willguy Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 Okay, lemme state a few things first. I whole-heartedly believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I believe that non-Catholic/Orthodox communions do not contain the Real Presence. Okay, now to my story. I went with my friend to her church today (Protestant). (BTW, I went to Mass as well, so don't flip your lid). Anyways, at the end they had a communion thing. It was really odd. The bread looked more like after-dinner mints and the grape-juice (not wine, and white grape juice at that) were in little individual glass cups that looked more like shot glasses. Anyways, I passed, but I was wondering if that was the right thing to do, as it emphasized the division between me and the church body, which was very welcoming and a relatively nice service with a message that was, for the most part, acceptable by Catholic Theology (excepting the one part where the pastor said explicitly that they do not believe that communion is truely the body and blood of Christ but merely "emblems"). So, what follows is what I saw as my two choices. Did I make the right one? 1. Do not partake of communion, as it is an imperfect form of the true sacrament and to partake knowing that what I am doing may possibly be sacreligious. This causes me to stand out and highlights division between me and my brothers and sisters in Christ around me. 2. Partake, under the understanding that it is not truely the Body and Blood but is merely symbolic and do so intending what I am doing to merely be representative, and thus show unity between me and the others there. Peace all and God Bless, Willguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 Yes, Will, you did the right thing by not partaking. If you had, it would've been objectively sinful, as it would just be participating in a sham, as though there's unity among y'all when there really isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skuba steve Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 but if you had partaken.... it might have kept you going until lunch.... do catholics have the exact same bread from the same oven as Jesus' bread was from... ...and is your wine dated vintage 33ad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 hehe I know what you mean, I seen those shot glasses and mint peaces of bread lol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 ...and is your wine dated vintage 33ad? alright! your learning the important Church dates very well!! keep it up! God BLess! +JMJ B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmjtina Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 hey willguy, I too have done the same thing in a similar situation. I truly believe that Christ is present in the Eucharist and to do something that literally was a "symbol" was out of the question. My friends questioned my sister and I but they understood why we didn't partake. Of course we've known each other so long that they were cool with it. How cool are my amigos y amigas? B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Just Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 You did the right thing. I too believe in the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.. Why go and recieve from their churches, when it means nothing? Just a piece of bread to them. Jesus didnt say this represents my body, he said it is. He didnt say this represents my blood, he said it is. How Protestants get symbolic out of that I dont understand. Maybe it's just their Flesh saying that it's impossible? Remeber the Jews quarrelled and disciples stopped following him because they found it was too hard to believe. A mere symbolic wouldnt be very hard to believe in. Ignatius of Antioch "I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire his blood, which is love incorruptible" (Letter to the Romans 7:3 [A.D. 110]). "Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God. . . . They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes" (Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6:2–7:1 [A.D. 110]). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chastisement Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 I was at a Christain camp thingie, and they had "commuion" at the end of it. It was simply sliced bread and red juice. I didn't know what to do, so I took the bread, but didn't take the juice, as it was shared out of the same cup. No telling what germs or things could have been in there, and since it wasn't conscrated as the true presence it wasn't protected from any nasties. When I partook, it was interesting, I felt nothing, no presence of the Lord, no kinship with the other Christains, only when I partake of Catholic Communion do I feel the Lord and a family union with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTHUS Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 You did the right thing! However, Orthodox do inDouche have the real presence in the Eucharist. This is the teaching of the Church, I believe... Someone could correct me if Im wrong..however... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulls Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 I was at a Christain camp thingie, and they had "commuion" at the end of it. It was simply sliced bread and red juice. I didn't know what to do, so I took the bread, but didn't take the juice, as it was shared out of the same cup. No telling what germs or things could have been in there, and since it wasn't conscrated as the true presence it wasn't protected from any nasties. When I partook, it was interesting, I felt nothing, no presence of the Lord, no kinship with the other Christains, only when I partake of Catholic Communion do I feel the Lord and a family union with my brothers and sisters in Christ. and everyone likes to blame protestants for going by their "feelings" too much. heh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 True , but his feelings are consistant with reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PedroX Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 The pope issued an encyclical at Easter on just this topic. I know its available at the Vatican homepage (in English). The Holy Father reminded us not to partake of Protestant communion, and warned us about going to Protestant churches when communion is served because of the tempation to just partake. Its an excellent encyclical and very informative. I don't have time to go and get the link right now, but I'll try and post it later. peace... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Huether Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 Ya did the right thing. Hey, you can wish for unity, but to force it is to deny Christ Crucified. Christ wished and prayed for unity (and his prayers will be answered), but He said he didn't come for the purpose of unity: Matthew 10: 34 Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- 36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' This type of thing is exactly what Christ is refering to. When you hold fast to Truth, while others deny it. There is bound to be division! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willguy Posted September 15, 2003 Author Share Posted September 15, 2003 You did the right thing! However, Orthodox do inDouche have the real presence in the Eucharist. This is the teaching of the Church, I believe... Someone could correct me if Im wrong..however... Yes, Orthodox churches have the Real Presense. I think you may have misinterpreted me. When I said Non-Catholic/Orthodox, What I mean by that is Non-(Catholic or Orthodox) communions. sorry for the confusion. Thanx all for the help. Willguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birgitta Noel Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 You did the right thing! The other reason not to partake is because even though you KNOW that it's not the body and blood, by sharing in communion with the members of that church you are claiming that you are IN communion with them. That means that you believe everything that that particular church believes. So if you partake in communion then you are rejecting what THE Church teaches. I'm sure you don't want to do that! God Bless, Birgitta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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