Personal/private Communion?

[Anna]

We don't NEED the eucharist to have that 

Communion is union with God...eucharist or not. It's amesome!

Sorry, Robyn,

but Jesus said you DO need that.

"Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you have no life in you." John 6:53

Jesus said it, we believe it.

Paladin, :wub:

This was the first reading at Mass today.

It made me think of your Mom, and her personal, private communion.

Perhaps this would help her to understand the necessity of a priesthood, which offers communion to the Father:

Heb 5:1-6

Brothers and sisters:

Every high priest is taken from among men

and made their representative before God,

to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,

for he himself is beset by weakness

and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself

as well as for the people.

No one takes this honor upon himself

but only when called by God,

just as Aaron was.

In the same way,

it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,

but rather the one who said to him:

You are my son:

this day I have begotten you;

just as he says in another place:

You are a priest forever

according to the order of Melchizedek.

http://www.catholicherald.com/saunders/99w...ws/ws990701.htm

Who Was Melchizedek?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Straight Answers By Fr. William Saunders

Melchizedek appears in the Book of Genesis (14:18-20).

Abraham had defeated King Chedorlaomer and the other three allied kings, and then was met by Melchizedek, the Canaanite King of Salem and "a priest of God Most High." (Interestingly, the word Melchizedek means, Amy king is righteousness," and Salem, "peace.")

Melchizedek presented bread and wine to Abraham, and blessed him with these words: "blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of Heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand" (Genesis 14:19-20).

Keep in mind that bread and wine were customarily offered in sacrifice among the "first fruits" of the earth in thanksgiving to the Creator.

Although Melchizedek is technically a pagan priest, he recognizes the one supreme deity, using the title, "God Most High," just as the Jewish people would. Accepting this blessing and offering, Abraham gives to Melchizedek a tithe of one-tenth the booty from his campaign. After this encounter, however, Melchizedek disappears from the Genesis story.

Melchizedek is mentioned again in Psalm 110: "The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: >You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek'" (110:4). This psalm is considered one of the most important of the Messianic psalms, identifying the forthcoming Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, as King, Priest, and Conqueror.

Perhaps St. Paul, the traditional author of the Letter to the Hebrews, was the greatest promoter of Melchizedek. (See Chapters 5-9.) St. Paul used the person of Melchizedek to illustrate the doctrine of the sacrificial priesthood as established by Christ. St. Paul begins, "Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins" (Hebrews 5:1). Despite human weakness, a man is called by God to be a priest.

St. Paul then compares and contrasts the priesthood of Melchizedek with that of Aaron, the Levitical Priesthood: The priesthood of Aaron was based on his ancestry from Abraham. The priests following Aaron were of his family, the House of Levi, and appointed priests because of their heredity. Also, these priests offered the sacrifices of the Old Covenant.

In contrast to the Levitical Priesthood is the Priesthood of our Lord, which Melchizedek foreshadows. First, Melchizedek has no genealogy in the Old Testament, and his priesthood is not based on heredity. Christ, like Melchizedek, is a priest by divine appointment and His priesthood does not depend upon hereditary ties.

Second, Abraham recognized the priest-king Melchizedek by receiving his blessing and offering him tithes. An act of such humility signified that the priesthood which would descend from Abraham is of lesser stature than that of Melchizedek. This act also foretold that the Levitical Priesthood would be replaced by the greater, perfect, and royal priesthood of Christ.

Third, Melchizedek offered bread and wine in thanksgiving to God, prefiguring what our Lord did at the Last Supper.

Fourth, Melchizedek was a "member of the nations." Christ came to save not just the House of Israel, but the people of all nations. Moreover, Melchizedek's very name and title mean "king of Justice, King of Peace"; Jesus entered the world to bring justice and peace.

Finally, Melchizedek was not a priest of the Old Covenant. Christ as a priest offered the perfect sacrifice for sin and made the new, perfect, and everlasting covenant with His own blood. In all, the Letter to the Hebrews elaborates upon the historical Melchizedek and weaves an image which foreshadows our Lord, who would fulfill the Old Testament covenant and priesthood.

The early Church Fathers clearly understood and accepted this imagery.

St. Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258) in his Letter to Cecil, taught, "Also in the priest Melchizedek we see the Sacrament of the Sacrifice of the Lord prefigured, in accord with that to which the Divine Scriptures testify, where it says: >And Melchizedek, the King of Salem, brought out bread and wine, for he was a priest of the Most High God; and he blessed Abraham.' That Melchizedek is in fact a type of Christ is declared in the psalms by the Holy Spirit, saying to the Son, as it were from the Father: >Before the daystar I begot You. You are a Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.' The order certainly is that which comes from his sacrifice and which comes down from it: because Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God; because he offered bread; and because he blessed Abraham. And who is more a priest of the Most High God than our Lord Jesus Christ, who, when He offered sacrifice to God the Father, offered the very same which Melchizedek had offered, namely bread and wine, which is in fact His Body and Blood."

St. Cyril of Jerusalem in his Catechetical Lectures (Mystagogia 5) also referenced Melchizedek's sacrifice as a "type" which prefigured the Holy Eucharist.

