Communion Once A Month

[Jake Huether]

yet another erroneous generalisation about non-catholic churches.........

it might be true about some christian churches but not all.

Most Churches of Christ churches in Australia have communion every service, every Sunday.  The Christian Brethren church I attended for a few months had communion every Sunday, although only at morning service.

At one Church of Christ church I attended, the congregation treated communion time with a lot more respect & reverence than many catholics treat communion (even though the thoelogical beliefs about communion are different).  We would be on our knees in prayer for 5 minutes at the foot of the cross at the front of the church before taking communion.  And often the pastor would insist that before taking communion, we make peace with anyone else in the church we were in disagreement with, or had sinned against.  I'm not sure if I have explained this very well.  You had to be there.

I expect most of you all are very pious orthodox catholics with strong beliefs about communion, but at some catholic churches, communion is just something that is rushed so that everyone can get out of the church in less than 48 minutes after the service started, or often it is just a chance to look at which members of the opposite sex are at mass this sunday.

But I think the point was that MOST protestant denominations, while built "on the Bible" DON'T have communion as often as the Apostles did.

And while, sure, there may be a few denominations (like yours), that frequent it, the question remains to be answered:

If the Spirit lead your congregation to understand Scripture to mean "communion at least once a week", how do you defend your interpritation against other BIBLE churches that maintain the Spirit lead them to ANOTHER understanding of Scripture which indicated "communion twice a year"?

You both read the same Scripture right? So, who's interpritation is right?

The Catholic Church doesn't have a problem, because you see, we don't base our belief on the Bible! The Bible is based on our belief!

[Jake Huether]

We would be on our knees in prayer for 5 minutes at the foot of the cross at the front of the church before taking communion.

O' mu gosh! Your church worships crosses!

Okay, so now you see why we are "on our knees" before statues of Jesus and his Fam'.

[[jas]]

besides the converts say it best, many of us here on the phorum were of other denominations before becoming catholic, so we aren't pretending.

But anyone who converted the other direction can't talk because they "didn't understand"...right?

I love this place...

Sorry for the offtopic post, you may now continue your regular protestant-bashing

[BLAZEr]

Agreed . . . many Catholics are very bad at being good Catholics . . .

However, most protestants are much worse at being good catholics . ..

And we believe that you should "discern the body and blood" as St. Paul says . . . maybe most Catholics don't . . . but, umm, Grace supplies . . .

[marielapin]

We would be on our knees in prayer for 5 minutes at the foot of the cross at the front of the church before taking communion.  And often the pastor would insist that before taking communion, we make peace with anyone else in the church we were in disagreement with, or had sinned against.  I'm not sure if I have explained this very well.  You had to be there.

Wow. Sounds a lot like the sign of peace and the five/ten minutes of kneeling we do before/after receiving Communion during Mass.

[marielapin]

,Oct 23 2003, 11:29 AM] But anyone who converted the other direction can't talk because they "didn't understand"...right?

I love this place...

Sorry for the offtopic post, you may now continue your regular protestant-bashing

[jas], I think the point they were trying to make is that not all of us have been Catholic our whole life. When I talk about the United Methodist Church, I try to limit my comments to exactly what I was taught as a United Methodist.

If some ex-Catholic said they were taught doctrine X while attending a Catholic Church, but the Church does not teach doctrine X but doctrine Y, then yes, we would say you are wrong and explain why.

But adding your own opinion and commentary about the experience is not something that is "wrong".

I haven't seen one ounce of protestant bashing on this thread. Please, pull out some phrases that bothered you.

[Katholikos]

yet another erroneous generalisation about non-catholic churches.........

it might be true about some christian churches but not all.

Most Churches of Christ churches in Australia have communion every service, every Sunday. The Christian Brethren church I attended for a few months had communion every Sunday, although only at morning service.

At one Church of Christ church I attended, the congregation treated communion time with a lot more respect & reverence than many catholics treat communion (even though the thoelogical beliefs about communion are different).  We would be on our knees in prayer for 5 minutes at the foot of the cross at the front of the church before taking communion.  And often the pastor would insist that before taking communion, we make peace with anyone else in the church we were in disagreement with, or had sinned against.  I'm not sure if I have explained this very well.  You had to be there.

I expect most of you all are very pious orthodox catholics with strong beliefs about communion, but at some catholic churches, communion is just something that is rushed so that everyone can get out of the church in less than 48 minutes after the service started, or often it is just a chance to look at which members of the opposite sex are at mass this sunday.

But, ML, we can't possibly describe the "communion service" for all 33,820 Protestant denominations, now can we?!

So we generalize. And some of us speak with the authority and experience of having been Protestant.

By way of example, in Luther's belief the substance of the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ exists with the substance of the bread and wine. But Luther was alone. No other Protestant group that followed him holds this doctrine.

You are mistaken about Catholics. There is only one doctrine of the Eucharist, and Catholics can take it or leave it. Those who leave it (i.e., deny the teaching of the Church on the Eucharist) are no longer Catholic -- though to you and others they may appear to be. You can't tell a Catholic by his behavior. A man may look like a Catholic, walk like a Catholic, talk like a Catholic, and not be a Catholic!

For the record, I am Catholic. I believe everything the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church teaches, because God revealed it through the Apostles to the Church long before the Bible ever existed. Belief makes the Catholic. The New Testament is based on the Church, not vice versa.

In case you aren't aware of it, the Catholic Church is nearly 400 years older than the Bible.

Oremus pro invicem, Katholikos

Ex-Southern Baptist, ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!

[Katholikos]

,Oct 23 2003, 10:29 AM] But anyone who converted the other direction can't talk because they "didn't understand"...right?

I know from having talked with many of them, that those who leave the Catholic Church usually fall into these categories: (1) those who don't know the Faith, or (2) those who are mistaken about what the Church teaches, and/or (3) those who are ignorant of the history of Christianity/Catholicism [they are one and the same] and the history of the Bible.

These conditions make weak Catholics vulnerable to Protestant propaganda. Instead of curing their deficiencies in the One True Church which Christ founded, they give up Truth for fiction.

Ignorance is not just the enemy of the Church -- it is the enemy of our souls!

Ave Cor Mariae, Katholikos

[Jake Huether]

,Oct 23 2003, 09:29 AM] But anyone who converted the other direction can't talk because they "didn't understand"...right?

I love this place...

Sorry for the offtopic post, you may now continue your regular protestant-bashing

But anyone who converted the other direction can't talk because they "didn't understand"...right?

No, they can talk... And they have... And when they talk, they only prove that this is true:

1) don't know the Faith.

2) are mistaken about what the Church teaches, and/or.

3) are ignorant of the history of Christianity/Catholicism [they are one and the same] and the history of the Bible.

And I'll add the fourth one, which in many cases is true:

4) they didn't want to give up a particular vice, so they settled for a church that accepts it.

[Katholikos]

No, they can talk... And they have... And when they talk, they only prove that this is true:

1) don't know the Faith.

2) are mistaken about what the Church teaches, and/or.

3) are ignorant of the history of Christianity/Catholicism [they are one and the same] and the history of the Bible.

And I'll add the fourth one, which in many cases is true:

4) they didn't want to give up a particular vice, so they settled for a church that accepts it.

Right on, Jake! Thanks for adding that. There's one more:

They're getting even with their parents by leaving the Church in which they were raised -- kicking their surrogate Mother, the Catholic Church, in the shins.

Katholikos

[Robyn]

:) sooo....if I take communion twice in one day....?

Well, yeah, you can't just say PROTESTANT and expect us all to agree...as you say, there's only one Catholic church, but there are many prot churches...

and yeah, I go to 2-3 services on a Sunday...and sometimes I partake in communion twice :lol:

[Anna]

But what do you partake in?

What does "communion" mean to you?

[Confessionator741]

ok.

so heres what i think on all this. Now i havent read really any of the post leading up to mine, becuase i am at school and dont really have the time to read them all, as much as i would like to.

So here i go.

Now, Catholics believe that the Blessed Sacrament is the true presence of Jesus, in the form of Body and Blood, and no longer bread and wine. But if you dont believe that it is truely Christ, then why would you want to recieve it often. Catholics have the blessing to recieve the Eucharist once a day!, and some of us do!...because we know it is the TRUE PRESENCE.

In not believing in the True Presence, you will find that maybe once a month is good enough, and for just plain ole bread and grape juice...maybe it is.

I mean, if you really wanted to you could just go home, eat a peice of bread have a glass of grape juice and call it a day.

Catholic belief is so much more than that. IT IS CHRIST. And we need Him in the Eucharist to help us, guide us, and forgive us.

True God and True Man, truely present in the Eucharist.

God Bless

B

Edited October 24, 2003 by Confessionator741

[littleflower+JMJ]

ok.

so heres what i think on all this.  Now i havent read really any of the post leading up to mine, becuase i am at school and dont really have the time to read them all, as much as i would like to.

So here i go.

Now, Catholics believe that the Blessed Sacrament is the true presence of Jesus, in the form of Body and Blood, and no longer bread and wine.  But if you dont believe that it is truely Christ, then why would you want to recieve it often.  Catholics have the blessing to recieve the Eucharist once a day!, and some of us do!...because we know it is the TRUE PRESENCE.

In not believing in the True Presence, you will find that maybe once a month is good enough, and for just plain ole bread and grape juice...maybe it is. 

I mean, if you really wanted to you could just go home, eat a peice of bread have a glass of grape juice and call it a day.

Catholic belief is so much more than that.  IT IS CHRIST.  And we need Him in the Eucharist to help us, guide us, and forgive us.

True God and True Man, truely present in the Eucharist.

God Bless

B

;)

[kdewolf2]

I think the reason most Protestant denominations de-emphasize the Lord's Supper is obvious. The Protestant Reformers tended to have a negative attitude toward the sacraments. Luther cut the sacraments down to two, and Calvin declared that they were symbolic rather than really effective. Hence the sacraments are not as important. Protestants prefer preaching. Most Protestants have 30 - 45 minute sermons, every Sunday. I once went to a church where the preacher felt he had to go on and on and on forever. The service started at 11.00, and the preacher (who just happened to be a cousin of mine) wouldn't finish until 12.45 at least. If Catholics are ritualistic, then Protestants are obviously long-winded. For Protestants, the Word is much more important than the Sacrament, and I think this goes back to the Reformers' myopic sacramental theology.

I also think many Protestants associate sacraments with works, as if sacraments were human works that we do to gain God's favor. Too much emphasis on the sacraments would call salvation by faith alone into question. But I don't think Catholics really look at the sacraments as works. Yeah, you have to go to Mass to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, but it is not as if you earned the Body and Blood of Christ by going to Mass. It's like, say, you were offered $100 for nothing. You have to reach out your hand to receive it but its not as if you earned the money by reaching out your hand. It is still undeserved.