The Catholic Mass imitates Christ. This occurred on the first day of the week soon after his resurrection. As recorded in the Gospel of Luke
15 And it came to pass, that while they talked and reasoned with themselves, Jesus himself also drawing near, went with them.
16 But their eyes were held, that they should not know him.
17 And he said to them: What are these discourses that you hold one with another as you walk, and are sad?
18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleophas, answering, said to him: Art thou only a stranger to Jerusalem, and hast not known the things that have been done there in these days?
19 To whom he said: What things? And they said: Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in work and word before God and all the people;
20 And how our chief priests and princes delivered him to be condemned to death, and crucified him.
21 But we hoped, that it was he that should have redeemed Israel: and now besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done.
22 Yea and certain women also of our company affrighted us, who before it was light, were at the sepulchre,
23 And not finding his body, came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, who say that he is alive.
24 And some of our people went to the sepulchre, and found it so as the women had said, but him they found not.
25 Then he said to them: O foolish, and slow of heart to believe in all things which the prophets have spoken.
26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory?
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures, the things that were concerning him.
28 And they drew nigh to the town, whither they were going: and he made as though he would go farther.
29 But they constrained him; saying: Stay with us, because it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent. And he went in with them.
30 And it came to pass, whilst he was at table with them, he took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to them.
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him: and he vanished out of their sight.
32 And they said one to the other: Was not our heart burning within us, whilst he spoke in this way, and opened to us the scriptures?
33 And rising up, the same hour, they went back to Jerusalem: and they found the eleven gathered together, and those that were staying with them,
34 Saying: The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35 And they told what things were done in the way; and how they knew him in the breaking of the bread.
This is how the Catholic Mass is ordered. We read scripture and they are opened and expounded upon, then we recognize Our Lord in the breaking of bread, by His example on a Sunday, the day of his Resurrection, and His command that unless we eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, we have no life in us.
For you to be believed, Bob, we would have to agree that the Church went apostate early in her formation, and the promise given to the Apostles that the Church being built would be strong enough to withstand the gates of hell was false.
I have seen the SDA reject Justin Martyr and Iraneus. These are early Church fathers that fought the heresy that was taking place in the second century. All the heresies had a common element in that they broke with apostolic tradition.
The scriptures are insufficient to stand on their own and have to be opened to our understanding as shown in the Gospel of Luke quoted above. When individuals well meaning thought some are try to conform the scriptures to their own understanding, even though the Bible says to lean not to your own understanding, we get the 40,000 denominations that we have today. They can’t all be right.
What causes you to elevate your understanding of the Bible above the apostles?
You can’t say the Bible, as it is your understanding of the Bible that you preach. There are thousands of others that read the same Bible and do not come to your understanding. Are you sure that you can’t be wrong? Would you stand before God and try to use His words to trap Him, just as the scribes and Pharisees did? Or is it the wiser course to submit to God and to admit that you are not all knowing and there are things about the Bible that you do not understand, though you read them everyday?
