Recieving The Blessed Sacrament

[icelandic_iceskater]

If a catholic doesn't fully believe that Our Lord is present in the Blessed Sacrament, should they still receive?

[mommas_boy]

[quote name='icelandic_iceskater' post='1593149' date='Jul 6 2008, 10:10 PM']If a catholic doesn't fully believe that Our Lord is present in the Blessed Sacrament, should they still receive?[/quote]

Not sure. I think we would agree that a Catholic [b]shouldn't[/b] receive when they [b]don't[/b] believe, but that's not what I understand your question to be asking. You're wanting to know about the gray area in between belief and disbelief.

I recommend speaking with your spiritual director/confessor/pastor about this. I know what I would say in this situation, but I don't want to supercede their advice one way or the other.

Pax Christi,
Kris

[havok579257]

[quote name='icelandic_iceskater' post='1593149' date='Jul 6 2008, 10:10 PM']If a catholic doesn't fully believe that Our Lord is present in the Blessed Sacrament, should they still receive?[/quote]


still take communion and ask God to open your eyes better. its not that you don;'t believ all together, its you just can come to grips with the notion.

[rizz_loves_jesus]

[quote name='icelandic_iceskater' post='1593149' date='Jul 6 2008, 10:10 PM']If a catholic doesn't fully believe that Our Lord is present in the Blessed Sacrament, should they still receive?[/quote]

Remember oceancrazy from CTT? (She never comes on anymore, I miss her a lot ) Anyways, we were both struggling with this at the same time, and she asked a priest what to do about it and he said to keep receiving, but I guess you could ask a priest you know just to better about it.

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='havok579257' post='1593430' date='Jul 7 2008, 02:07 AM']still take communion and ask God to open your eyes better. its not that you don;'t believ all together, its you just can come to grips with the notion.[/quote]

Whatever you do, please do not take Communion. You should allow the priest or minister to give you Communion.

Doubts will come and go. As long as you are open to believing and want to believe, and are sacramentally prepared (been to Confession, etc.) then by no means should you withdraw yourself from God.

[Faith 1st]

I think that at some point everyone questions their beliefs in God, religion, and self. If you have always recieved communion I would continue. If you have questions remember to have an open heart and you will be able to hear the Holy Spirit guide you through your doubts.

Edited July 7, 2008 by Faith 1st

[HisChildForever]

[quote]Doubts will come and go. As long as you are open to believing and want to believe, and are sacramentally prepared (been to Confession, etc.) then by no means should you withdraw yourself from God.[/quote]

Agreed. And, through the Eucharist, the individual struggling will be brought out of their doubts by the grace of God. Without the Eucharist, you may get more spiritually perplexed.

[Deb]

Before you go up to "receive" the precious body, say a prayer to the Holy Spirit and ask him to help you believe. Belief, like faith, is a gift.

[icelandic_iceskater]

Thanks for the replies.

[quote name='LouisvilleFan' post='1593640' date='Jul 7 2008, 10:40 AM']Whatever you do, please do not take Communion. You should allow the priest or minister to give you Communion. [/quote]loti.

[Resurrexi]

Just make an act of faith that you do believe in the Real Presence, because God, who is Eternal Truth, said so

If you did consent to the doubt, though then you should confess doing so (along with any other mortal sins you need to confess obviously) before recieving the Blessed Sacrament again.

[Fr. Bruno]

[quote name='icelandic_iceskater' post='1593149' date='Jul 7 2008, 05:10 AM']If a catholic doesn't fully believe that Our Lord is present in the Blessed Sacrament, should they still receive?[/quote]


When the priest presents Holy Communion, he says " Then Body of Christ ", and the one who receives it is supposed to answer " Amen ", which means: " I believe it is ". If one doesn't believe it, well, he shouldn't act as if he did. I'm always embarrassed with people who just say " Amen " sort of half-loud, sometimes you can hardly hear what they are saying... others just don't say anything or " thank you "...

