Eat And You Shall Be Like Gods

[reyb]

[color=#282828][b]In ‘Question About The Eucharist’ (see CatholicQ&A), MrsFrozen states the following: [/b]

As a cradle Catholic, I am kind of embarrassed to ask this, because I think I should already know the answer, but here goes..

My husband is in RCIA classes, and each week we get articles to read. I just read one about Communion before Vatical II and after. Here's a quote from the article.[/color]
[color=#282828][quote[b]][/b]
[My devotion before Vatican II] stopped short; it went only "half-way." My devotion was focused on the first transformation: the transformation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. I had forgotten ... the second transformation: the transformation of the Christians into Christ. This second transformation is the purpose of the first: Christ becomes really present in the Eucharist so that we may really become his Body."[/quote]

This is confusing me. I believe in the True Presence. What I don't understand is when he says, "Christ becomes really present in the Eucharist so that we may really become his Body." What does this mean? I am assuming it doesn't mean we're gods after we take Eucharist. Does this mean we are supposed to be Christ-like? Thank you very much.

God bless.


And this is what she got from CatholicQ&A


[quote[b]][/b]


[size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]Not sure if this helps clarify your question;

As Catholics we believe that Jesus is really and personally present to us in the broken bread and shared cup of the Eucharist. And although we believe that Christ is present in the Scriptures, the assembly and the ministers of the Church, we hold that Christ's presence under the form of bread and wine is one filled with the greatest intimacy and uniqueness.

The Eucharist is not intimate and unique because it is magic. It's not intimate and unique because we gaze upon the elements. The Eucharist is intimate and unique because earthly signs are transformed by God's love, and are consumed in faith. As we eat and drink these elements Christ becomes part of us, and we come alive in Christ.

In the fifth century St Augustine taught his people that if they truly loved the Eucharist they would become what they eat. The same is true for us today. By receiving into our hands the bread � blessed and broken, the cup � poured and shared, we say �Amen� to becoming the same in Christ: blessed, broken, poured out and shared in love. We commune with God and God with us in the Eucharist so that just as earthly gifts are transformed into Christ so through us will be the entire world, and all things in it.

There is a huge and important difference between grace and magic. One is a trick for show. The other is the power of love, which expresses itself in faith, hope, and service. [/background][/size][/color]
[color=#282828][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)][/quote][/background][/size][/color]
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[color=#282828][size=4]I do not think her question is answered. She is assuming it is not possible but actually asking the true meaning of 'Christ-like' which is not to be called 'gods' or 'like gods' [/size][/color]after they took this Eucharist. (You do not need to convince her about the presence of Christ in the Eucharist because she is already a believer). To make it short, how come your meaning of 'Christ-like' is not the same as 'like him' or 'like-god' or 'gods'.[list]

[/list]

Edited September 23, 2012 by reyb

[carmenchristi]

[quote]In the fifth century St Augustine taught his people that if they truly loved the Eucharist they would become what they eat. The same is true for us today. By receiving into our hands the bread - blessed and broken, the cup - poured and shared, we say "Amen" to becoming the same in Christ: blessed, broken, poured out and shared in love. We commune with God and God with us in the Eucharist so that just as earthly gifts are transformed into Christ so through us will be the entire world, and all things in it.[/quote]

It seems to me that the question was answered perfectly fine.

A good way to understand is by the offertory prayer as the water is united to the wine. The priest says "By the mingling of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity". As the water is mixed with the wine, it "becomes" part of the wine although it still remains water... all of it then becomes the Blood of Christ. So too do we share His divinity while still retaining our humanity. We are absorbed in Him and [color=#001320][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=4][background=rgb(249, 253, 255)]are "with [/background][/size][/font][/color][color=#001320][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=4][background=rgb(249, 253, 255)]unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, [/background][/size][/font][/color][color=#001320][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=4][background=rgb(249, 253, 255)]being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." 2 Cor 3:18[/background][/size][/font][/color]

[KnightofChrist]

Check it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIv-qsH40m0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[carmenchristi]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' timestamp='1348358483' post='2485530']
Check it.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIv-qsH40m0&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/media]
[/quote]
That is epic!

[Groo the Wanderer]

[img]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qfoa1nZpqm8/TP2PZvv0KzI/AAAAAAAAABE/ZKFHQz1HvAg/s1600/Llama.jpg[/img]

[mortify]

You're married?

[Papist]

Do you not desire to be in union with God? Ain't that what we all are striving for?

[BarbTherese]

In the Mass, the priest prays while mixing a little water with the wine :
"By the mystery of this water and wine
may we come to share in the divinity of Christ
who humbled himself to share in our humanity."
This is a beautiful and very humbling prayer. We are all called into Unity with Christ and Jesus is God. And ideally this is the striving of our whole life, to be United to Christ Who Is God. It is a stunning, overwhelming and absolutely humbling thought - that Jesus in humbling Himself to share our humanity, humbled Himself into the dust even further calling us to, and enabling us, to share in His Divinity. This is what Sanctifying Grace is indeed - a sharing in the Divinity of Christ and since God is Infinite and we only finite, our sharing in His Life, His Godhead, is 'measured' by the measure of Sanctifying Grace in the soul. And absolutely no person alive or dead, or who ever will exist, can have sufficient Santifying Grace so as to have any sort of equality with God. The extent of the Beatific Vision in Heaven will be that extent of Sanctifying Grace in the soul.
After Holy Communion for as long as the Real Presence remains, we are in fact living tabernacles.
The Church IS The Mystical Body of Christ on earth.

Edited September 26, 2012 by BarbaraTherese

[Groo the Wanderer]

this thread makes me tinkle with joy

[Mark of the Cross]

I'd just like to add that Jesus could come to us in any multitude of ways. But he chose to use 'Eat his body and drink his blood' because in his time such a thing as cannibalism was disgusting and revolting. Jesus had asked the disciples "Who do you say that I am?" He then tested their faith. Some said "This is a hard teaching who can accept it?" Those that accepted it by faith in the face of what seemed so wrong displayed their true faith. By accepting this they proved that they accepted anything and everything that Jesus taught. They became complete in him. Today we receive Christ through the bread and wine by faith alone against what seems illogical by scientific understanding. In doing so we literally become one and complete in the body of Christ by our faith.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

I have been thinking about this before and have thought about it again. And for me it boils down to this(this is the conclusion i have come to.)When satan said "God doesn't wan't you to eat from this tree because you will become like GODS." the enemy is saying that something other than GOD can make us like GOD. Adam and eve had everything they needed and where happy untill they got greedy. Things can not make us christ like. Being christ like through the will of GOD is a whole other scenario. Again only GOD can make us holy. Therefore there is no contradiction between the book of genisis and when jesus said "the servant can only hope to be like the master." hinting us towards desiring to be like GOD whom is the true master. Thats all just my opinion anyway and i'm far from being holy but living in the hope to be holy eventualy if it is the will of GOD for me.

Edited October 7, 2012 by Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye