Inter-denomination restrictions on communion??!

[INRI2]

Since you bring this up ... do not many say that the "Roman" Catholic Church itself split directly from the formerly one, holy, catholic and apostolic church conciliarly overseen by what were then five patriarchates - and the gates of hell have still not prevailed over the patriarchates that remained in communion with each other as the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church ... from which Rome split away?

So, who was the first to split: Luther and Calvin ... or Rome?

Was the Protestant Reformation a case of "Like father, like son"?

Just askin'

I have looked into this before and I am convinced by what I have read that it was the orthodox churches that split from the seat of peter. Besides that I firmly put my faith in Jesus Christ that the promises he made to St Peter are still valid, I also believe that the orthodox churches by their apostolic succesion are also protected but do not have the power of authority that was given to peter, thus it is my belief that the orthodox faith is protected and remain part of the church of Christ but is somewhat impotant.

However this is not the point, weather or not the Catholic church split from the EO or the EO from the CC is not the point. the point is either way and I say this with the utmost respect and love for a fellow Christian, your faith is undeniably flawed. If you are unable to reconcile yourself with the CC far better for you to become EO than remain in an unapostolic faith.

It is our personal faith not the faith of others on our behalf. An infant can not make that choice for themself and we can not make that for them. I believe God's grace and mercy saves those that die to young to make that decision.

Please read the passages below your comment to show how the faith of others is strong enough for the salvation of others...or Check below

Mt 8:5 - servent healed because of centurians faith.

mt 15:21 - daughter healed because of cannanite womans faith.

Lk 7:1 - just say the word and my servant shall be healed.

We that are His children, as you already said, are called saints...we need no man or man made process to determine sainthood when God already calls us saints.

saints and Glorified saints are two different things, we are saints in the making, in that it is our faith that justifies us, we are saints only in the fact that one day we shall be glorified in heaven.

The process of sainthood is to highlight saints that are 100% in heaven so that we may ask them to interceed for us - see my passages on Intercession

I'm sorry but I believe you misunderstand these references.

We can and should pray for people but Christ is the only one who makes intercession on our behalf before God.

No need to be sorry, my interpretation of scripture is not my own unlike yours. I have accepted the teaching of a Church who has apostolic succesion back to st peter himself, who for 2000 years has had the best minds and biblical scholers and of course as promised by Jesus christ...i.e the Holy spirit to interperate these scriptures. Now I am sorry, I believe it is you who misunderstand these passages, you see the bible teaching on this matter is clear, 2 Peter 3:15-16 - St pauls teachings are hard to understand as is the rest of scripture, this is of course in reference to what peter also says in 2 Peter 1:20 No prophecy of Scripture comes from private interpretation.

What book is this? It isn;t in my Bible.


If it isn't in the Bible it does not have the authority of the Bible.

All traditions and teachings are in the Bible, nothing more is needed. We are warned to not add to or take away from the Bible

Ok 1st off the Book of Tobit is in the septuigent, that is the old testiment scriptures as used by Christ and the apostles, so obviously it does have the full authority of the bible.

2nd Nowhere in the bible are we told that all teachings are to be found in the bible, as I quoted before John Gospel tells us


Not everything Jesus said is recorded in scripture and the world itself would not be big enough to contain all that he taught

St paul tells us a teaching of Christ not found in the gospels, now this rather short teaching " it is more blessed to give than to recieve" as you can see fits snuggly on this post, so a mere ripple in the ocean of the teachings that John describes.

So either you can believe yourself or believe St Paul, St John, Myself and the Apostolic Church.

3rd I find it bemusing that you would bring up the fact that weare not to add or subtract anything from the bible, as if the catholic church and its tradition were adding or subtracting something from Sacred Scripture, nothing could be further from the truth, infact tradition upholds the teachings of the bible, for without the tradition handed on by the apostles, the pope of the time could not have compiled books of and distinguished the canon of the new testiment, in effect without tradition we would have no bible.

Now however since you have so aptly brought the matter up i have to ask why, if you believe so strongly that we shouldnt add or subtract anything from the bible, why you follow a faith that has its origens from a man who subtracted 7 books from the bible in 1527... and own a bible with said books missing?

these include.

Wisdom, Sirach, judith, Baruch, 1st and 2nd Maccabees and of course that Good old book you couldnt find in your disected bible Tobit.

