My friend, a priest in Indy informed me of that during a debate.

 

Please don't take this as me belittling your priest friend, but so much of me believes that your view being more constitutional rather than philosophical/theological would not bar you from communion. I would love to say what your bishop or vicars would say about the subject.

My friend, a priest in Indy informed me of that during a debate.

 

Seems to me that your whole notion of actually being barred from Communion is more in theory than in practice. Could the church.....sure......has the church......I doubt it.

Seems to me that your whole notion of actually being barred from Communion is more in theory than in practice. Could the church.....sure......has the church......I doubt it.

 

Theory? I've never been barred, so pardon my ignorance, but when a Priest tells you that you are and cites to Canon Law, is that not the same thing? I could really test it and go up to see if my parish priest deciphers my screen name and says "no."

A recommendation from a Catholic brother. Really seek the Lord on this in prayer (even fasting). The sacraments are critical to our Faith. Don't walk away without being really...really sure. I have been watching this thread and thinking for awhile before replying. Your situation appears to be different from the typical Catholic politician who is an abortion supporter and gets refused Holy Communion. He or she usually does not care and does what he or she wants to do anyway. You appear to care by looking for answers in bringing this before the public via BGP. That, IMO, is a big difference. You are pointed toward God, not away from Him. I am not suggesting blowing off what your priest friend said. However, I am suggesting, doing what we do with doctors...get a second opinion. Our priests are human beings. They can tend to have personal views and maybe not always look at things from the perspective of others. I hope and pray this works out for you. Personally, I know how I feel about the larger issue (it lines up with the Church). I am not sure if a piece of legislation is the right way to go or not.

Theory? I've never been barred, so pardon my ignorance, but when a Priest tells you that you are and cites to Canon Law, is that not the same thing? I could really test it and go up to see if my parish priest deciphers my screen name and says "no."

 

No, I do not thing "a priest" is the same as your parish priest. Yes, I would appear for communion at my parish if I truly believed I was personally in communion with Catholic teachings.

Ok...non-Catholic here (seems like I might be in the minority on here, haha). Raised Sothern Baptist, now attend independent Christian church. My question is...even if the Pope came to your house and said you are a bad Cathlic and you can't take communion anymore...what stops you from going down to the local Catholic church during mass and partaking in it? Seriously? I mean, it's not like they have your picture hanging at all the Catholic churches in the area like a wanted poster with "Don't Give Communion!" in big letters on it. I say that tounge in cheek of course, but really, what keeps one from taking communion? I ask becasue I don't know, and except for being personally hurt by being told by a Priest that you can't partake anymore, how can he keep you from taking it elsewhere? I don't understand.

Ok...non-Catholic here (seems like I might be in the minority on here, haha). Raised Sothern Baptist, now attend independent Christian church. My question is...even if the Pope came to your house and said you are a bad Cathlic and you can't take communion anymore...what stops you from going down to the local Catholic church during mass and partaking in it? Seriously? I mean, it's not like they have your picture hanging at all the Catholic churches in the area like a wanted poster with "Don't Give Communion!" in big letters on it. I say that tounge in cheek of course, but really, what keeps one from taking communion? I ask becasue I don't know, and except for being personally hurt by being told by a Priest that you can't partake anymore, how can he keep you from taking it elsewhere? I don't understand.

 

From a practical stand point, there is nothing stopping him from just going to another church and taking communion but from a religous stand point, if you have been asked to not take communion yet you do so in an illicit manner, you are basically defeating the entire purpose of taking communion.

From a practical stand point, there is nothing stopping him from just going to another church and taking communion but from a religous stand point, if you have been asked to not take communion yet you do so in an illicit manner, you are basically defeating the entire purpose of taking communion.

 

Admittedly I am not Catholic, but I have to question this statement from a non-catholic christian viewpoint.

 

What is the purpose of taking communion? And who should decide if I am worthy of taking it myself?

 

The direction we have from the scriptures is found in 1 Corinthians Chapter 11. The Lord's Church in Corinth was making a mockery of the communion and Paul was writing to them to give them guidance. He chastized them for their error and then he said the following

 

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷ So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.

In my understanding, the communion feast that we (all Christians) are instructed to take on the first day of each week (consisting of the bread and the cup) is a memorial ceremony, a remembrance of the sacrifice made by our Savior for each of us.

When we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are not just going through the motions of some ritual. It is not a manmade practice. It is a loving directive instituted by Jesus himself for us to follow. The word “communion” means “sharing,” and as we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are committing ourselves to share with Jesus in his life, and his death.

Jesus said of the bread, “This is my body which is given for you.” When we eat the bread we think about sacrifice, and about a life given to pay for sins. When we do so, we participate in that death and we incorporate Jesus’ sacrifice into our bodies.

The cup (wine, fruit of the vine) symbolizes the blood of Jesus. The scriptures say that “LIFE is in the blood” as HIS blood is the only thing that would suffice to wash away our sins and through it, we have EVERLASTING LIFE. As we drink the cup, we participate in the life of Jesus, and we remember that His life’s blood that was shed for us.

The beautiful element of the Lord’s Supper is not in our actions, not in the ritual; but rather, it’s in the meaning behind the ceremony. On the first day of each week we are to thoughtfully and prayerfully be present with God and re-affirm our repentance and be ever mindful that through His sacrifice, we have been saved. Not to be a spectator, but to be a participant in Jesus’ work on Earth. As Christians, we carry His name and we commit ourselves to be His hands, His feet, His body to go and bring truth and salvation to a lost and dying world. And so, as we commune with the Lord, we shoud recall the awful price that was paid so we could share in that sacrifice. We should consider the full meaning of this ceremony, and we should truly commit to live our lives as part of the body of Christ, and participate in His work in a manner that would please our Father.

 

I believe with everything in my being that Jesus meant what he said and he wants me to share in that communion feast every week, subject to my own self-evaluation. I would never be comfortable worshipping in a place where someone else tried to make that evaluation for me.

In my understanding, the communion feast that we (all Christians) are instructed to take on the first day of each week (consisting of the bread and the cup) is a memorial ceremony, a remembrance of the sacrifice made by our Savior for each of us.

When we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are not just going through the motions of some ritual. It is not a manmade practice. It is a loving directive instituted by Jesus himself for us to follow. The word “communion” means “sharing,” and as we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are committing ourselves to share with Jesus in his life, and his death.

Jesus said of the bread, “This is my body which is given for you.” When we eat the bread we think about sacrifice, and about a life given to pay for sins. When we do so, we participate in that death and we incorporate Jesus’ sacrifice into our bodies.

The cup (wine, fruit of the vine) symbolizes the blood of Jesus. The scriptures say that “LIFE is in the blood” as HIS blood is the only thing that would suffice to wash away our sins and through it, we have EVERLASTING LIFE. As we drink the cup, we participate in the life of Jesus, and we remember that His life’s blood that was shed for us.

The beautiful element of the Lord’s Supper is not in our actions, not in the ritual; but rather, it’s in the meaning behind the ceremony. On the first day of each week we are to thoughtfully and prayerfully be present with God and re-affirm our repentance and be ever mindful that through His sacrifice, we have been saved. Not to be a spectator, but to be a participant in Jesus’ work on Earth. As Christians, we carry His name and we commit ourselves to be His hands, His feet, His body to go and bring truth and salvation to a lost and dying world. And so, as we commune with the Lord, we shoud recall the awful price that was paid so we could share in that sacrifice. We should consider the full meaning of this ceremony, and we should truly commit to live our lives as part of the body of Christ, and participate in His work in a manner that would please our Father.

 

I believe with everything in my being that Jesus meant what he said and he wants me to share in that communion feast every week, subject to my own self-evaluation. I would never be comfortable worshipping in a place where someone else tried to make that evaluation for me.

 

Very well put. Especially agree on that last sentence.

If I got the thread off topic with this post, please forgive me. If this post would be better off in a thread about the purpose of communion, rather than in this particular discussion, then please one of the mods feel free to move it.

