I Love Being Catholic

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karla

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A friend of mine recently decided to leave the Catholic Church - she just wasn't happy there and said that there were no programs for her and her family. That got me thinking...how hard it would be for me to leave the Catholic church, to just give up on everything that I believe and hold dear, to cheat myself and my children out of one the greatest gifts in the world. So I asked myself why do I love being Catholic? I could go on and on with a list, but here is what tops my list.

1. I can recieve Jesus everyday through the blessed sacrament. What a wonderful gift that is.

2. My church is unwavering in it's beliefs. It doesn't change to suit the times and holds on dearly to what it values.

3. THe wonderful role models who not only speak of the faith, but live it.

So, why do you LOVE BEING CATHOLIC :pray:
 

isshinwhat

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I find comfort in the Blessed Sacrament. To think that the same God who cared enough to die for me, still cares enough to come to us in such a special way... I cannot say enough...

And the timlessness of the Catholic Faith. It is so encompassing. As much as it may vary from country to country, it is still the same faith. It is like a huge mosaic, and the more of it you are able to see, the more beautiful it becomes.

God bless, and thanks for asking,

Neal
 
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Hoonbaba

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Today at 08:04 PM isshinwhat said this in Post #3

I find comfort in the Blessed Sacrament. To think that the same God who cared enough to die for me, still cares enough to come to us in such a special way... I cannot say enough...

And the timlessness of the Catholic Faith. It is so encompassing. As much as it may vary from country to country, it is still the same faith. It is like a huge mosaic, and the more of it you are able to see, the more beautiful it becomes.

God bless, and thanks for asking,

Neal

Hi Neal,

I'm really trying to understand this:  What's is like partaking in the Eucharist? 

I understand the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, as well as the reality of the Real Presence, but I just don't understand how incredible it can be.

While it'll be about a year before I partake in Communion, I really want to understand the whole experience.  In fact I'm starting to doubt all of it, thinking to myself, "Maybe it's really not that different from an Anglican or protestant Communion". 

While I'm not exactly making that claim, from a physical point of view, that's what it looks like.  Basically, what I'm asking is this:  How do I know that an Anglican Eucharist isn't the same as a Catholic Eucharist in terms of experiencing the Real Presence of our Lord?

-Jason
 
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VOW

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To Jason:

Since I've never been Episcopalian, I can't really give you a comparison. But for me, the Eucharist is THE ENTIRE focus of Catholicism.

See, this is the way I look at it. Jesus became human, and all the debate and discussion about Mary's role in the Catholic Church is very important, because of the WAY Jesus chose to become human. He's God; he could have just appeared on a mountaintop and started His ministry immediately. But He began His mortal existence just like ALL of us, as a weak, helpless Baby. Mary was the Perfect Vessel to contain God within her body, and she gave birth to, raised, loved, and nurtured her Son. Except for very rare circumstances, nearly every single person on earth can understand the relationship between a child and a mother, and how that relationship exists forever. That very relationship helps us to understand Jesus. Because, let's face it, He's GOD. We simply cannot grasp what GOD is all about! The LOVE that God has for us, though, caused Him to humble Himself, to take on that aspect of human-ness, to provide a connection between our world and His existence.

Jesus understands us so well! He knows how we feel when we are hungry, sad, happy, in pain, sick, euphoric, hopeful, despondent, and He knows the ache, the agony of that separation that we humans have from God. That suffering He felt in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before He died: God the Father was WITHDRAWING from Jesus, the Son, and the pain was indescribable. But without that distancing, Jesus would not be able to create the bridge through His ultimate sacrifice.

He went through all that pain, because He understood us so well! And it was His intimate understanding that allowed Him to give us His Church and the Sacraments! He knows what screw-ups we are, LOL! He gave us Confession, and Reconcilation! He created the Eucharist of His very own Body to nourish our souls. As bread, the Eucharist provides nourishment for our mortal bodies, but as the Living Body of Christ, it also allows us to TOUCH GOD, and to use the Body of Jesus to reconnect with Him, to build ourselves into what He wants us to be.

I'm in awe.


Peace be with you,
~VOW
 
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panterapat

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Hoonbaba,
"I'm really trying to understand this: What's is like partaking in the Eucharist?"

At times, after receiving the Most Holy Eucharist, I feel such an infusion of grace that my body/soul cannot contain it. I sometimes feel as if I am about to explode and have to ask Jesus to stop, for His greatness is too much for me.

There is nothing on earth so sublime as receiving th Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist. My words cannot describe this awesome experience.

In Christ, Patrick
 
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Hoonbaba

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Yesterday at 11:28 PM Wolseley said this in Post #8

Receiving the Holy Eucharist is a means of literal fusion with Christ. His Flesh is joined to your flesh. His Blood enters your blood.

What more can be said?

But how I know that's what really happens?  How do I know that this isn't some merely physical and 'empty ritual' like how it is in most protestant denominations?

How do I know I'm not being deceived by many?? heh I guess there's a matter of trust involved, but I just don't get it!!  I guess I'll have to wait a full year to experience it myself....a full year...almost seems like torture to me...

-Jason
 
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Hoonbaba: "But how I know that's what really happens? How do I know that this isn't some merely physical and 'empty ritual' like how it is in most protestant denominations?"