Now your dear said bible butcher also wanted to remove from scripture, Esther, Revelation and of course James obviously to help support his claim of Justification by Faith alone.... well I suppose a good butcher doesnt leave his handy work unseasoned so to add just a little spice to his newely chopped book he added the word "alone" to what we hold dear.. sacred scripture, to Romans 3:28

So one has to ask himself which faith is adding and subtracting from the bible and who follows such a faith?


But like I said before, your just not ready to accept the truth of Jesus Christ.

 

[gsmart]

It is interesting that this thread has morphed from a question regarding Communion and peoples thoughts on said Communion being open or closed to others in faith, to a debate on the validity of Catholism and Protestant-ism. I have said, and will say again that in either case we all believe in the same central tenets! Who are we to say that someone who worships as a Catholic is not a Christian? Who are we to say that someone who worships as a Protestant is not a Christian? Are we not both followers of Christ?

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized intothe name of Paul?

1 Corinthinans 1:10-13

​

Read all through Corinthians, Paul is talking directly on the subject of division in the church, which as I have posted earlier does not nessesarily mean a denomination, but can also mean all believers.

A final thought on the debate between the validity of our means of worship...

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?

Romans 2:1-3

​

I would much rather stand before God and be judged, than to be judged by a court of humans. I can bank on God not being flawed. For INRI2 and threeinone, please know that I consider you both as a brother and a sister in Christ, for we are both followers of Christ. No chosen creed will detract from that.

And with that, I will most likely withdraw from any further postings since the discussion at hand no longer helps to broaden my theological understanding of communion and the differences between denominational understandings of communion.

Geoff

 

[mont974x4]

It is interesting that this thread has morphed from a question regarding Communion and peoples thoughts on said Communion being open or closed to others in faith, to a debate on the validity of Catholism and Protestant-ism. I have said, and will say again that in either case we all believe in the same central tenets! Who are we to say that someone who worships as a Catholic is not a Christian? Who are we to say that someone who worships as a Protestant is not a Christian? Are we not both followers of Christ?

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized intothe name of Paul?​

1 Corinthinans 1:10-13​

Read all through Corinthians, Paul is talking directly on the subject of division in the church, which as I have posted earlier does not nessesarily mean a denomination, but can also mean all believers.

A final thought on the debate between the validity of our means of worship...

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?​

Romans 2:1-3​

I would much rather stand before God and be judged, than to be judged by a court of humans. I can bank on God not being flawed. For INRI2 and threeinone, please know that I consider you both as a brother and a sister in Christ, for we are both followers of Christ. No chosen creed will detract from that.

And with that, I will most likely withdraw from any further postings since the discussion at hand no longer helps to broaden my theological understanding of communion and the differences between denominational understandings of communion.

Geoff

Good advice and I will follow it.

 

[INRI2]

Good advice and I will follow it.

brother, here is some more.


Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

 

[mont974x4]

I rest fully in Christ my Lord and Savior

 

[lauraj]

To reply to the tangent if Catholics are Christians--yes, of course they are Christians.

To reply to the OP, I believe that when you are visiting a church you should respect the teaching of that church. If the church welcomes all those that are baptised to share in communion please do so if you are baptised. Respect the requirement of the church you are visiting and it will be simply.

 

[threeinone]

You are right Gsmart.

Back to the drawing board and customs of giving communion.

I still think that to refuse Christ to another human being is to insult Christ. I believe that would be His choice and I don't think He would refuse Himself to anyone.

 

[warriorchampion]

You are right Gsmart.

Back to the drawing board and customs of giving communion.

I still think that to refuse Christ to another human being is to insult Christ. I believe that would be His choice and I don't think He would refuse Himself to anyone.

AMEN!

 

[Asinner]

The Orthodox Church practices closed communion for the reasons Paul gives in 1 Corinthians. We believe that it is truly the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 6).


1 Cor 11:
27Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.


28But let a man examine himself, and then let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.

29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.


Reception of Holy Communion.

Eucharist belongs to and is shared by those who have been baptized into the Church and who hold a common faith in the bond of love. Thus, only those Orthodox Christians in full communion with the Church may partake of the Holy Gifts. It is expected that every baptized and confirmed Orthodox adult, child and infant be a regular and frequent recipient of the holy communion. It is presupposed that adult and children communicants have fasted from the evening meal prior to receiving Holy Communion at the morning Eucharist.

Care must be taken that one approaches the chalice with spiritual understanding:

"Let not everyone come to receive it, but only those who are worth, 'for the holy gifts are for the holy people of God'. Those whom the priest calls holy are not only those who have attained perfection, but also those who are striving for it without having yet obtained it ... that is why Christians, if they have not committed such sins as would cut them off from Christ and bring death, are in no way prevented, when partaking of the holy mysteries, from receiving sanctification ... for no one has holiness of himself; it is not the consequence of human virtue, but comes for all from him and through him" (St. Nicholas Cabasilas).​

 

[Asinner]

THE EUCHARIST

The Eucharist or Divine Liturgy is the central mystery of the Church. It is at once the source and the summit of her life. In it, the Church is continuously changed from a human community into the Body of Christ, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and the People of God. The Eucharist, according to St. Nicholas Cabasilas, is the final and greatest of the mysteries "since it is not possible to go beyond it or add anything to it. After the Eucharist there is nowhere further to go. There all must stand, and try to examine the means by which we may preserve the treasure to the end. For in it we obtain God Himself, and God is united with us in the most perfect union."


Every sacred mystery makes its partakers into members of Christ. But the Eucharist effects this most perfectly:

"By dispensation of His grace, He [Christ] disseminates Himself in every believer through that flesh whose substance comes from bread and wine, blending Himself with the bodies of believers, to secure that, by this union with the Immortal, man too may be a sharer in incorruption" (N. Cabasilas).​

A Continuous Pentecost.

Each Divine Liturgy is a continuation of the mystery of Pentecost. It is the renewal and the confirmation of the coming of the Holy Spirit who is ever present in the Church. In a prayer of the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, the following is found: "Make us worth to find grace in Your presence so that our sacrifice may be pleasing to You and that Your good and gracious Spirit may abide with us and with the gifts here presented and with all Your people." The worshipping community prays earnestly that it may continue to be Spirit-bearing ("send down Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts here presented") and that the consecrated gifts may become a communion of the Holy Spirit.
The Messianic Banquet.

In the present age, between the two comings of Jesus Christ our Lord, the Divine Liturgy is always the Messianic banquet, the meal of the kingdom, the time and place in which the heavenly joins and mingles with the earthly. The Eucharist initiates humankind, nature, and time into the mystery of the uncreated Trinity. The Divine Liturgy is not simply a sacred drama or a mere representation of past events. It constitutes the very presence of God's embracing love, which purifies, enlightens, perfects, and deifies (2 Peter 1:4) all "those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Rev. 19:9), i.e., all who through Baptism and Chrismation have been incorporated into the Church and have become Christ-bearers and Spirit-bearers.
In the Divine Liturgy we do not commemorate one or another isolated event of sacred history. We celebrate, in joy and thanksgiving, the whole mystery of the divine economy from creation to incarnation, especially "the cross, the tomb, the resurrection on the third day, the ascension into heaven, the enthronement at the right hand of the Father and the second glorious coming." Thus, in experiencing the reigning Christ in the Divine Liturgy, the past, present, and future of the history of salvation are lived as one reality in the mystery of the Kingdom of God.
Partakers of Divine Nature.



The Eucharist "is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, the flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father in His graciousness raised from the dead" (St. Ignatios of Antioch). In it we are offered Christ's deified flesh, to which we are joined, in order to partake of divine life without confusion or division. In the Eucharist, Christ acts to make us His own Body:

"The Bread of Life Himself changes him who feeds on Him and transforms and assimilates him into Himself" (St. Nicholas Cabasilas).​

Thus, eternity penetrates our finitude. Men, women and children are invited to share in the trinitarian life of God:

"... by this flesh [of Christ in the Eucharist] our community is raised to heaven; that is where this Bread truly dwells; and we enter into the Holy of Holies by the pure offering of the Body of Christ" (St. Gregory Palamas).​

The life of the Trinity flows and dwells in us through "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God the Father and the Communion of the Holy Spirit" (2 Cor. 13:14). We become God-bearers.

The Local Church.



