Bread of Life

BREAD OF LIFE
 this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. (john 6: 50)
The miracle of God’s physical presence to us at every Mass is the truest testament to Christ’s love for us and His desire for each of us to have a personal relationship with Him. Jesus Christ celebrated the first Mass with His disciples at the Last Supper, the night before He died. He commanded His disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). The celebration of the Mass then became the main form of worship in the early Church, as a reenactment of the Last Supper, as Christ had commanded. Each and every Mass since commemorates Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross through the Holy Eucharist. Because the Mass “re-presents” (makes present) the sacrifice on Calvary, Catholics all around the world join together to be made present in Christ’s timeless sacrifice for our sins. There is something fascinating about continuing to celebrate the same Mass—instituted by Christ and practiced by the early Church—with the whole community of Catholics around the world…and in heaven.

THE REAL PRESENCE

Why does the Catholic Church believe Christ is really present in the Eucharist?
The Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence is the belief that Jesus Christ is literally, not symbolically, present in the Holy Eucharist—body, blood, soul and divinity. Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist because Jesus tells us this is true in the Bible:

“I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh." The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” - John 6:48-56
Furthermore, the early Church Fathers either imply or directly state that the bread and wine offered in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper is really the body and blood of Jesus Christ. In other words, the doctrine of the Real Presence that Catholics believe today was believed by the earliest Christians 2,000 years ago!

This miracle of God’s physical presence to us at every Mass is the truest testament to Christ’s love for us and His desire for each of us to have a personal relationship with Him.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

HOW DOES FORGIVENESS WORK IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH?

    Mass

  1. Forgiveness in the Catholic church takes on several forms. The Mass, while mainly a celebration, is also a time to reflect upon your sins, recognize that you are unworthy. You can ask God for forgiveness. In the beginning of the Mass, the congregation recites the Confiteor: "I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God." Prior to Vatican II, a different version of the Confiteor was used. In this version, which was in Latin, the phrase "mea culpa" was repeated as the Catholic struck the breast with his fist. Translated from the Latin, mea culpa means "my fault." Today, although, the mea culpa has fallen out of popular use, you can still observe some Catholics, particularly older members of the parish, striking the breast and muttering this phrase. Prior to the consecration, the Penitential Rite is recited: "Lord I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed." This prayer is asking for forgiveness but also is a statement of unworthiness. It means that you recognize that you are a sinner and unworthy of partaking in communion, even as you know that you receive God's love anyway.
  2. Confession

  3. Confession or Penance is first undertaken prior to the First Holy Communion at about age 7. Catholic doctrine states that 7 is the age of reason, meaning that by this time, the child is able to tell right from wrong. The purpose of Confession is to admit your sins to the priest, who intercedes on the sinner's behalf to grant God's forgiveness. At the close of Confession, the priest assigns a penance. This usually consists of prayers or whole rosaries. It is assumed that you are forgiven through the completion of the penance. It is a common misconception that you should go to confession every week or at the very least, once per year. This once per year notion is also known as "Easter Duty." In fact, Confession is only needed for mortal sins. Mortal sins are very serious transgressions such as murder. Venial sins, that are less serious are believed to be forgiven through the prayers and actions in Sunday Mass.
  4. Other Matters of Forgiveness

  5. Forgiveness can also be experienced through other sacraments. The Anointing of the Sick, also known as Last Rites or Extreme Unction, is performed on Catholics who are very ill and possibly dying. In addition to blessing the sick individual, the priest may hear confessions and absolve sins as part of the Anointing of the Sick. It is important to note that in recent years, the notions and practice of forgiveness in Catholicism has evolved to be somewhat less formal than before Vatican II. Once, forgiveness was thought to be granted primarily through sacraments and through the intercession of the priest or the saints on your behalf. It is now commonly accepted that a sinner who is sorry for his transgressions may simply pray and ask God directly for forgiveness for it to be granted. There is also much less emphasis on punishment and suffering for your sins than in years past.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The fact is

There has not been a SINGLE Non~Catholic Saint ..Since the very BEGINNING of Catholicsims invention ..

