The Eucharist. The Real Deal. Part 5

We continue in John Chapter six. "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." (Jn 6:48-51) Now remember in Jn 6:34-35 The Jews asked Jesus for this bread he had to offer and Jesus told them he was the bread of life. Pay close attention, Jesus defines what the "bread" is in V51 "IS MY FLESH" . Jesus is getting more explicit. Also remember up to this point the Jews understand Jesus metaphorically.
The very next verse "The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?'" (Jn 6:52) Karl Keating in his book Catholicism and Fundamentalism says "Hugh Pope, in commenting on this chapter, remarked that at last 'they had understood him literally and were stupefied; but because they had understood him correctly, he repeats his words with extraordinary emphasis, so much so that only now does he introduce the statement about drinking his blood'". In the verses following does Jesus correct the Jews for thinking he is talking literally? No!! Did Jesus say any thing like "No stupid you don't get it. I don't mean my flesh, or my body literally. I am saying this bread is like my flesh." No!! Jesus repeats what he said before, and gets more intense so that the Jews know he is not speaking metaphorically.
"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" (Jn 6:53-55) Indeed it is. Notice the double amen also translated depending on which version as truly. This is in no way the language used to be symbolic.
Talk at ya Later

The Eucharist. The Real Deal. Part 4

Continuing in John chapter six, vs 35-40 Jesus is explaining that he is from heaven to do the will of God the Father. That some will believe in him and some will not. "The Jews then murmured at him, because he said 'I am the bread which came down from heaven.' They said 'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" (Jn 6:41-42) The Jews then murmured at him. Murmuring is an example of unbelief. Murmuring provoked the Mosaic gift of water (Ex 15:24) The Jews didn't understand Jesus's divinity. They only understood his humanity.
Too many people take for granted living two thousand years after the death and resurrection of Christ. What if you had heard his words back then? Seen him him around town knowing he was the carpenter's son. Would you of seen him for who he really was? The Word made flesh?
Some people say all of John six is about faith, and faith only. That is only half true, the first part of John six is about faith, the later half is about the Eucharist.
In Jn 43-48 Jesus is telling the group of Jews again that he has come down from heaven. Jesus says "I am the bread of life" (Jn 6:48) This is where the transition is of faith and the Eucharist. John is known for having double meaning in his writing. Jn 6:48 is a perfect example of it. Here, John is writing that Jesus is the bread of life in both a metaphoric and a literal way.
Talk at ya Later

Marriage, family life are under attack, says Vatican official

Marriage, family life are under attack, says Vatican official
By Jim Myers10/4/2007
Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CNS) – A Vatican official urged a group of Catholic business leaders meeting in Colorado Springs to vigorously defend marriage and family life which he said are under attack by modern society.


"The dissolution of marriage and family is like the introduction of a cancerous virus," said Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.
"Collapse will only be a matter of time. Can we afford to stand by and look in helpless silence?" he asked participants during the Legatus international fall summit Sept. 21.
The cardinal named several forces that debase marriage and family, including sexual relations between unmarried people, pornography and prostitution. He also pointed out that scripture condemns homosexual acts and said divorce ruins children.
Additionally, Cardinal Arinze denounced sterilization and contraception as attacks on the origin of human life and called abortion and infanticide "unspeakable crimes."
"It's tragic that some people see babies as a problem rather than a blessing," he said. "When a culture views dogs and cats as nice but children as troublesome, we are in trouble."
The cardinal deconstructed moral relativism and the argument that what is right for one person doesn't apply to someone else. He especially took to task those who use the phrase "I'm personally not in favor of it" to justify allowing others to partake in evils such as abortion.
"I'm personally not in favor in killing the whole lot of you in Congress, but since there are some who, according to free choice, want to shoot all of you, I let them free," said Cardinal Arinze, providing an illustration of what he deemed a useless choice of words. "It's not a good argument."
He said God's role in the world has to be taken into account when deciding on morals and laws and pointed to the Ten Commandments as being universally accepted as moral truths.
"When objective moral truth is denied, we are on a slippery slope," he told the group of Catholic business executives.
The cardinal also attacked the mass media for what he described as an irresponsible use of influential tools. Instead of being used as a force for good, Cardinal Arinze said mass media outlets are often used to promulgate evil, whether wittingly or unwittingly.
"The people who control the means of social communication -- radio, television, press, the computer -- they have also to ask themselves whether their productions promote the good of marriage and family or whether they profane and banalize these sacred institutions."
Respect for marriage and family stems from a respect for life, the cardinal added.
He said Christians have to "be ready to stand against the tide in cultures that regard the elderly as an encumbrance. There is room for all in families: children, parents, grandparents; young, old, all."
"Everyone in the church ... has a role toward sustaining the divine gifts of marriage and family," he told the assembly.
He said the main contribution laypeople can make toward strengthening marriage and family life is through their personal example as children, spouses and parents.
"They are to give good witness to Christ by model lives," he said. - - -Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Eucharist. The Real Deal. Part 3