The mystery of the Church as the Body of Christ is fully realized in the Divine Liturgy, for the Eucharist is Christ crucified and risen, in his personal presence. Every local Church, living in full the sacramental life, is the:

"... miracle of the new life in Christ lived in community and is built upon and around the Table of the Lord. Whenever and wherever the Divine Liturgy is celebrated, in the context of doctinal unity and canonical norms, the local Church possesses the marks of doctinal unity and canonical norms, the local Church possesses the marks of the true Church of God: unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity. These marks cannot belong to any human gathering; they are the eschatological signs given to a community through the Spirit of God" (John Meyendorff).​

The Eucharist unites the members of the Church, both Christ and to one another: "because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread: (1 Cor. 10:17). Sharing in the life of Christ and revivified by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Church becomes an epiphany of divine love. "If union is in truth with Christ and with one another, we are assuredly also united voluntarily with all those who partake with us" (St. John of Damascus).
The Term "Divine Liturgy".

The divine Liturgy is the sacred rite by which the Orthodox Church celebrates the mystery of the Eucharist. This title for the Eucharist is derived from two Greek words, theia and leitourgia. The word theia means "pertaining to God," hence divine. The term leitourgia comes from two words; leitos (people) and ergon (work), hence "the work of the people" or "a public service, act or function." The word leitourgia was used in Greek antiquity to describe those services and acts which were performed for the benefit and common interest of all, including acts of worship. It was in this latter religious sense that the word found its way into the vocabulary of Scripture and the Church. In the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament the word was applied to the Temple services and the functions of the priests. In the New Testament, where the word appears infrequently, it describes the saving work of Christ (Heb. 8:6) and Christian worship (Acts 13:21). In the Apostolic Fathers and later tradition the word was applied to worship. By the fourth century, the word leitourgia, together with adjective theia (i.e., Divine Liturgy) had become the technical term for the mystery of the Eucharist. The word Eucharist in turn means thanksgiving. It takes its name from the great prayer of consecration (Anaphora) pronounced by the celebrant of the Divine Liturgy.
The Origins of the Divine Liturgy.

The Divine Liturgy is composed of two parts, the first of which is referred to as the Synaxis or Proanaphora (the Liturgy of the Word, or the Liturgy of the Catechumens), and the second as the Eucharist (the offering, the Liturgy of the Mystery (Sacrament) or the Liturgy of the Faithful). The synaxis or Proanaphora, in its basic, classical shape, is a christianized version of the synagogue service. The Eucharist is derived from the words and actions of the Lord at the Last (Mystical) Supper.


The connection of the Divine Liturgy to the prayer service of the synagogue and to a Jewish household or fraternal ritual meal must be understood against the backdrop of the nascent Christian community. The Lord and his apostles and the first christians were Jews. It is clear that the Church will be characterized forever by its Semetic origins. It is equally clear that the Church has close ineradicable connections with Hellenism. The Church was born in Jerusalem, but grew up in the Hellenistic world. Her liturgy, art and theology are radiants with the imperishable traces of this double experience.

"It is true that the Christian liturgy, and the Eucharist especially, is one of the most original creations of Christianity. But however original it is, it is not a sort of an ex nihilo creation. To think so is to condemn ourselves to a minimal understanding of it" (Louis Bouyer).​

The Eucharist itself was instituted by Christ at the supper on Holy Thursday to perpetuate the remembrance (anamnesis) of his redemptive work and to establish a continuous intimate communion (koinonia) between himself and those who believe in Him. The actions and words of the Lord concerning the bread and wine formed the basis for the Eucharist, the chief recurrent liturgical rite of the Church. The nucleus of every eucharistic rite consists in four actions: the offering and the placing of bread and wine on the holy Table; the anaphora or great eucharistic prayer, which includes the words of institution and the invocation of the Holy Spirit to change the gifts into the Body and Blood of Christ; the breaking of the consecrated Bread (i.e., the fraction); and the communion of the consecrated elements by the people of God.
At first the Eucharist was celebrated within the context of an evening community meal, referred to as the agape or love feast. By the end of the first or the beginning of the second century the celebration of the Eucharist was separated from the community meal and transposed to the early morning hours.

continued

 

[Asinner]

The Development of the Divine Liturgy.