NOT EVEN~~~ 1.

NOT a single person has been ACCEPTED nor ADMITED into ROMES Roman~tic heaven

WHY ?

Catholic popes & priests have told YOU eXactly WHY..


'Heretics (those who are NOT MEMBERS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH or who DO NOT HOLD TO CATHOLIC DOCTRINE) worship a GOD WHO IS A LIAR, & a CHRIST WHO IS A LIAR.'

St. Augustine, (quoted in 'Patrologiae Cursus Completus: Series Graca', by Fr. J. P. Migne, Paris: 1866, 42:207).


*********************************************************************

~~~~~~~~~IF U AIN'T CATHOLIC----- U AINT EVEN .... serving ... JESUS / GOD ~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All OUTSIDE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, Jews or heretics CANNOT SHARE IN ETERNAL life & will GO INTO THE EVERLASTING FIRE which was prepared for the devil & his angels, UNLESS THEY ARE JOINED TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Pope Eugenius I've, in 'Bull of Union with the Copts', Council of Florence, Session 11, on February 4, 1442.

*********************************************************************
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~IF U AINT CATHOLIC----- U AINT IN HEAVEN~~~~~~~

MISGUIDED PEOPLE attempt TO PERSUADE themselves & others THAT MEN ARE NOT SAVED ONLY IN THE CATHOLIC RELIGION, but that even heretics may attain eternal life.'

Pope Gregory XVI, Summo Iugiter Studio (On Mixed Marriages), Encyclical promulgated on May 27, 1832, #2.


*********************************************************************

~~~~~~~~~IF U AINT CATHOLIC----- U AINT IN HEAVEN~~~~~~~~~~~



'HERETICS do NOT have THE SAME GOD, the SAME CHRIST as CATHOLICS.'

Tertullian: (Patrolo-giae Cursus Completus: Series Graca, Fr. J. P. Migne, Paris: 1866, 1:1216)

~~~~~~~~~IF U AIN'T CATHOLIC----- U AINT EVEN .... serving ... JESUS / GOD ~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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- HERETICS are to be CLASSED with THIEVES and MURDERERS. ( Pope Innocent I've

'Ad Extirpanda,' cf. ISABELLA OF SPAIN, Dr. Wm. Thos. Walsh, London: Sheed & Ward, 1935, p.239)

'HE WHO HAS NOT the CHURCH for his Mother CANNOT have GOD as his FATHER.'

St. Cyprian: (Patrologiae Cursus Completus: Series Graca, Fr. J. P. Migne, Paris: 1866, 4:502)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


“It is necessary to salvation that every man should submit to the Pope.” (Boniface VIII Unum Sanctum, 1303.)

~~~~~~So we see in REALITY
WHAT CATHOLICS REALLY really teach & LIVE & PRACTICE is that ~~~

******~~~~~~If u aint A CATHOLIC, u AINT GONNA BE in Heaven

& u aint GONNA EVER, NEVER, NEVER ever EVER be considered a saint

tHATS Y there are no non catholic saints.... NON CATHOLIC ARE NOT in heaven..,.,,,,.....

catholics are double talking & they obviously dont mind lying



it is so sad

Anonymous said...

Just 70 years ago ROME & Catholic Italy had just attacked & launched a massive, hellish WAR on its neighbors.

Butchering & murdering Millions & MILLIONS of innocent peacefull people...JUST for not JOINING up with HITLER ~

for NO REASON...... MURDERING Thousands of Africans, Egyptians , Greece & others ...


ROME & Catholic Italy had JUST Joined up with Hitler,
IT took 22,000

{ twenty two thousand}.....]


