I'm Not a Chrisitan...What? Part II - Eucharistic Focus

Well, it would seem that there is a very personal vendetta being taken out on my poor Facebook page about why Catholics are "evil" not "of God" and "false Christians." Wow...really? The temptation for extreme amounts of sarcasm is quite high at this point because I am exhausted from this person's constant need to change the topic, deny what he has said and attempt to deflect, make sweeping statements that he cannot substantiate and ultimately, present his own and very personal opinion as FACT.

Ugh. Sigh.

And then...I stop...I listen to God...and I know that I am called to not raise my own ire...not equal the level of frustration, but rather...to back off a bit. I need to not make his same mistake and allow my human nature to override God's Will. He has a purpose in all this, I know that to be true. Hate begets hate and I cannot contribute to that. So, I must stop and remember to approach it with the Holy Spirit and not with my own and quite flawed human nature.

So, why do Catholics believe what they do? Where do all these traditions and tenets come from exactly? How can we believe all that we do?

Ok. Let's take it slow and account for things, then. In this way, it shall present education to those who may be unclear. In this way, it can address question and/or concerns. In this way, I shall respond with love and fact and not run the risk of my own emotions being raised to an unhealthy and certainly, not "of God" place. Remembering that I am called to explain and evangelize with charity is key. It's all too easy to get into the debating wars and then, completely lose sight of the original purpose of the debate...to answer simple questions. Those who want to skew things will continue to do so, but my task is finished...I have explained and evangelized. Even Christ allowed for people to make up their own minds about what He preached...he never forced it upon anyone and he certainly did not treat anyone poorly as a result of disagreeing. It's imperative, always, as we debate, that we literally think of it in terms of "What would Jesus do?"

In this blog, let's address the Eucharist since it's one of the points that came up during the "great debate" on my Facebook. In order not to overwhelm anyone, I'll post responses to other specific items in subsequent blog postings. It'll make it less taxing on everyone, I think. :-)

The Eucharist (one of the main points of contention between Protestants and Catholics, it seems):
Verses for Discussion: John 6, Mark 14:22-24, I Corinthians 10:14-17, I Corinthians 11:23-29, Matthew 26:26-28, Luke 22:17-20, Luke 24:30-35

In John, he discusses that we must "eat his flesh in order to have life." Jesus repeats this and is quite clear about more than once. John 6:55, "For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." As a Protestant, the disagreement comes from John 6:35, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." However, it's imperative that we go beyond that verse and understand the completeness of what is being stated, particularly in verses John 6:48-58 where Jesus actually calls HIMSELF the bread.

In some cases, the further disagreement comes from John 6:60-70 because Protestants believe it to be Jesus speaking symbolically. John 6:63, "It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." This is where fully understanding context in your Biblical studies is key. Jesus' reference to the Eucharist actually comes to a close in verse John 6:58. The verses 60-70 begin to speak specifically to FAITH. Furthermore, "spirit" is not symbolic - spirit is always used literally and is very real. When we move to I Corinthians (2:14-3:4), we are able to gain a clearer understanding of the meaning of using "the flesh" versus "my flesh." I find one of the more powerful statements to clearly outline the importance and reverence assigned (rightfully so) to the Eucharist in Paul's letter (I Corinthians 11:27):

"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord."

The Last Supper is one of the more obvious examples of Jesus leaving us with the teaching of "my body, my blood" that we should do "in remember of" Him. It's important to note that until the Reformation, all Christians believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Even Luther never moved away from it - and considering that he was so worried about misleading people, you would think that might be one of the first things on his "do not do this" list, right?

When you look at history, without interjecting your religious beliefs, there are many things that are simply fact. The Catholic Church was comprised of the first Christians (Jews & Gentiles). Even some churches that chose to split from it prior to the Reformation (Orthodox, Coptic, Armenian) still believe in the Eucharist and the Real Presence. What we do is not "re-crucifying" our Lord God...it is not blasphemy...it is not a heresey. It is following what Christ taught us...what He left with His Apostles...what has been handed down to all of us since that time of His GREAT SACRIFICE. We do this in remembrance of Him.

Peace be with you.