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, November 17, 2011

THE WOLVES ARE IN CHARGE--VATICAN CALLS FOR WORLD BANK

Fr John Hardon S.J.

The enemies of Christ's Church on earth have infiltrated to the highest levels. And now the enemy himself speaks from within. The gates of hell will put up a supreme challenge that will confuse even the elect if that be possible, but hell will not prevail in the end. Just as Christ suffered His Passion so His Church must do the same in these last days. We must not flee his side but instead ride out this tremendous storm in the Arc --which is His Church. We must place the Blood of the lamb on our doorposts by eating the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Finally, we must consecrate ourselves and pray heartily to the Blessed Virgin Mary who is the woman clothed with the sun and who will crush the head of the serpent. As Fr John Hardon, S.J., used to say, "Ordinary Catholics will not survive this age". I hasten to add those who have placed themselves outside the Catholic Church will suffer the worst confusion. Immaculate Heart of Mary pray for your children and the Church.

VATICAN CITY, Oct 24 (Reuters) - - The Vatican called on Monday for the establishment of a "global public authority" and a "central world bank" to rule over financial institutions that have become outdated and often ineffective in dealing fairly with crises.

The document from the Vatican's Justice and Peace department should please the "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrators and similar movements around the world who have protested against the economic downturn.

"Towards Reforming the International Financial and Monetary Systems in the Context of a Global Public Authority," was at times very specific, calling, for example, for taxation measures on financial transactions.

"The economic and financial crisis which the world is going through calls everyone, individuals and peoples, to examine in depth the principles and the cultural and moral values at the basis of social coexistence," it said.

It condemned what it called "the idolatry of the market" as well as a "neo-liberal thinking" that it said looked exclusively at technical solutions to economic problems.

"In fact, the crisis has revealed behaviours like selfishness, collective greed and hoarding of goods on a great scale," it said, adding that world economics needed an "ethic of solidarity" among rich and poor nations.

"If no solutions are found to the various forms of injustice, the negative effects that will follow on the social, political and economic level will be destined to create a climate of growing hostility and even violence, and ultimately undermine the very foundations of democratic institutions, even the ones considered most solid," it said.

It called for the establishment of "a supranational authority" with worldwide scope and "universal jurisdiction" to guide economic policies and decisions.

Such an authority should start with the United Nations as its reference point but later become independent and be endowed with the power to see to it that developed countries were not allowed to wield "excessive power over the weaker countries".


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2 comments:

JI said...

People are making a lot out of this, but I think what the Vatican mooted isn't a bad idea if followed through properly. The proposal recognises our current neo-liberal system is flawed and calls for a different one not dominated by the likes of the IMF and the World Bank. The problem is can we have a thoroughly independent "global public authority"? I don't think so. Powerful elitist interests will always try to dominate.

I do agree though that the smoke of Satan has entered the church. Some bishops try to exert their autonomy by overriding papal teachings and opposing one another. A lot of lay Catholics are not properly catechised, which is why they do not live according to teachings of the Church or drift away altogether. The Church also seems to have lost its sense of mission. It is the devil's desire to destroy the Catholic Church.

Anonymous said...

PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH

We pray Thee, Almighty and Eternal God, Who through Jesus Christ has revealed Thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of Thy Mercy, that Thy Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith, in the confession of Thy Name, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.