We continue in John chapter six "So they said to him 'Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you preform? Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat''" (Jn 6:30-31) The Jews want Jesus to preform a sign. Even tho Christ, the day before multiplied loaves of bread, they want a sign. This has to do with the manna in Exodus 16:4-5

Stephen K. Ray wrights in his book St. John's Gospel "The Bible sees the manna not as a natural phenomenon; rather, it transforms natural occurrences into acts of God, willed by him in support of Israel. Manna is thus, in the biblical view, literally lechem shamayim, the bread of heaven, a gift of God..." Stephen K. Ray also quotes F.F. Bruce in his book The Gospel of John "Let him give further evidence of being the second Moses (v. 14). If Moses had given their forefathers manna in the wilderness, let the second Moses vindicate his authority in a similar way- not by a once-for-all feeding but on a more lasting basis.... In later times the Rabbis taught that the new age would be marked by the restoration of the gift of manna...The loaves and fishes were a timely provision indeed, but they were earthly food, not bread from heaven. One who could give them bread from heaven would beyond all doubt be the prophet like Moses"

The Bible continues " Jesus then said to them 'Truly Truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.' They said to him 'Lord give us this bread always.' Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst'" (Jn 6:32-35) Take note Jesus was getting more explicit, And the Jews begin to wine. The Jews understand Jesus to be talking metaphorically at this point.
The Jews were comparing Jesus to Moses. St. Augustine wrote in his Tractates on the Gospel according to St. John "But the Lord Jesus declared to be such an one, that He was superior to Moses. For Moses dared not say of Himself that He gave, 'not the meat which perisheth, but that which endureth to eternal life' Jesus promised something greater than Moses gave. By Moses indeed was promised a kingdom, and a land flowing with milk and honey, temporal peace, abundance of children... and all other things, temporal goods indeed, yet in figure spiritual; because in the Old Testament they were promised to the old man. They considered therefore the things promised by Moses, and they considered the things promised by Christ. The former promised a full belly on the earth, but of the meat which perisheth; the latter promised, 'not the meat which perisheth, but that which endureth unto eternal life.'" So asking Jesus for a sign wasn't exactly a lack of faith. Moses was the greatest prophet to date. When they point out Moses to Jesus, he let them know Moses didn't do anything. It was God that gave them the bread not Moses. Jesus is almost saying "You knuckleheads, you want bread from heaven! I came from heaven! I am this bread you want!
Talk at ya Later

The Eucharist. The Real Deal. Part 2

The Gospel's of Matthew, Mark and Luke give testimony of Jesus instituting the Eucharist. But the Gospel of John does not. In chapter six of John's Gospel, John does give the theology behind the Eucharist.

In John chapter six there was "a multitude following him" (Jn 6:2) him being Jesus. Jesus feeds five thousand men with five barley loaves and two fish. Note that the five thousand is not counting women or children. What was leftover filled twelve baskets. Does it strike you that five loaves of bread and two fish can't fill even twelve baskets? It's as if there was an endless supply of food their on the hill. This miracle prefigures the gift of Christ's own flesh. It is capable of being received by millions without being divided or diminished. "When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said 'this is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.' " (Jn 6:14) Next the Jews were about to try and take Jesus and make him there king. Jesus withdrew from the crowd since he knew what they wanted to do. Following this is Jesus walking on the water. The next day the multitude of people cross the sea to be with Jesus.

The Jews ask Jesus "When did you come here"(Jn 6:25) Notice that they did not ask how. I wonder if more of his disciples would have stayed with him if they saw him walking on water. "Jesus answered them 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life; which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal. Then they said to him 'What must we do, to be doing the work of God?' Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent." (Jn 6:26-29) They didn't follow Jesus because they did believe he was a prophet. He filled their bellies. Just a few verses before they wanted to make Jesus their king. Many of the Jews had selfish, worldly motivations for following Jesus. Christ doesn't want them following him for those reasons. Jesus wants them to believe in him. Jesus wanted the people to follow him not follow after him. So the Jews ask, What they have to do. Christ answerer's them "believe in him whom he has sent." (Jn 6:29) Believe in Jesus, is what they have to do.
Faith is needed to understand the Eucharist, just as faith is needed to believe in God.
Talk at ya later

The Eucharist. The Real Deal. Part 1

To understand the Eucharist one must first understand Passover. Passover is the Jewish feast to celebrate recalling the night God freed Israel from Egypt. The Jews were told by God to keep a memorial. (Ex 12:14) A memorial in biblical understanding is not to only remember the past, but to relive it. The events of the past were made present. This is why Jews celebrate Passover think of themselves as one with their ancestors. Through the exodus all Israelites of all generations were delivered from Egypt. Along with the past, Jews look to the future at Passover. Before the time of Christ the prophets had foretold of another exodus. A Messianic king to renew the covenant God made with his people.