The Church honors this image of Melchizedek. The Catechism teaches, "the Christian tradition considers Melchizedek, >priest of God Most High,' as a prefiguration of the priesthood of Christ, the unique >high priest after the order of Melchizedek'; >holy, blameless, unstained,' >by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified,' that is, by the unique sacrifice of the cross" (#1544, cf. 50). Moreover, "the Church sees in the gesture of the king-priest Melchizedek, who >brought out bread and wine,' a prefiguring of her own offering" (#1333). For this reason, the priest in Eucharistic Prayer I, prays after the consecration, "look with favor on these offerings and accept them as once you accepted the gifts of your servant Abel, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the bread and wine offered by your priest Melchizedeck."

If you have enjoyed reading Straight Answers, a book (400 pages in length) of the same title is available with 100 Astraight answers" about the faith. The book may be purchased at both the Queen of Apostles Family Gift Shop and the Pauline Book and Media Center (Daughters of St. Paul), both in Alexandria, as well as other religious stores throughout the diocese.

Fr. Saunders is pastor of Queen of Apostles Parish and dean of the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College, both in Alexandria.

Edited October 27, 2003 by Anna

[Paladin D]

Thank you Anna. :)

[Katholikos]

deleted

Edited October 27, 2003 by Katholikos

[Robyn]

:rolleyes:

[Anna]

You're welcome, Pal, I know it's a lot to read, but I really thought about you and your Mom during Mass, especially during the first reading, so just wanted to provide you with as much info as possible.

I hope it helps shed some light.

It was educational for me, at least!

Pax Christi. <><

[Anna]

not at all surprising....

Pax Christi. <><

[cmotherofpirl]

We don't NEED the eucharist to have that

Communion is union with God...eucharist or not. It's amesome!  :D

Actually Robyn, since you have never experienced recieving the Body Blood Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, you have no clue.

[Robyn]

not at all surprising....

yep! :D

Actually Robyn, since you have never experienced recieving the Body Blood Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, you have no clue.

and unless you have experienced God's presence in your own body....you have no clue...

It's so challenging to be nice when all you find is criticism.

[Joolye]

It's so challenging to be nice when all you find is criticism.

Ah, you can do it sister!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind...Love your neighbour as yourself. All of the law and the prophets is summed up in these two commands.

You should have the attitude of Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5)

Be imitators of God (Eph 5:1 I think)

[Katholikos]

Ah, you can do it sister!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind...Love your neighbour as yourself. All of the law and the prophets is summed up in these two commands.

You should have the attitude of Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5)

Be imitators of God (Eph 5:1 I think)

Anyone who has the mind (attitude) of Christ and is obedient to Him, God Himself, belongs to the Church he founded and receives Him in the Holy Eucharist.

". . . Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you." Jn 6:53

"Whoever who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." Jn 6:56

[Anna]

Robyn,

Before you and Joolye get too carried away giving yourselves pats on the back for being charitable under criticisms, please note that just six posts back, you posted a 'rolling the eyes' smiley as a response to our Scriptural defenses of the Most Holy Eucharist.

There is no charity there.

It is extremely disrespectful toward something that you simply refuse to address.

The Eucharist IS Jesus Christ. So, roll your eyes, and then brag a bit more about how charitable and Christ-like you are...yeah...

Maybe just once, you might consider how offensive those types of reactions are to the things we present as Holy and True!

Pax Christi.

[Anna]

Sorry, Robyn,

but Jesus said you DO need that.

"Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you have no life in you." John 6:53

Jesus said it, we believe it.

To this, Robyn, you responded:

Then you claim it's so hard for you to "be nice"?

My, my, aren't we full of ourselves...

What criticism were you enduring?

You rolled your eyes at the John 6 quote, then basically told us that we don't know what if feels like to have Jesus in us?

and unless you have experienced God's presence in your own body....you have no clue...

But what you don't understand is that you are MOCKING the Sacrament instituted by Christ at the Last Supper, whereby he established a means of becoming present in our bodies. We've enjoyed this experience since our First Holy Communion.

We HAVE experienced God's True Presence (Physically as well as Spiritually!!!) in our bodies. HE comes to us Bodily. He gives Himself to us, Body and Soul, and our bodies and souls mingle with His Own in a Spiritual ecstacy that you would rather poke fun of than even attempt to understand and appreciate.

So, while you're trying so hard to "be nice," maybe you would care to think about what the Apostles taught to be Holy and True, and not roll your eyes around and tell us that we're clueless...Now, that would be 'nice'!

Pax Christi. <><

Edited October 28, 2003 by Anna

[Anna]

Ah, you can do it sister!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind...Love your neighbour as yourself. All of the law and the prophets is summed up in these two commands.

You should have the attitude of Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5)

Be imitators of God (Eph 5:1 I think)

So, then, what was Christ's attitude toward the Eucharist He instituted?

What was the Apostles' attitude toward it?

What was Paul's attitude toward it?

How are you two being Christ-like?

Would you think I was "being nice" if I posted rolling eyes smileys next to your Bible quotes?

I hardly think so.

And I would never do such a thing, as the Word of God is to be revered, just as is the Most Holy Eucharist, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.

Edited October 28, 2003 by Anna

[Katholikos]

Way to go, Anna!

Since the Catholic Church wrote the New Testament, it's absurd to believe that she doesn't know what it means!

[Freaky Chik]

Can you all please stop fighting and bickering and using sarcastic comments against one another. :huh: