Posted on 04/04/2015 1:59:27 PM PDT by Steelfish
The Resurrection & The Eucharist by Fr. Rodney Kissinger S.J. (Former Missouri Synod Lutheran) http://www.frksj.org/homily_ressurection_and_the_eucharist.htm There is an important connection between the Resurrection and the Eucharist. The Eucharist IS the Risen Jesus.
Therefore, the Eucharist makes the Resurrection present and active in our lives and enables us to experience the joy and the power of the Resurrection. The Resurrection is the reason for the observance of Sunday instead of the Sabbath. According to the Gospel it was early in the morning on the first day of the week that the Risen Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene.
It was also on the evening of that first day of the week that the Risen Jesus appeared to the Apostles when Thomas was not present. Then a week later, on the first day of the week, he appeared again when Thomas was present.
So the Apostles began to celebrate the first day of the week, Sunday, as the beginning of the re-creation of the world just as they had celebrated the Sabbath as the end of the creation of the world. Originally the Liturgical Year was simply fifty-two Sundays, fifty-two celebrations of the Eucharist, fifty-two celebrations of the Resurrection. Today the Eucharist is still the principal way of celebrating the Resurrection and proclaiming the Mystery of Faith: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”
As we have seen the joy and the power of the Resurrection is not found in the empty tomb or in the witness of some one else it is found only in a personal encounter with the Risen Jesus. The Eucharist, the Risen Jesus, gives us an opportunity for this personal encounter. Will all who receive the Eucharist have a personal encounter with the Risen Jesus? Yes they will. Unfortunately, not all will recognize the Risen Jesus. Mary Magdalene had a personal encounter with the Risen Jesus but did not recognize him. She thought it was the gardener. It was not until she recognized Jesus that she experienced the joy and the power of the Resurrection. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus had a personal encounter with the Risen Jesus and thought that it was a stranger. It was not until they recognized him in the “breaking of the bread” that they experienced the joy and the power of the Resurrection.
The Eucharist is also a pledge of our own resurrection. “I am the living bread come down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Eucharist tells us that in death life is changed not ended. It is not so much life after death but life through death. Death is the door to life. This takes away the fear of death and gives us consolation at the death of a loved one.
The Eucharist also continues the two fold effect of the Resurrection which is to confirm the faith of the Apostles and to create the Christian Community. These are two sides of the same coin. To believe is to belong. Community was an integral part of the life of the first Christians. They were of one mind and one heart. When the Apostles asked the Lord to teach them how to pray, he taught them the “OUR Father.” In the Creed we say, “WE believe.” It is a personal commitment made in the community of believers.
The Eucharist also confirms the faith of the recipient and is the principle of unity and community. Without the Christian Community we lose our roots and our identity and our ability to survive in our culture which is diametrically opposed to Christ.
Through the Eucharist the Risen Jesus continues his two fold mission of proclaiming the Good News and healing the sick. Every celebration of the Eucharist proclaims the Good News and heals the sick. The Liturgy of the Word proclaims the Good News and the Liturgy of the Eucharist heals the sick. If people were healed simply by touching the hem of His garment how much more healing must come from receiving His Body and Blood?
How ridiculous it is then when people ask, “Do I have an obligation to go to Mass on Sunday?” If obligation is going to determine whether or not you go to Mass forget the obligation. You have a greater problem than that. Your problem is faith, you don’t believe. You don’t believe that the Eucharist IS the Risen Christ.
You just don’t realize the connection between the Resurrection and the Eucharist. In just a few moments we will receive the Eucharist and once again have an opportunity for a personal encounter with the Risen Jesus.
Let us ask for the faith to recognize him in the “breaking of the bread” so that we are able to say with Thomas, “My Lord and my God,” and in so doing experience the joy and the power of the Resurrection.
Do you not see what you are doing there?
Now it is fair to call a slogan, a statement, an argument, a sermon or a book "shallow," but it is not fair to call a whole group of people "shallow." Even a thoughtful individual can sometimes make a shallow argument, an in such case, you call out the argument, not the individual.
Interpersonal and inter-group statements of contempt have become a hallmark of this forum. I have seen people of various denominations guilty of it, including my own --- and including myself, mea culpa.
We can do better than this. Those who cannot do better than this, should refrain from posting.
On days when people are jigging on my last nerve, and the spirit of contempt is clearly getting the upper hand with me, I promise I will try to abstain!!
Well, Rider, that statement is true in its way. The Eucharist is not a man-made wafer, but the true Body and Blood of my Lord and my God, and made such by God Himself.
No mortal, sinful man could do this.
Shallowness isn’t a matter of lack of liturgy.
Yes, I have been in non-Catholic churches which are shallow, and I’ve been in many that are far deeper that Catholicism.
It’s NOT the denomination. It’s the relationship with Christ, the seriousness with which it’s taken, the amount that one gets into Scripture.
Throwing around the accusation of *shallow*, which has become the slur of choice amongst the Catholic recently, is really no different than accusing someone of being a heretic, or not being saved, or anything else.
