Thursday 11 July 2013

THE STRUGGLE WITHIN ME

I received Holy Communion at age 7 and I was confirmed in the faith at age 12. In those days, the good old Carmelite Monks meant everything to us. I literally ate and drank at their table and was even given a room to myself (usually a month before every exam), so that I could focus on my studies. I still remember sitting on those hard wooden benches, gathered around Fr. Silva/Fr. John/Fr. Simon Stock, who would tell us stories from the Bible and quiz us on the Catechism. We were too young then to understand how the host and wine could change into the real body and wine into the real blood. I served at mass till the age of 22 and I struggled with what was explained to me as a 'mystery'. Even today, at age 47, I have still not comprehended how this can happen although there are many 'Eucharistic Miracles' talked about on the Internet and church bulletins.

As you can see, I am still trying to make sense out of 'this whole thing'! (Readers, do let me know if you understand this differently)

John 6: 48 to 55: I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”

53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed,[a] and My blood is drink indeed.

I agree that when many disciples left Jesus that day due to the above 'shocking' words of Jesus. Many say that the fact that Jesus did not stop them and explain that it was only a parable, is reason enough to believe that the consecrated host does indeed change into the body of Christ (and wine into blood).

In  Jn.6:33, He says that the bread of heaven is not His earthly flesh but He Who (personally and now incarnately) came down to give life to the world. When in 6:34, the believers said to Him `Lord, give us this bread evermore!'- Jesus did not pick up a piece of earthly bread and turn it into Himself.
Instead, in 6:35, He said to them `I am the bread of life' (and not `I will become the bread of life'); he who comes to Me (and not `he who comes to a piece of earthly bread that I will turn into Myself) shall never be hungry."

In John 6:48f, Jesus added: "I am that bread of life." He did not say: `Earthly bread will become Me.' Of Himself He then said: "This is the bread that comes down from heaven (not `that earthly bread will become Me). If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever (not `even if any man eats the consecrated host on earth, he might still end up in hell' ????). And the bread that I will give [not `the consecrated host ????], is My flesh which I will give for the life of the world."

In John 6:52-58, "the [(nbelieving) Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, `How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"' This shows that they had a carnal, cannibalistic and materialistic misunderstanding of what Jesus was saying.

In 6:53, "Jesus said to them, 'Very truly I tell you, unless you keep on eating the flesh of the Son of man and keep on drinking His blood (Is He talking about coming to mass everyday here?), you have no life in yourselves. Whoever keeps on eating My flesh and keeps on drinking My blood, has everlasting life. "'

"For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who keeps on eating My flesh and keeps on drinking My blood, keeps on dwelling in Me (not physically but spiritually), And I in him (not physically but spiritually).

He who keeps on feeding on Me (does not appear to be talking of the consecrated host ...), even he shall keep on living by Me. This is that bread which came down from heaven (and not `you must physically eat my flesh which came forth from Mary') .... He who keeps on eating of this bread (namely the Christ from heaven), shall continue living for ever (and not `might end up in heaven after a reasonable term in purgatory, yet could possibly still end up in hell for ever')!"

Jesus said: "The hour is coming, and is now, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit.... .... God is Spirit; and they that worship Him, must worship Him in spirit .... It is the Spirit Who enlivens. The flesh profits nothing. The words which I spoke to you, they are Spirit!" John 4:23f & 6:63.

In John 6:61, when even His disciples kept on murmuring about this, Jesus said to them : "It is the Spirit Who keeps on enlivening! The flesh profits not at all! The words which I have spoken (or keep speaking) to you, they are Spirit and they are life!

..............................................................................................................................................................
Plausible? .....

Later, in Acts we know how there were only 120 gathered together on the day of Pentecost (What happened to all the other disciples who walked with Jesus?) . On that day after receiving the power from the Holy Spirit, thousands were added to their fold. Could it be that the very same disciples who walked away from Jesus FINALLY GOT THE MESSAGE?










  




 

2 comments:

  1. When asked about the Lanciano and the Buenos Aires Eucharistic Miracles, Pastor 'D' responded thus:

    Even if we assume that everyone involved in this story is telling the truth, I have the following reasonable queries:

    1. Do "Eucharistic Miracles" only occur in the case of unconsumed hosts? I thought the Lord's command was that we should "eat His body and drink His blood, not keep it in storage?"

    2. According to the Doctrine of Transubstatiation: EVERY wafer must literally change its substance from flour into human flesh and blood. I calculate that 2 billion such wafers are consumed by Catholics every year. If Transubstatiation is correct, then 2 billion "Eucharistic Miracles should take place every year, not one once in 20 years. A miracle success rate of one in 40 billion is not really very impressive, even if all these claims are true.

    3. What is the benefit of this miracle to mankind? How much greater would be the benefit to the whole world if all believers receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit into their lives, so that all Christians would become like Jesus, and live on this earth with His holiness, compassion and miracle-working power?

    In closing, let me reiterate that faith is one thing and superstition another. And demons can perform signs and wonders to dupe the people, eg Satya Sai Baba (Matt.24:24).

    God bless!

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  2. Some more thoughts on the Eucharistic Miracle in Buenos Aires from Pastor 'D' ...

    1) The first question that came into my mind was: since the congregants at the mass would have scrupulously consumed all the wafers which handed to them or placed on their tongues, how did another wafer mysteriously appear at the back of the hall after the mass? Knowing how determined the kingdom of darkness is to deceive the world, is it not possible that some satanic witchdoctor could have left this wafer in the church (1 Tim.4:1)?

    2) Frankly, I cannot see any spiritual benefit at all in people actually EATING the physical flesh of Christ and drinking his blood! The very thought of consuming a human being's raw flesh and blood fills me with horror and loathing. How much worse if I should be gorging myself, like some vampire, on the physical raw flesh and blood of Jesus!!

    3) The Bible expressly forbids eating human flesh and drinking the blood of any creature. On the other hand, witch doctors regularly offer blood to demons.

    4) If Jesus has been sitting in His glorified physical body at the right hand of God for 2,000 years, how are Catholics also consuming His physical body at the same time over and over again?

    5) Doesn't it make a lot more sense to understand that Jesus was speaking in a parable when He commands us in John Chap.6 to "eat His body" and "drink His blood." Thus, John 6:63 is the clue and key which unlocks the real meaning of John 6:53-56.

    6) Jesus, the Christ and Anointed One, desires all who are members of His corporate body on the earth to be filled with the same Holy Spirit life that was in Him. What a massive impact this would have on the whole of human society, if all Christians become Christlike, because they are filled with the same Holy Spirit!! The more I meditate on the potential and power of God's real plan for His church, the more I can understand why the Enemy's kingdom would feel threatened, as the powers of darkness would be finished once and for all!!

    7) No wonder the enemy wants to keep Christians deceived with a false understanding of what Jesus as talking about in John Chap.6. No wonder the enemy wants to keep Christians participating in demonic, loathsome and barbaric rituals!!

    Show me more examples of these "Eucharistic Miracles," and my conviction about the enemy's tricks will only become STRONGER AND STRONGER. AND SO WILL MY ZEAL TO PUSH FOR PEOPLE TO BE FILLED MORE AND MORE AND MORE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!!

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