In my understanding, the communion feast that we (all Christians) are instructed to take on the first day of each week (consisting of the bread and the cup) is a memorial ceremony, a remembrance of the sacrifice made by our Savior for each of us.

When we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are not just going through the motions of some ritual. It is not a manmade practice. It is a loving directive instituted by Jesus himself for us to follow. The word “communion” means “sharing,” and as we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are committing ourselves to share with Jesus in his life, and his death.

Jesus said of the bread, “This is my body which is given for you.” When we eat the bread we think about sacrifice, and about a life given to pay for sins. When we do so, we participate in that death and we incorporate Jesus’ sacrifice into our bodies.

The cup (wine, fruit of the vine) symbolizes the blood of Jesus. The scriptures say that “LIFE is in the blood” as HIS blood is the only thing that would suffice to wash away our sins and through it, we have EVERLASTING LIFE. As we drink the cup, we participate in the life of Jesus, and we remember that His life’s blood that was shed for us.

The beautiful element of the Lord’s Supper is not in our actions, not in the ritual; but rather, it’s in the meaning behind the ceremony. On the first day of each week we are to thoughtfully and prayerfully be present with God and re-affirm our repentance and be ever mindful that through His sacrifice, we have been saved. Not to be a spectator, but to be a participant in Jesus’ work on Earth. As Christians, we carry His name and we commit ourselves to be His hands, His feet, His body to go and bring truth and salvation to a lost and dying world. And so, as we commune with the Lord, we shoud recall the awful price that was paid so we could share in that sacrifice. We should consider the full meaning of this ceremony, and we should truly commit to live our lives as part of the body of Christ, and participate in His work in a manner that would please our Father.

 

I believe with everything in my being that Jesus meant what he said and he wants me to share in that communion feast every week, subject to my own self-evaluation. I would never be comfortable worshipping in a place where someone else tried to make that evaluation for me.

 

Very nice thoughts; however, here is why it is a big deal for Catholics. It is the doctrine of the Catholic Church that in the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is literally and wholly present—body and blood, soul and divinity—under the appearances of bread and wine. The Bible is forthright in declaring it (cf. 1 Cor. 10:16–17, 11:23–29; and, most forcefully, John 6:32–71). What we celebrate at each Mass is NOT a symbolic representation of Christ, but Christ Himself. I will not pretend to go into the "why" of this...it would take a lot of effort. So, if we can accept that is what Catholics believe, then it is a big deal regarding what the Church might interpret as "mortal sin" which places the soul in a bad place. Since we believe that Christ is the ultimate Perfection, it should not be consumed by someone who has intentionally placed themselves in an unrepentent "mortal sin" condition. One might say...who is eligible to even go to Communion? Ahh, that is why the Church also has Confession...the Sacraments work together.

Thanks for the reply nkypete. That addresses the fundamental difference between the Catholic view of the Eucharist as the actual body and blood and the non Catholic view of the Lord's Supper as symbolic representation of Christ's body and blood. I promise I didn't mean to turn this thread into a debate about transubstantiation. I understand we have our differences and I wasn't trying to change anyone's mind. If it came across that way, it was unintentional.

 

 

Again, I probably should have started another thread instead of changing the course of this one.

But in essance you have a man (preist) telling someone that they can't take communion based on HIS opinion/intrepretation. Comminion isn't between man and man or man and church, it's between man and God. It's (communion) is not the churchs to control, only to offer.

 

My question now is...if the Priest is wrong in his thinking that someone should be denied communion, is that now a sin on his part?

But in essance you have a man (preist) telling someone that they can't take communion based on HIS opinion/intrepretation. Comminion isn't between man and man or man and church, it's between man and God. It's (communion) is not the churchs to control, only to offer.

 

My question now is...if the Priest is wrong in his thinking that someone should be denied communion, is that now a sin on his part?

 

As Christ's representative here on earth, the Priest can do just that. It not a matter of "control", it is about being in a state of grave sin. Communion is not a possibility under such conditions.