Posted on 07/08/2008 7:02:41 AM PDT by NYer
Orange County, FL -- One week after a University of Central Florida student snatched something sacred from church, armed UCF police officers stood guard during Sunday Mass to protect what Catholics call "The Body of Christ."
Minutes before the Mass began, Student Senator Webster Cook returned the Holy Eucharist he was holding hostage in a Ziploc bag ever since smuggling the blessed wafer of bread out of the Catholic Mass service Sunday June 29.
Carol Brinati with the Diocese of Orlando said the Catholic community was "concerned about the possible desecration of the Eucharist," and pleaded for its safe return.
Cook, who was raised Catholic, said he decided to bring the Eucharist home after a church leader tried to physically pry it from his hand. Cook broke Church rules by failing to consume it immediately during communion and then removing it from his mouth once seated.
Cook said he just wanted to show the Eucharist to a friend he brought with questions about Catholicism before consuming it. But outraged Catholics across the globe didn’t believe him and suspected he intended all along to steal the Eucharist and bloggers sent out e-mail messages damning him to Hell.
"I am returning the Eucharist to you in response to the e-mails I have received from Catholics in the UCF community," Cook wrote in a letter to the church. "I still want the community to understand that the use physical force is wrong, especially when based on assumptions. However, I feel it is unnecessary to cause pain for those who are not at fault in this situation."
Cook said some threatened to break into his dorm room to rescue the Eucharist. Brinati said the Diocese of Orlando didn't condone those threats, but was happy Cook had a change of heart and returned it.
"We've been praying about that," she said.
It's still not clear if the controversy is over. There is no word yet if either the Catholic students or Cook will drop their separate complaints filed against each other with UCF's student court. The violations each side accused the other of could result in suspension or expulsion. Cook still disagrees with the more than $40,000 in student funds distributed annually to support Catholic and other religious groups on campus, but seemed conciliatory in his letter.
"I want to thank the individuals who explained the emotional and spiritual pain my possession of the Eucharist caused them to experience," he wrote. "They have demonstrated that the use [of] reason is more effective than the use of force."
Cook said he still hopes to meet with the local Bishop to discuss prohibiting the use of force to recover the Eucharist. He also wants an apology.
To demonstrate that the Jewish sacrifices had been supplanted by the One Perfect Sacrifice, and to demonstrate that Heaven had been opened to all, not only the Jews.
In addition, it demonstrated that through Christ, we have full access to God the Father.
You don’t believe what we believe, fine. Just don’t complain to us when the secularists do the equivalent in your worship space.
Not good enough, not by a long shot. Take a day off.
No, I must respectfully disagree. I think he demonstrates what secular humanists have done time and time again since 1789.
He did that with all His parables also. He letting them walk away adds nothing to the veracity of your argument. And why did Christ not chase them down??
“they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!”
God sovereignty shines through via election.
Hardly. Christ at times did explain his parables in more detail, at least to the Apostles. Take that of the Sower and the Seed for example. Yet here, in a case far more confusing, He does not explain some hidden metaphor, yet allows many to leave, and would have let the Apostles leave as well.
Exactly. Except that the only one permitted behind that Veil was the priest. A clear message of our access to the Lord without the priesthood.
“and to demonstrate that Heaven had been opened to all, not only the Jews”
The curtain had nothing to do with greeks as they were not allowed within the temple anyway but required to stay outside the temple proper.
“at least to the Apostles”
Exactly...the elect. Exactly my point. Christ would not have let any slip from His hand, save the betrayer.
Christ was kind enough to us to tell us when He used metaphors, as I noted above. In John 6, He most emphatically did NOT.
There. Fixed that for you.
The Christian priesthood is only through Christ as the High Priest. Again, I recommend you to the library to read what the Catholic Church actually teaches regarding it. It's too much to explain here.
The priesthood of Aaron is over with the Sacrifice of the Cross. The priesthood of Melchisidech has surpassed it, according to the Letter to the Hebrews.
Why do you need Him in flesh and blood?
He said, “It is finished”. No need for good works for your salvation, lest anyone boast. No need for re-sacrifice. It is finished.
Irving's Law (first form) has just been invoked. DPMD wins the round by default. Anyone who "will not turn the other cheek" and who "takes inspiration from Islam" needs all the points they can get.
And you think WE've got problems with good catechesis!
< g >
You misunderstand. In John 6, where Christ gives the most confusing "metaphor" of the entire Gospel, the one that scandalizes all of His disciples, including the Apostles, He gives no explanation, no clarification of the statement. St. Peter, when confronted, questions where else they would go, for Christ has the words of Eternal Life; St. Peter didn't understand the statement, simply taking it on faith, and Christ never explained it to him or the Apostles during the episode.
I never said he was right... I'm just trying to be consistent...
I search Timothy and see nothing of Priests. Your splitting straws is a sign of desperation to hold onto political power over His Church.
Uh.. I do believe that Jesus Christ is God, the Son, second person of the Trinity, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, was crucified on the cross, layed in the tomb, raised bodily on the third day, ascended into Heaven where he sits at the right hand of God the Father until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. I do NOT believe that he is a silly little wafer.
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