US American tooops DYING, IN ITALY, for
the USA to defeat Catholic Italy....

~~~~~~~~~Millions of Catholics IN Germany & Italy..... murdered Millions of OTHER CATHOLICS & Non Catholics round the planet..

Simply for not joining up with The Catholic Hitler..

This was just 70 yrs ago.....

we can understand why and how catholics are feeling lonley or different from other religions.

Muslims are going throught the same eXact thing today..

As were we are at war with islamic terrorists ,,,,

We were at war with Catholic terrorists and nazis

in WW ll.

We can only pray for catholics and muslims ...

We must never { as bible believers } resort to their traditions of force conversions and violent attacks upon NON catholislamics.

Prayer and love is all we can do for them...

Unknown said...

IF U AINT CATHOLIC----- U AINT IN HEAVEN


VATICAN CITY, NOV. 30, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Whoever seeks peace and the good of the community with a pure conscience, and keeps alive the desire for the transcendent, will be saved even if he lacks biblical faith, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope made this affirmation today at the general audience, commenting on a meditation written by St. Augustine (354-430).

1260 "Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partakers, in a way known to God, of the Paschal mystery."

62 Every man who is ignorant of the Gospel of Christ and of his Church, but seeks the truth and does the will of God in accordance with his understanding of it, can be saved. It may be supposed that such persons would have desired Baptism explicitly if they had known its necessity.

Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church online at the Vatican.

Scooter said...

Michael, When I read comments such as what the Pope made in your quote that men can be saved even if they lack Biblical faith, I wonder why you would be such an ardent promoter of the catholic faith? Furthermore this is an obvious example of the difference between sola scriptura and the Catholic magisterium. Who would you rather believe what Jesus says for example in John 10:9 where jesus explains that he is the door to salvation and no one can enter except through Him OR what the Pope says? No contest really.

Unknown said...

I wonder why you would be such an ardent promoter of the catholic faith?


Dear Scooter,
More than likely, if you have managed to keep your sanity in today's sad and sinful world, you may have been scandalized even at what has been happening in the Catholic Church.

At the present time, she seems to have fallen prey to all the snares of Satan set to trap not only the weakest of men but also the most brilliant of theologians.

How is it, you may well ask, that as a Catholic I can still profess allegiance to my Church? With the help of our dear Lord, and that of His most blessed Mother, I will try to explain. To begin with:

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS FOUNDED DIRECTLY BY CHRIST

In the Old Testament the Jewish Tabernacle was the work of God - not man. It was God who drew up its plan, giving its exact dimensions, stipulating the materials to be used in its construction, describing its sacred furnishings and vessels for the service, and the vestments and ornaments for the priests who would minister therein.

He gave it a suitable constitution, appointed its rulers, and defined the extent of their power. (See Book of Exodus, chapters 25 through 31, entire Book of Leviticus; Book of Numbers, chapters 1, 3 through 8, and 17 and 18.) 50, since the Tabernacle of the Old Law (which was but a shadow, a figure, of the Church to come) was the work of God, surely the Church of the New Testament (the substance, the reality) must likewise be the work of God.

Scooter said...

Michael,it's interesting that you see the Old Testament shadows and types as referring to the Catholic church. I've been reading through the book of Hebrews lately and all of these priestly rituals, the sacrifices, the tabernacle furniture, etc.of the Old Testament are explained in Hebrews pointing to the final sacrificial work of Christ who brought in the better sacrifice-once for all time- a better covenant (promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34) and Jesus as the better and final High priest. I just don't see a Catholic church or religious system being exposited in Hebrews whatsoever? Is it not all about what the Old Testament writers always pointed to-the perfect Saviour?

Unknown said...

Dear Scooter,

It is easily shown that it was Christ Himself, not His followers, not even His Apostles, who established the Church: Christ declared His intention of founding a Church, by the institution of a living authority, when He said to Simon Peter: "And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18).

Now, if Christ intends personally to build His Church, it is not to be the work of man. Christ Himself will therefore give it all the necessary elements of a true social body, and, consequently, a ruling authority.

And, that there might be no room for doubt, He added: "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matt. 16:19).

This authority was actually established and the Church founded, when Our Lord after His resurrection said to Peter: "When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Feed my lambs.' He then said to him a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Tend my sheep.' He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' (Jesus) said to him, 'Feed my sheep.'" (John 21:15,17). Many also feel this was Christ's way of healing Peter after Peter had denied him three times.

He allowed him to affirm himself three times. During His mortal life Christ Himself was the visible head of the infant Church, but after His Resurrection the office of visibly feeding the flock was to be discharged by another, to whom Christ gave the necessary authority and office.

And as the followers of the Law of Moses under the Old Testament formed one compact body, so too were the followers of Christ to be One Body: 'One Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5). From the moment when first the Church, after the descent of the Holy Ghost, appeared before the world, we find a compact, fully organized society, with the apostles at its head.

"Those who accepted his (Peter's) message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day. They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers." (Acts 2:41-42).

Anonymous said...

for NO REASON...... other than to KILL and distroy and take other peoples land and property/.

Catholic italy MURDERED Thousands of Africans, Egyptians , Greece and others ... coastal areas /

ROME and Catholic Italy had JUST Joined up with Hitler,

The pope NEVER SAID A WORD as millions of Catholics & Germany Butchered other catholics & NON CATHOLICS.

Attacking them ....with NO provication./......

THE POPE WAS calling for CATHOLICS to stop.........

How much LESS he cared for the Jew....

The Jews were not the ONLY TARGET on Catholic Italys list.

IT took 22,000 { twenty two thousand}.....]
US American tooops DYING, IN ITALY,

for no reason CATHOLIC ITALY attacked Thousands of Africans, Egyptians , Greece & others …

Just for NOT joining uP AND becoming a member of the aliance OF Germany & Italy.

It took 22000 ( TWENTY TWO THOUSAND ) US American MENS lifes in the milityry to BE SLAUGHTERED by Catholic Italy....


FOr the USA to defeat Catholic Italy....

It took 22000 ( TWENTY TWO THOUSAND ) US American MENS lifes / ( DEAD