It's sad that you see communion as being an empty ritual in most protestant denominations. There are many, many people who do not see it as such. Even if I do not attend the Catholic Church (perhaps I will in my own time, right now distance doesn't allow it) that does not take away from the power of communion with God, partaking of His flesh and His blood. At (bible) camp we even had communion, and it was beautiful to see so many people partake of it in love and trust. One thing I do wish is that I received it more often, but we also seem to miss church when they do have it.
Anyway, just wanted to clarify that is isn't an empty ritual to everyone. :)
 
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panterapat

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Hoonbaba, HumbleJoe,

Please read and pray over John:6. Nothing in Scripture is stated so emphatically or repeated so often as Jesus' declaration about His Body and Blood being real food and real drink.

The people heard Jesus' words and turned away in disgust. He did not call them back and tell them he was speaking figurtively. No, He repeated Himself again and again "I solemnly assure you" He said. "If you do not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you." Jesus then turned to the Apostles and aksed, "Will you leave me also?" Peter replied, "To whom would we go? You have the Words of eternal life."

The Eucharist is Jesus' real Body and Blood. It is too fantistic a claim to be made were it not true.

In Christ, Patrick
 
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Wolseley

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But how I know that's what really happens? How do I know that this isn't some merely physical and 'empty ritual' like how it is in most protestant denominations?

How do I know I'm not being deceived by many?? heh I guess there's a matter of trust involved, but I just don't get it!!
It's called "faith", my son. ;)
 
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panterapat

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For any institution or belief to last from 33AD to 2003AD, with countless people marytered for this belief, there must be a Divine Truth at work here.

There is no other institution on earth as old as the Catholic Church. It is as close to eternal as we have ever gotten. So I would say that the Church has quite a lot of credibility.

In Christ, Patrick
 
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karla

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Scott Hahn says that in communion "Christ is closer to us than we are to ourselves"

Chelcb,

Thanks for that quote from Scott Hahn. I love it and it really sums up what partaking in the Eucharist is and I agree that it is a very deep statement.

God Bless,
Karla
 
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chelcb

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Jason,

You must go back to the beginning here and realize that when we receive the gift of faith in baptism there is so much more than just regeneration that takes place. In Catholicism the sacraments have more than just one purpose to them the are multifaceted in a lot of ways.

Baptism cleanses us of sin and brings us back to life yes, but it also gives us faith, it gives us the Holy Spirit and it reconciles us through adoption as children of God. Now here is the twist that most do not realize, it divinizes us.

What this means is that we share in Gods divine life not just as a by stander that has been forgiven and imputed with Christ’s righteousness by as a participant that has been transformed as true sons and daughter’s of God. We are “partaker’s in the divine nature.” This is not a easy thing to grasp I know but to think of how we are the closet thing to God with out being God is the mystery.

Jesus comes as a human but his grace of being divine adds that to our human race so that when we are “born again” we are born back with this element to our souls. We lost this in the fall and Jesus by virtue of being both human and divine restores this back to us through a transformation that depending on our free will we grow and walk in, lest we do not fall away through mortal sin. Communion is what continues to transform us because it is the divine life itself, we could not transform with out it. Christ in the Eucahrist actually puts back in us, if we let him,what Adam lost.

We were born cut off from the divine life through our birth as his desendants but restored through re birth in Jesus. Adam was human with a share in divinty, Jesus was divine with a share in humanity, but Jesus was both fully at the same time. That is the mystery of the incarnation. Our free will is the key in this transformation back to God. We must be open to it and not choose to throu it away through sin.

I hope to God that I am explaining this right because it is so hard to put into words. I think it is important for us to know that sometimes there are no words that we can explain our faith with because of the depth of the mystery of faith that we share.

Basically when we receive the Eucharist Christ gives us himself, the divine and the human, his body and blood. This is how we can have that share in his divinity with out actually being divine ourselves. Scott Hahn says that when we enter in this, this begins a “upward pull” back up to God. That is why the Eucharist is so important because each time we receive we are being divinized all the more, of course our will has to be open to this “upward pull” or we will not experience the transformation. Only in heaven we will reach the completion of this transformation when we behold the beatific vision. Purgatory is also a continuation of God’s grace that continues the transformation. When we are completely 100% in Christ image we will enter in and receive our reward.

I can search for a link to help explain all this if I have not confused you all the more. I hope I did not.

The main difference I have to say between Catholic and Protestant sacraments are one of actual transformation through the reception of them and imputed righteousness through faith in Jesus. We believe it to be a process, they believe it to be something that happens all at once that unfolds as they walk with Christ.
 
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Hoonbaba

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Today at 01:26 AM walkaways said this in Post #14

Hoonbaba: "But how I know that's what really happens? How do I know that this isn't some merely physical and 'empty ritual' like how it is in most protestant denominations?"

It's sad that you see communion as being an empty ritual in most protestant denominations. There are many, many people who do not see it as such. Even if I do not attend the Catholic Church (perhaps I will in my own time, right now distance doesn't allow it) that does not take away from the power of communion with God, partaking of His flesh and His blood. At (bible) camp we even had communion, and it was beautiful to see so many people partake of it in love and trust. One thing I do wish is that I received it more often, but we also seem to miss church when they do have it.
Anyway, just wanted to clarify that is isn't an empty ritual to everyone. :)
Uhm...that's why I said 'most' not all =P

Because nearly every protestant service I attended, they only do it several times a year (usually 4) and I don't know many around me who even think it's worth doing more than 4 times a year...they say that if they do it too often it becomes an empty ritual.

-Jason
 
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