Posted on 12/27/2008 2:48:02 PM PST by NYer
Q. Why can’t Protestants receive communion at the Catholic Church?
A. To protect them from Judgment.
1 Corinthians 11: 27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be
guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
Since, Protestants do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as we do, they do not discern or recognize that Jesus’ body is present under the appearance of bread and wine. We would be allowing them to eat and drink judgment upon themselves. The prohibtion is actually very charitable but, unfortunately, it is usually seen as a rejection.
Evidence of this interpretation of this passage is supported by St. Justin the Martyr :
“We call this food Eucharist; and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true…”
-Justin Martyr -FIRST APOLOGY, 66,20–(150 A.D.)
Q. Why do we call the bread “The Host”?
A. Our use of this term, to refer to the consecrated bread, comes from the Latin word hostia, which means ‘victim’. We believe that Jesus Christ is really present in the consecrated bread and wine on our altars. The mass is a re-presentation of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. Therefore, Jesus is the victim of sacrifice and we call the bread the host/victim to help us remember that it is no longer bread but the Real Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ given to us to strengthen and keep us on the journey to Heaven.
Ditto. Baptist here also. Why a Baptist or non-Catholic would want to attend and participate in a Catholic service mystifies me. We have several items of theological difference between us that are not open to negotiation. To do so, for me, is a betrayal/denial of Baptist interpretation of scripture. For Baptists, communion is for those who are “born again” and have examined their hearts just prior to taking communion for any unforgiveness of others. For Baptists, you don’t have to be baptist or baptized to take communion. I agree, unless you are “saved”, communion is meaningless.
Nowhere in scripture does it assure us of salvation no matter what, in fact, it contstantly warns us of loss of salvation. If not possible after being truly saved, why waste their breath?
It's called dispensationalism...Paul speaks of this in his epistles...
The Bible in it's entirety was not written solely for the Christian church...
Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Those of us who are Christians have already passed from death to life...The Apostle Paul says we are 'sealed' with the Holy Spirit...You nor I can break the seal...
But you are right, there are verses that say a person can lose their salvation...But you have to be honest with yourself and admit that there are verses which tell you you can not lose your salvation as well...
Paul calls it 'rightly dividing the truth'...It's all truth...But you must know where to make the divisions...
Thank you.
I wish you a Blessed Evening!
Tell that to Beth Moore who says that 'all of her sins were committed after she was saved'. We all sin and need to return to His throne for forgiveness.
I believe the Catholic mass celebrant says “take and eat; for this is my body which was shed for you and for others. Do this in remembrance of me”. Take and eat and remember. That is what I do.
I suppose that according to you I cannot have communion with God? That I cannot have a relationship with Jesus because I do not follow your doctrine? If that is true, what separates you from radical Islam? What separates you from Wiccans, other than the God you believe in? For you have defined that you and your earthly institution are the sole arbiter of a man’s salvation.
Truth IS truth. It is by faith we are saved. It is not by actions or works. Anyone claiming otherwise is truly ignoring the words of Jesus. He was explicit in this - no one comes to the Father but through Him.
Oh, and I am Christian. I happen to be one who celebrates and finds agreement with the doctrine of the Free Methodist Church of North America, but I am Christian. I would hope when someone asks you what your faith is, you respond Christian, too!
“And I don’t see anyone here arguing that.”
Sad.
See post 83.
Do you agree with the claim:
“I think all are saved, even you. It matters not to me what you believe, God will welcome you.”?
For Baptists and Protestants, “backslidden” is not a denial of God or Christ. It is simply that, as a Christian, you have not been living a Godly life. You have essentially pushed God to the background and are living for yourself and do not care about the sins you are committing. I do not believe that one can be a true Christian and turn their back on God and deny Him. I believe “once saved, always saved”. If you can deny God, you were never born again to begin with. It was a false conversion. The purpose of a moment of reflection and prayerfully asking for forgiveness prior to taking communion is to make your heart right with God and thus worthy of taking communion.
Every...any...guarantee...and then quote 'pride goeth before a fall'. Wow...nothin' like stepping in it, eh? Me thinks you don't know much about a lot of protestant churches...
This entire thread is about the Catholic Church's position that those not confirmed in the Church cannot partake in communion.
Can you receive communion before Confirmation?
Talk to your local RCIA director or parish priest - those who have not been confirmed and are not a member of a local parish are not allowed to take communion. If you identify yourself as not being a confirmed parishoner, you will not be willingly given communion, according to the doctrine and teaching of the Catholic church.
I've had several discussions about this with a good high school friend (Father Stephen, now in the Chicago diocese), my mother in law who earned her Masters in Catholic Education from Seattle University (a Jesuit university) and now is the director of Christian education and RCIA director at a local Seattle parish, and from 12 years of Catholic education from K to 12th grade (graduate of St. Alphonsus and Bishop O'Dea High School, both in Seattle).
I give up. I’m right.
“I suppose that according to you I cannot have communion with God?”
Strawman. Of course you CAN.
“That I cannot have a relationship with Jesus because I do not follow your doctrine?”
If you deny Our Lord, well how can you have a relationship with Him?
If you can in one breath, and then cant in the other, its contradiction. Cannot be. No one can snatch me from his hand. I cannot ‘lose’ my salvation, but I can forfeit it, by choice. I can choose to walk away as the disciples did when they CHOSE to walk with him no more after the bread of life discourse. He did not stop them. they walked with Christ and chose not to believe him on that point.
That keeps continuity in scripture, which is what makes it the truth.
Thank you for your support. Your observation that it is the “usual suspects” is very much on point.
In my experience, those who are obsessed with criticizing the religious beliefs of others usually have serious doubts about their own.
A friend of mine who is a former Catholic told me that and you could have knocked me over with a feather, I was so shocked! She also told me that most Catholics do not read their Bibles and that they rely on the Church to “tell” them what it says.
If you walk into an Anglican church and see a candle burning near the tabernacle containing the host......Christ is indeed present in the body.
Your ‘friend’ simply repeated a common lie. Very sad.
Just for clarification, are you saying that Anglo-Catholics don't believe in the Real Presence at all or that they hold the same belief as Catholics and Orthodox? (I believe it's the latter, but I'm not certain.)
Even if the women priestess there has no problem with denying said ‘Real Presence’?
Sorry, while the High Church has tried HARD to remain Catholic, they failed. Accept it. Come home.
Please note that stockpirate posted that in response to post 15 where it was stated "Communion" at a Protestant church is meaningless. "
Esssentially stockpirate was saying that such a sentiment - unfortunately so obviously on display here, that a Catholic communion is the only meaningful communion - is simply wrong. And we are all saved, regardless of what we believe in terms of doctrine if we have a personal relationship with Christ.
It seemed quite obvious to me...
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