~~~~~~~~~Millions of Catholics IN Germany & Italy..

... murdered Millions of OTHER CATHOLICS & Non Catholics round the planet..

Simply for not joining up with The Catholic Hitler..

This was just 70 yrs ago.....

THE pope never called for Catholic italians to STOP....... He didnt CARE.....

HERE IN THE USA

THEY HAD to LOCK up catholics here in the USA..in INTERNMENT CAMPS

.in WW ll It took 22000 ( TWENTY TWO THOUSAND ) US American MENS lifes to keep them from trying to defend HITLER..

YOUR Catholics Priest was on the AIR defending HITLER......

Father Coughlin
Father Coughlin
Was a catholic PRIEST who FULLY supported HITLER Here in the USA..

This man had a radio SHOW ...( A talk SHOW )
http://www.fathercoughlin.org/father-coughlin-anti-semitism.html

Father Coughlin had a HUGE catholic audience listening..

GIVING SUPPORT ..... aligning with Catholic Hitler.......... a threat to the USA...
We had to TAKE this MAN of the air SHUT HIS RADIO SHOW completly down..

In order to get on with the WAR....against Catholic Hitler & Germany...


Your church has not brought about peace...with MILLIONS of UNITED catholics .....defending peace, love & freedom & good & GOD..
THEY HAD to LOCK up THOUSANDS of catholics here in the USA, ..in Internment camps.
http://www.italianhistorical.org/page19a.html

What is the point of Catholics having a pope... The pope does not call for catholics IN HIS VERY own country ...TO stop attacking innocent people

And commiting violence & murder against peacefull people...

Anonymous said...

Catholicism is nice when it is forced to be,.,

IN the past when the CHURCH has no MILILARY power..

Rome has damnations

anathamas. cursings and threats of hell prescribed to all non catholic Jews and bible believers,,

The facts are un deniable..

Why pretend is all reX is saying..

Unknown said...

Dear Rexteryalizer,
I imagine you are raging over your fear, pain & shame.

Your process is not about the Catholic Church but unresolved issues from your childhood.

Did you suffer badly as a child, Rexteryalizer?

Unknown said...

Dear Rexteryalizer,

May we never risk the life of our souls by being resentful or by bearing grudges.

St. Gregory of Nyssa