Catholicism - Eucharist

Communion/Eucharist/Mass

In the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, Rome tells us that there is a miracle of mass.  This is also referred to as transubstantiation.  This involves a substance being moved, or carried across.

Rome borrowed this concept from Greek philosopher Aristotle.  He distinguished the substance or accidens of an object.  According to him, the substance is the essence of the object and the accidens is the external, perceivable qualities.

If I look at a guitar, I cannot see the essence of it because the molecules and atoms are too small for the naked eye.  I can see the type of woods, the strings, the pearl inlays, etc.

In the eucharist there is bread and wine.  According to Rome, at the prayer of consecration, the substance of the elements in supernaturally transformed into the literal flesh and blood of Yeshua.  This is the miracle of mass.

The bread still looks, feels, smells, and tastes like bread but it is no longer bread.  The substance/essence of it has been miraculously changed to the literal flesh of Yeshua.  Same with the wine changed into His blood.

This is why catholics genuflect, or kneel when they enter the church and sit in the pews.  They do this because on the altar of every Roman catholic church is a holy vessel called the tabernacle.  People kneel, and genuflect in veneration and adoration, because this tabernacle contains the consecrated host - the literal body of Christ (the bread).  Catholics are convinced that the real body of Yeshua is literally in the tabernacle box.

The celebration of mass is described in their catechism as "the Holy Sacrifice".  So, when the priest breaks the bread isn't he tearing the body of Yeshua again?  Well?  Isn't he?  Scripture tells us that Christ was sacrificed ONCE for all and that He currently sitting at the right hand of the Father.  He's not pieced out into tiny catholic boxes all over the world.

[Heb 7:26-27 LSB]  For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; [27]  who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

[Heb 10:11-14 LSB]  And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; [12]  but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, [13]  waiting from that time UNTIL HIS ENEMIES ARE PUT AS A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. [14]  For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

In all seriousness... if you were someone reading these blogs on catholicism, who never had any foreknowledge of catholicism, wouldn't you run away from all of this nonsense?  Doesn't it sound like some whacky cult you would hear about in the news?!  

This is what happens when you mix Aristotle's pagan Greek philosophy with Christian doctrine.  This isn't the only example of Greek philosophy deeply embedded into worldviews... especially western Theology.  Greek philosophy surrounds us in religion and government alike.  It's everywhere!

Anyway, Rome gets around the passages above by claiming it is a bloodless sacrifice, and that it presents the one sacrifice of Christ.  Nevermind that they expect you to drink His actual blood.  Bloodless?  And if it presents His one sacrifice doesn't that make the whole thing a symbol of His death and resurrection much like Protestants state?  

[Heb 9:11-12 LSB]  But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, [12]  and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy places ONCE FOR ALL, having obtained eternal redemption.

Rome rejects God's Word and insists that redemption remains to be accomplished by the church's liturgy.

The Code of Canon Law, Canon 904, says:

"Remembering that the work of redemption is continually accomplished in the mystery of the Eucharistic sacrifice, priests are to celebrate frequently; indeed daily celebration is strongly recommended..."

The Lord's Supper is a memorial... not a sacrifice.  He gave His flesh at the cross after the Lord's Supper.

[Luk 22:19 LSB]  And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

[1Co 11:26-28 LSB]  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes. 

[27]  Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. [28]  But a man must test himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Personally, I would call catholicism's mass an unworthy manner.