Posted on 08/07/2014 5:07:24 AM PDT by NYer
I am curious about one aspect of the wafers.
I did not grow up around Catholics nor do I really know any.
I understand the Satanists’ intent: They want to reject God publicly and insult and anger as many Catholics as possible in the process.
They are being deliberately disrespectful and blasphemous. That is their whole point.
But was completely in the dark about the security of the wafers.
I thought they were only sacred when given to the faithful by a priest during Communion.
I didn’t know they needed to be guarded.
I thought in any other case they were just cracker-like disks.
I mean, one can purchase them on Amazon.
Does that mean it would be sacrilege for me to have one?
Not that I have any interest in doing so.
Sorry for my ignorance on this.
I have no desire to insult anyone or be disrespectful.
Agreed - Also, recall that in the Tridentine Mass, the Precious Blood of Christ was handled by the priest only.
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition.
It’s a good question. And your initial point is correct - prior to God changing the wafers, they are just wafers. The security is for the post-changed Hosts; because they are distributed to (what we hope are) the faithful. At this point, someone can pose as a Catholic and walk off with the Body of Christ and carry on with whatever evil intent they have planned. That’s what security is trying to prevent.
We stand to the side during Communion to watch and ensure each person consumes the host before returning to their seat. Have never had a problem but there are enough stories about Satanists trying to get their hands on one that you must remain on guard.
I think there are benefits if receiving on the tongue was the norm, but I doubt it would help to stop this. I mean, if you are intent on doing this and to be able to keep doing it without being caught, why try to be Gaylord Perry at the head of a line in front of everyone? Just go back to your pew and take the Host out of your mouth there, no matter how it got there. Why would satanists care if it was somewhat physically degraded?
Freegards
How do you tell if it was consumed or not?
Freegards
The priest or Eucharistic Ministers generally consume the rest of the hosts, after distribution as well as finish off the rest of the blood as it must be consumed or poured directly into the ground. There is a special "sink" for that. I am Catholic and we believe that it really is the body and blood of Christ so it must be treated that way.
My parish has the ushers count heads so that not to have many leftover. This eliminates there being hosts left over in the Tabernacle, but tabernacles are bolted down and locked at all times.
The thing of it is, and it's fascinating really, is that Satanists must believe as we do. That it really is the body and blood of Christ, otherwise what would be the point of desecrating bread and wine? (Mostly rhetorical question as I know no one really knows what goes on in their heads).
You ever work with a professional illusionist on your security procedures? If you don’t, you might want to consider doing so.
I’m pretty sure that, with my basic and decidely amateur “pull a coin from behind someone’s ear” skills I could obtain a consecrated host wherever and whenever I wanted to. At least based on what Ive observed going to RC Mass with my RC wife ..
To be brutally honest here, and maybe this is another sign of how far we’ve fallen as a society, if the RC Church wants me to be upset, let alone outraged, let alone spurred into some sort of action on it they really need to start moving in my direction on issues I care about.
Like immigration.
Until they do that, my GAS meter is reading darn close to zero on stuff like this.
So Satanists say they have a consecrated host “mailed to them by a friend”. And we’re 100% sure it’s consecrated.
Setting aside the spiritual/religious side of the argument, it appears that this falls into the category of protest, like burning the flag or koran. Is the “black mass” truly a form of worship, or just a provocative move to incite violence? Will they be breaking any laws or city ordinances? If neither, let him put on his charade and ignore it.
The last thing that needs to be done is give him the free publicity he craves. There are certainly more productive things a Believer could be doing than wringing their hands about a religious ceremony that without all the free publicity, would probably have gone largely unnoticed.
I think the Bishop is asking for prayer coverage by Catholics not protests. “Archbishop Coakley is calling on Catholics to storm heaven with prayers so that the black mass will be cancelled”.
I don't follow "a church". I follow God.
And the fact that this nation USED TO BE a "Christian" nation, but now Satanists feel free to mock God openly here, just shows how we as a nation, but also WE as Christians, have slid.
There are more people on this thread, squabbling over wafers and bread, than are concerned that Satan is going to be worshipped and exalted in a public square in this nation.
Satanists are about as stupid as stupid comes. Must have been publically educated.
Encircle the destination with people praying the Rosary. The Satanists will NOT be able to enter through that shield.
Can’t disagree with any of that. Having the right to do something doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.
In each case the priest takes the dropped host and puts it aside for the moment. AFTER Mass the priest does something with it. There IS a ritual, purpose and method for dealing with these accidents.
There HAD to be, of course, since dropping things is what we humans do.
I don't know what he does with it. He may consume it. I knew the answer eons ago but have FORGOTTEN!
Also, when the name of JESUS is spoken, every knee will bend.
We ALL follow God if we believe in God.
Catholics don't "follow a church" either. You don't seem to know a whole lot about Catholicism. If you did you wouldn't have said what you did.
Steve Ray USED to be a Baptist minister who believed that all us Catholics were going to hell. He sincerely wanted us Catholics NOT to go to hell. He was a good man.
SO, to try to change us Catholics and put us on the right path, he and his wife started reading about the Catholic Church. They knew that to change people they had to learn about them first. So, they read everything they could about the Catholic Church for an entire year!
One night both he and his wife (Janet) ended up weeping. Steve Ray said, and not in the most joyous voice: "We are Catholics!"
Since then he, his wife and his children have been practicing Catholics.
I met him and his wife on a tour (with a Presbyterian friend of mine, from Texas) to the Holy Land, in 2011, on a regular tour they do called: In the Footsteps of God. It was a fabulous tour.
Steve, being a former Baptist minister, was able to quote the Bible, chapter and verse, all through the trip, which made it extra nice for all of us.
He wrote his story called: CROSSING THE TIBER. It's a most interesting read for all Christians of whatever denomination.
Speaking of denominations, Wikipedia quotes some 41,000 different Protestant denominations. The Catholic Church lists only 30,000+ different Protestant denominations.
Which one of those denominations are you? I am not prying, just curious.
Side notes:
1. My wonderful Texas friend's oldest converted to Catholicism about 15 years ago. He (the convert) and I spoke at some length about that.
2. My Texas friend grew up a Baptist but where they moved to finally had no Baptist Church, so they changed to Presbyterianism.
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