What was the point in God having the Jews preform an animal sacrifice? Was animal sacrifice an ends or a means? It was both. But more of a means. The animal sacrificed symbolized the person's giving of them self to God, and by this strengthening their relationship with God.

Now a days we can eat meals with anyone and it not mean a thing. For example, lunch time at any restaurant, there will be a room of complete strangers eating together, and no one is bound to be friends. But in biblical times meals shared with others forged covenant bonds. Enemies could seal peace by having a meal together. (Gen 26:26-31, 31:54-55) Why do you think the Pharisees were so scandalized by Jesus eating with sinners?

What would a meal with God do? In a ritual sacrifice part of the animal was offered to God, and part was eaten by those that preformed the sacrifice. The communion meal was the pinnacle and completion of these type of sacrifices. In sacrificing the animal AND eating it sealed communion with God. A communion meal is required at the Passover sacrifice. If you read (Ex 12:8-12) you'll see that since the first Passover the Jews are required to eat the Passover Lamb. By eating the lamb the Jews participate in the sacrifice.

Talk at ya Later

I Love Indulging

Understanding Indulgences is quite a difficult topic among Catholics. So it is expected that Protestants don't understand it ether. I came across a good explanation of it while listing to Catholic Answers Live. Patrick Madrid was the guest and did a fabulous job. It's around the 20 min mark. http://www.catholic.com/audio/podcast/ca070925a.mp3

Judge judging good.

Check out this article. It's nice to see the pendulum swinging back toward the side of life.
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=25487&wf=rsscol
Talk at ya later

I don't wana eat my veggie's!! NOOOoooo!!

I've been reading a book on prayer. Isn't it odd how when we need something big like a life saved, a new job or something like that. We go straight to the big man! But, for normal day to day stuff, most people put praying off. Almost like homework in High School. It reminds me of when I was a kid, eating my vegetables at the dinner table. They were the last thing on my plate, my father would tell me to eat them so I would grow up big and strong. That's just like prayer, I want to do it earlier in the day, but many times put it off till bedtime. I know if I want my spiritual life to get big and strong I need to pray more.

I know what I'll do! I'll pray about praying more!! Now if I could just find time to pray. He he he.

Talk at ya later

Boring....ZZZZZZzzzz

Hehehehe..He's so cute! Ok now to the ranting!
Is this you at Mass? How many people at the Mass you go to feel like this? I know I did. This is all I herd "The Lord be with you, Bla bla bla bla.... bla. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord". I admit I'm not pumped every Sunday, but most I am.
Now the million dollar question. How do we help other parishioners who don't want to be there, get excited for Mass? (I really wish I knew this one) I know, it's not like Jesus will be there........ WAIT!! Jesus Christ is there!! Gee.. How stupid am I?
All joking aside how sad is it, that most Catholics are so use to the Mass they miss what it's all about. It's like if the President came to town. (pretend you would like that for argument sake) The whole town shows up, so they can wait to leave. Forget the Pres has a message about YOUR country. Forget that he didn't have to show up. Gosh..Forget it all!!! Now why in the world would we treat our creator like that? Our Redeemer, Savior? Our Lord and our God?!! Man, do we have ego issues or what!!??
Prayer. We need to pray. But, without doing more harm than good. What can we do? Any one got an idea?
Talk at ya later

Ooo..Ooo..Me First, Me First!!!

As humans we constantly have a need or this desire to find out the "why", or "how" things work. The brain, cosmos and God. It's a search for God, weather one believes it is or not. There are those that put them selves first. They seek out the things that make em happy RIGHT NOW! Money, sex, drugs or may-be power. It's all a search for God. One may not know it, but in essence it is. Think about it. Why do we seek out God? Um..Um..Love, joy, happiness... How does all that swell stuff make us feel? Mmmm.. Good.. Now why does that guy every one knows, constantly trying to get a new piece of... uh..you know? Cuss it feels good! Even though that guy is going about his pursuit for happiness in a way that puts his joy above every one else. He is still trying to find happiness. But why is it, we have such a hard time getting it through our thick craniums, joy comes from something other than serving our selves.
Is this desire to seek out (or may-be a corrupted desire to seek) a result of sin? Since we cannot be in complete union with God here on earth. Do we see things so distorted, that the truth looks like a lie? All those philosophers throughout time asking "what is truth?". If our vision wasn't so distorted people could ask, "what is truth?" and we would be able to point saying "It's that, right there". (crude example I know)
Look at drugs. There are people that go to great lengths to get that next fix. To get that euphoric feeling back, AND in doing so distort their view/idea of reality. Why is our rejection of reality to the point of suffocating our senses? It really shows how far we've come. In Genesis, Adam hid when he knew he was outside of Gods grace. Now a days, we hide by pumping so many different chemicals into our brains, we're barley coherent. It's that hiding game little kids love to play. "You can't see me, if I can't see you."
Talk at ya later