Now I'm not sure what the expression " fully believe " means... Any explanation or comment on this ?

I think we should not take questions about [i]how this is possible [/i](which sometimes may come into our mind)[i] [/i]for doubts or lack of believe... the essential thing is that we believe that it is the Body of Christ.

[icelandic_iceskater]

[quote name='Fr. Bruno' post='1594822' date='Jul 8 2008, 05:57 AM']Now I'm not sure what the expression " fully believe " means... Any explanation or comment on this ?[/quote]
I want to believe in God with my mind and my heart. Right now I know in my head that He's there, years of home-schooling, catholic school, ccd, and independent studies have taught me that. I don't know if I believe it in my heart, though. Basically.

[rizz_loves_jesus]

So basically, you're saying that your emotions don't follow your head, and that's perfectly fine. Emotions and feelings have basically no substance. Mother Teresa once said that she felt nothing during Eucharistis Adoration.

If you're not outright rejecting the Real Presence, then I think you should receive.

[socalscout]

I don't know what the Church teaches on that. Don't let emotion dictate this because it will lead you astray. Transubstantiation is difficult to conceptualize so I just accept it as Truth and not let emotion or lack thereof impede me in my belief that "This is my body which will be given up for you" or "He who eats my flesh and drinks my Blood".

I do not know if this helps.

Edited July 9, 2008 by socalscout

[Deb]

I know it is real because I can feel it when it changes. When that consolation eventually is taken from me, I will still know it is real.
B.C. (before conversion) I never even considered it was really the body and blood of Christ.

[dominicansoul]

From what I'm reading here, you believe, you just can't fathom it....

then pray like St. Peter, "Lord I believe! Help my unbelief!"

[mommas_boy]

[quote name='mommas_boy' post='1593220' date='Jul 6 2008, 11:05 PM']Not sure. I think we would agree that a Catholic [b]shouldn't[/b] receive when they [b]don't[/b] believe, but that's not what I understand your question to be asking. You're wanting to know about the gray area in between belief and disbelief.

I recommend speaking with your spiritual director/confessor/pastor about this. I know what I would say in this situation, but I don't want to supercede their advice one way or the other.

Pax Christi,
Kris[/quote]

At the risk of sounding like a parakeet (repeating ad nauseum), I'll go ahead and tell you what I was going to tell you before ...

[size=5]Receive![/size]

Here is my rationale: the graces that you obtain by receiving the Eucharist will only increase your devotion to our Lord. Ask our Lady to come within you so that you may receive Christ as she did at the Annunciation. Ask her to teach you to love Christ as she did, with total submission and faith in the unknown as you receive the Eucharist. Visit our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament at Adoration.

You will not always feel intensity in your faith. This is natural; indeed, it is a good thing, and a sign that God is purifying your love of Him, lest you fall into the trap of loving God only because He makes you feel good. You have written that you have the knowledge, but lack the feeling behind your belief in the True Presence. That is an excellent sign that you are being purified. Continue to receive out of your knowledge, for your feeling will wax and wane in their intensity as God purifies your love of Him.

Pax Christi,
Kris

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Fr. Bruno' post='1594822' date='Jul 8 2008, 03:57 AM']When the priest presents Holy Communion, he says " Then Body of Christ ", and the one who receives it is supposed to answer " Amen ", which means: " I believe it is ". If one doesn't believe it, well, he shouldn't act as if he did. I'm always embarrassed with people who just say " Amen " sort of half-loud, sometimes you can hardly hear what they are saying... others just don't say anything or " thank you "...[/quote]
In the Byzantine liturgy the communicant does not respond to the words of the priest when receiving holy communion.

[icelandic_iceskater]

what's the difference between knowing and believing?

[rizz_loves_jesus]

With the Eucharist I think they're both pretty much the same thing, but believing is, I think, more emotional. I think it's knowing that the Eucharist is the true Body and Blood of Christ that is most important... believing is nice, but knowing is essential.