It’s passing judgment on another’s spiritual life based on nothing more than what is perceived about someone else by the one making the slur. It is not based on fact as the judgment of *shallowness* is a value judgment, hard to define.
Those throwing the term around with such abandon are not doing their credibility any good. If the best they can do when confronted with something they cannot or will not address is to accuse the other person of *being shallow* then they have clearly lost the debate.
Well, Mrs. Don-O, does the eucharist drop from the skies?
Or are they manufactured somewhere?
What is the source for them?
Well yeah, cause true "Biblical Christianity" is Catholicism. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
There's a line from what I think is Eucharistic Prayer III from the new rite of Mass that goes something like "Father, you are holy indeed, and all creation rightly gives you praise. All life, all holiness comes from you through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, by the working of the Holy Spirit. From age to age you gather a people to yourself, so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of your name."
Now, officially, because it's the new rite of Mass I can't stand it, but even after 18 years a Catholic I still wake up sometimes with those words on my lips. Those lines thrill my intellect like nothing else. I don't need a 45 minute sermon on them or even a sermon series on them. I just need to hear them and my mind goes off on flights fantastic.
Now I admit that's not a passage from Sacred Scripture so people are probably going spastic even as they read but there's something about the words that talk about the Word in Catholicism that I've not found in any other religion.
So the New Covenant was instituted on Passover? The night before Christ shed His blood on the Cross?
Some of their beliefs are simply bizarre.
I agree that “Bible Christians” are not necessarily shallow and there are a lot of Catholics who are so shallow that it’s embarrassing (Nancy Pelosi and friends, I’m looking at you). I’m talking about the depths of the theology they embrace in the first place. Catholics have no excuse for their lack of depth.
Now, officially, because it's the new rite of Mass I can't stand it, but even after 18 years a Catholic I still wake up sometimes with those words on my lips. Those lines thrill my intellect like nothing else. I don't need a 45 minute sermon on them or even a sermon series on them. I just need to hear them and my mind goes off on flights fantastic.
And I can point to Philippians 2:9-11 (NASB) for the same impact.
Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knew should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:9-11 NASB).
I personally enjoy learning about the historical background of the times in which the New Testament was written. Learning the Greek gives an even deeper insight to what the writers of the texts were getting at.
Do I always get this at church? No. I have to dig it out myself.
Well said! Well, other than that “Catholic” thing. :-)
I would submit that depth of theology, knowledge about God, is not the criteria for measuring the depth of a persons relationship with God, which is knowing God personally, in relationship with Him.
Is the depth of a marriage based on how much you know about your husband or wife, or how much you KNOW your husband or wife, through time spent with them rather than time spend studying about them?
Relationship cannot be quantified. You can test theological knowledge and give it a grade, but you cannot test relationship the same way. It’s experiential and that cannot be quantified.
You know....this assumption that catholics have a "deeper" theology that Christians is nonsense.
Hopefully, we are all serving Jesus Christ.
Hopefully, we all agree that faith cometh by hearing and by hearing the word of Christ.
Hopefully, we all agree that whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
Hopefully, we all agree that He is the only Begotten Son of God.
Hopefully, we all agree that He was crucified and resurrected as a one time sacrifice for our sins.
Hopefully, we all agree that we have been justified by faith we now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hopefully, we all agree that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father, but through Christ.
Hopefully, we all agree that He has forgiven all of our sins and has cancelled out the certificate of debt and He has taken it off the way and has nailed it to the cross.
Hopefully, we all agree that each believer in Christ has the Holy Spirit living in them and that He has given each of us at least one spiritual gift.
It brings this scenario to mind....
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Luke 18:9-14 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Well said!
My Brother in law is interested in Selling his daughter into slavery, how much should he ask?
Exodus 21:10 "If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished.
When he does ell her how often can she be beaten?
Leviticus 19:19... "'Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed....
There is a farmer that has been planting clover right next to corn. Should I shoot him or stone him to death.
Leviticus 19:19 (cont.. "'Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.
My neighbor was wearing a polyester shirt with rayon embroidery, Should I shoot him or stone him to death?
OH wait that was OT and old covenant. Jesus created a new Covenant with new rules.....
We are members of the Body of Christ, and every time I reflect on that truth, I find more depth and meaning to this profound doctrine.
I would argue that some typically Reformation-era doctrines could be called shallow, e.g. "Sola Scriptura," which is self-contradictory, since it rejects what Scripture itself says (so I object not to the "Scriptura" part, but only to the "Sola" part)---
But I recognize the good will of my fellow Christians. And I thank you for preparing this list of common truths, which is a worthy thing to be reminded of.
Additional comment: do we also have the Nicene Creed (TEXT, which I got at the Spurgeon website) in common? I would love to see the "yeas" and "nays" on this.
Or, if not, how about the Apostles' Creed (TEXT, the third version at the Spurgeon website)? It is as follows:
The Apostles' Creed (Spurgeon #3) (as usually recited today):
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
he descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.
Amen
I think this accurately captures your mindset.
I’m gonna stick with John 3:16. I think that captures it.
Sometimes less is more.
Best to not over complicate salvation.
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