The Divine Liturgy is a complex act of rhythmic movement, sound and spectacle characterized by a deep sense of harmony, beauty, dignity and mystery. It is structured around two solemn entrances, which today are abbreviated forms of earlier more elaborate ceremonies; the great eucharistic prayer (Anaphora); and the distribution of Holy Communion. An elaborate enarxis (opening rites), and a series of dismissal rites (apolysis) embrace the whole action.
The first or "Little Entrance," the entry of the clergy and the people into the Church, once marked the beginning of the Synaxis. The Little Entrance is a solemn procession with the Gospel accompanied with entrance hymns. The second or "Great Entrance" once marked the beginning of the Eucharist. It is a solemn procession with the gifts of the bread and wine that are to be offered and consecrated. The elements used for the offering are prepared by the clergy. The service of preparation (Proskomide) is performed at the Table of Preparation (Prothesis) before the enarxis. It is here, after the preparation of the bread and the cup and the commemoration of the saints, that the celebrant also commemorates the faithful, both living and dead, by name.
The verbal and non-verbal elements of the Divine Liturgy are fitted together harmoniously, so as to weave a pattern of prayer that addresses and inspires the whole person, body and soul. The principle behind the development of its ceremonial splendor rests upon the notion that our earthly worship ought to reflect the joy and majesty of heavenly worship. On the verbal side of the liturgy, we hear eloquent prayers of praise, thanksgiving, intercession and confession; litanies, petitions, acclamations, greetings and invocations; hymns, chants, psalmody and creedal statements a well as intoned Scrpitural lessons and a homily. On the side of the non-verbal, we are involved with solemn processions and an assortment of liturgical gestures. The eyes are filled with the graceful actions of the servers, as well as the sight of the Lord and his saints gazing at us from the icons. The nostrils are filled with the fragrance of incense, and the heart is grasped by the profound silence of the divine presence. People touch each other gently, saying "Christ is in our midst," when called upon to "love one another" before the offering of the gifts. With one voice and heart they also recite the Creed and recommit themselves to the Orthodox faith into which they were baptized. And participating in Holy Communion the faithful "taste and see that the Lord good" (Ps. 33).
The basic outline of the Divine Liturgy is anchored in the New Testament. Ritual and text evolved gradually; the several elements of the liturgy developed unevenly and at different stages. Its structures were expanded, augmented and adorned with chants, prayers and various ceremonials. By the tenth century the eucharistic rites of Constantinople, the chief see of the Orthodox East, has become more or less crystallized. The process of growth, modification, and adaptation has been relatively slow ever since. By virtue of its prestige the rites of Constantinople first influenced and finally replaced all other rites in the Orthodox East. Since the end of the twelveth century, with minor variations that reflect local customs, the Liturgy of Constantinople has become the sole common rite of all Orthodox Churches.
The Three Liturgies.

Constantinople was the magnificent crucible in which several liturgical traditions mixed. Out of this synthesis came three liturgies which were distinctly Constantinopolitan. Firmly rooted in God's written word and strongly influenced by the patristic experience, these liturgies take us to the heart of God's glory and philanthropia.
The Liturgy of St. Basil was, until the twelfth century, the chief liturgy of Constantinople. Its anaphora is probably the most eloquent of all Liturgies, east or west. Powerful in its unity of thought, theological depth and rich biblical imagery, it was celebrated every Sunday and great feast day. Now it is used only ten times during the year: on the five Sundays of the Great Fast, on the vigils of Pascha, Christmas and Epiphany, on Holy Thursday and on the Feast of St. Basil, January 1.
The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is shorter and less rhetorical than that of St. Basil. It is distinguished for its simplicity and clarity. At first it was probably the weekday liturgy of Constantinople. Gradually it superseded and replaced the Liturgy of St. Basil. The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is now celebrated at every eucharist assembly unless the Liturgy of St. Basil or the Presanctified is to be celebrated.
The Liturgy of the Presanctified is not a full Divine Liturgy in that it does not contain the anaphora. This Liturgy is now used on Wednesdays and Fridays of the Great Fast and on the first three days of Holy Week. It is comprised of Vespers, the solemn transfer to the holy Table of the elements of Holy Communion consecrated at the Divine Liturgy the previous Sunday (or Saturday), and the order of the distribution of Holy Communion as in the other liturgies.
According to local custom three other ancient Liturgies are also used by Orthodox Churches on the occasion of the Feast day of the Saints to which their authorship is traditionally attributed. These are the liturgies of St. James (Iakovos), the ancient liturgy of Jerusalem; St. Mark, the ancient liturgy of Alexandria; and St. Gregory the Theologian, an ancient liturgy of Cappadocia and Alexandria.
The Celebrants of the Divine Liturgy.

