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.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

IMPURE THOUGHTS

Sexually arousing thoughts that a person may not deliberately entertain because they lead to the sinful desire to commit adultery, fornication, masturbation, or homosexuality.

An impure thought can be of a sexual nature, or just something that causes you to be aroused, they are sexually arousing thoughts, not necessarily "sexual" in themselves. But it's not a sin to have those thoughts until you recognize and give into them, because, especially nowadays, it's easy for those thoughts to pop into your mind, and that's really just the temptation to sin, and not the sin itself, it becomes a sin only when you willingly give into it.

A good way to flee from impure thoughts and get them out of your mind, is to say some prayers as soon as you see the temptation, the ones I always recommend are "precious blood of Jesus Christ, wash over me, protect me from the wickedness and snared of the devil." And then right after that "Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Saint Maria Goretti, Guardian Angel, help me."

And then immediately think of something else, something you enjoy very much that is not immoral, or if that doesn't seem to work (although it almost always does) then try to distract yourself some other way, such as calling someone on the phone or just finding someone in the house to talk to...but if it's something around you that is causing the impure thoughts, then you must remove yourself from that thing, and avoid it at all cost in the future, whether it's a site you go to, or a TV show, or some book or magazine, whatever it may be, you are obligated to avoid whatever leads you into mortal sin, which is what the church calls "occasions of sin".

Another good way to strengthen yourself against thoughts of impurity is to confess even your temptation to those thoughts in the confessional, and by doing that you will gain special graces to really knock the wind out of its sales, and you'll just become stronger against it.

The best things you can do with this sin is pray, go to confession, and go to communion, never neglect prayer, because it's by neglecting to pray immediately that we give in, and when you receive Jesus in the Eucharist, remember then especially to ask for a remedy for the sin of lust in your heart and mind, along with your other more dominant vices.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Q: Why is the Catholic Faith so strict? In the matter of serving God, it is instructed that impure thoughts create sins in every day journey. Why can’t we allow our minds to be free as long as we do not act out every fantasy? I do notice that the mind, unchecked can come up with the strangest of science. But why should I not be able to let my mind be free in its own process? Please help.

A: The Catholic Church has high standards because its standards are God’s own standards. As a faithful Christian, temptation is supposed to strengthen you … not lead you astray. Giving in to lustful thoughts leads you in the wrong direction, even if you don’t act on every fantasy. It’s a lot like fasting from food. Denying some of your more basic urges permits you to master them … hopefully … for the greater glory of God.

Fortunately, the sacraments of the Catholic church are powerful enough to reconcile a person with God, no matter how badly … or how often … they might fail.

The whole idea is to attempt to gradually approach the perfection of Heaven … so when you die … you’re ready.

So … along with faith, hope and charity … your own personal orientation or spiritual “disposition” may be one of the most critical factors, come Judgment Day.

The term “disciple” comes from the word “discipline”.

That … along with God’s grace … is what it takes to reject Satan … and ALL his works.

The (4) traditional solutions to the problem of harboring impure thoughts:

1) Get married.

2) Keep busy.

3) Avoid known temptations.

4) Make up your mind well in advance, to do all of this. Then stick to your plan.