the Pope. So do try your best to cope. You could start by not reading threads which obviously address Catholic subjects.
The word respectful is in the dictionary take a peek.
There is no church called the RCC or Roman Catholic Church...
Well without leaping to any conclusions I would have to answer no to the premise.
Exactly.. You come to a herd of Cats(FR) and expect to herd them up into a flock is silly.. No its not silly its utopian.. One thing is certain, come here(FR), and any subject can be thoroughly vetted.. I mean torn apart and rearraigned.. Thats a good thing I think.. I thionk of the 4 creatures in Rev ch 4 that are full of EYES.. before on the back and within..
Expecting undue respect HERE is fool hardy utopianism..
Good observation about the eyes! I think we could have politeness without “respect.” It’s sort of like the liberals’ trope of “hate.” In my opinion (culturally, rather than religiously) people can “hate” all they want, as long as they obey the law.
In the same way, here, we could privately think others are damned to Hell, totally insane, uncultured Yanks, or whatever we want, if we agreed (based on the premise of the thread) to use good manners.
Here is a link to the Church website. Nowhere will you see Roman Catholic Church: The Catholic Church
Am I authorized label your faith any way I wish?
LOL!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.