The Divine Liturgy is a corporate action of the whole people of God. The eucharistic assembly presupposes the presence and active participation of clergy and laity, each with their own essential and distinctive ministry, role and function. The chief celebrant of the Eucharist is the bishop or presbyter, without whom there can be no Eucharist. The bishop or priest acts in the name of Christ, who is the one true and unique High Priest.
http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article7106.asp

 

[threeinone]

And this I presume is what gives you the right to refuse Christ to people.....the pomp and ceremony and grandeur which is the puffed up of what all churches do. Christ would give Himself to everybody,,,,,,indeed He did.

 

[Asinner]

And this I presume is what gives you the right to refuse Christ to people.....the pomp and ceremony and grandeur which is the puffed up of what all churches do. Christ would give Himself to everybody,,,,,,indeed He did.

Blessings threeinone ,

Closed communion is done in love, not arrogance.

Christ has given Himself for all, I agree.

God Bless

 

[threeinone]

Blessings threeinone ,

Closed communion is done in love, not arrogance.

Christ has given Himself for all, I agree.

God Bless

Sorry Asinner

I meant no harm. But it is still my opinion that it is done out of arrogance. Your ceremony still produces Jesus in the form of bread and wine or whatever drink, and Jesus does not consider Himself too good for anyone so why should you defy Him and refuse Him to people. It is Jesus. People need Jesus to be found and you refuse to find them for Him. I don't know of anybody in the bible who had to be isolated and prepared for Jesus. His arms were open to all, and for sure to sinners.

But then, that is just my opinion.

 

[Asinner]

Sorry Asinner

I meant no harm. But it is still my opinion that it is done out of arrogance. Your ceremony still produces Jesus in the form of bread and wine or whatever drink, and Jesus does not consider Himself too good for anyone so why should you defy Him and refuse Him to people. It is Jesus. People need Jesus to be found and you refuse to find them for Him. I don't know of anybody in the bible who had to be isolated and prepared for Jesus. His arms were open to all, and for sure to sinners.

But then, that is just my opinion.

No need to apologize.

All are invited to the Wedding Feast. To partake of this Feast requires an invitation which Christ, Himself has sent out to the world. One must accept this invitation and then prepare themselves by putting on the wedding garments (Matt 22).

So, it is not the Orthodox Church that refuses people, but instead, it is those who refuse to enter in through her doors that cut themselves off from the Holy Eucharist. All have been invited. Few will come.

God Bless

 

[threeinone]

No need to apologize.

All are invited to the Wedding Feast. To partake of this Feast requires an invitation which Christ, Himself has sent out to the world. One must accept this invitation and then prepare themselves by putting on the wedding garments (Matt 22).

So, it is not the Orthodox Church that refuses people, but instead, it is those who refuse to enter in through her doors that cut themselves off from the Holy Eucharist. All have been invited. Few will come.

God Bless

Lovely ending. Are you saying that Jesus only invited the Catholics to the Wedding Feast?

 

[Asinner]

Lovely ending. Are you saying that Jesus only invited the Catholics to the Wedding Feast?

lol! I am not Catholic.

 

[threeinone]

Charlie Brown at your service Ma'am

LOL from here too.

I checked out that Wedding Party scripture. I know it well but it is hard to remember totally. Just part of it that I have never really understood.


10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. Matthew 2211 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: Matthew 2212 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Matthew 2213 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I have never understood how the king, Jesus, could invite in all the riff raff off the streets and expect them to have wedding garments and finding one without wedding garments, he was bound and thrown out to the darkness. Never understood that. Something like inviting in a rat and then killing it because it isn't a cat.
The bible is frightfully hard to understand and there are so many reading it and misinterpreting it and throwing their weight around based on their limited knowledge.

Not said in anger or criticism. Just my thoughts.

 

[Asinner]

A Homily on Matt 22

http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/thornton_wedding.aspx?nogoogle

 

[Asinner]

The bible is frightfully hard to understand and there are so many reading it and misinterpreting it and throwing their weight around based on their limited knowledge.

It does get confusing with the mulitiplicity of interpretations out there. The writings of early Church fathers can open the door to understanding scripture and the history of the Church. Here is a link to ECF writings:http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/

God Bless