Tagged: Eucharist

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God

After many well thought out discussions about the events on Holy Week, a Protestant objects:

There is no Biblical basis for two separate killings of two different lives (of the lamb and of Jesus) being one sacrifice.

Seriously?

Do you have any evidence from the early Church Fathers of this non-Biblical notion?

After all those well thought out postings of the Holy Week timeline, I can hardly believe that you say such a thing. But, ….

Ok. Let’s go back to the Old Testament.

On Mt. Moriah, which would later be known as Golgotha, a father sacrificed his son in accordance with God’s will.

Genesis 22
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. …

The son carried the wood for his execution, up the hill.

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; ….

The son asked a question which was given a prophetic answer:

7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Just when Fr. Abraham was about to give up his son’s life:

11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

And the lamb of God was provided for the sacrifice:

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

This was the first foreshadowing of the Lamb of God’s sacrifice on Golgotha.

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Fast forward to the Passover where God said:

Exodus 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:….43 And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:

44 But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.

45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.

46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

Scripture ties this back to:

John 19:33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

The confirmation that the Apostles understood that Jesus is the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for our Christian Passover are in these words:

1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

That also links the sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God, to the unleavened bread of the Eucharist. As well as these words:

John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

But that’s another lesson. Suffice to say, Jesus is the Lamb of God who offered His life for the salvation of the world. Since Jesus is God, only His life would suffice:

Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Does that help?

What to expect your first time in a Catholic Church

What to expect your first time in a Catholic Church
So, you’ve been reading Catholic365 and Mike Bugal has convinced you of the errors in Protestant theology. While Elizabeth Giddens Valverde has convinced you that Protestant arguments against the Catholic Church are false. So, you want to give the Catholic Church a chance, but… 
Read More…

The Mass, St. John chapter 6 and the test of faith

When I first started learning Catholic apologetics, between 15 and 20 years ago, I ran across an article on the web that spoke of the Test of Faith. I can’t find it anymore, but for many years, it was one of my favorite bookmarks. Several pc’s have died on me in that time and I lost the link. Anyway, the article was about the Bread of Life discourse in chapter 6 of St. John’s Gospel. 
Read More…

There remains no sacrifice for sins, for those who miss the Mass

DE MARIA May 27, 2015 at 7:49 am

FRED May 27, 2015 at 6:53 am
For those interested in the truth of the early church and how they meticulously maintained their categories , seeTim Kauffmans blog and one fold blog. ….

For those interested in the truth, that’s the last place they should go. If you’re interested in the truth of the early Church, go to staycatholic.com

Hebrews is clear and cannot be refuted,

That is true. Keep reading.

Hebrews 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Oh look! A description of baptism which says that when we are washed with pure water we are actually washed in Christ’s blood.

But I actually wanted to show you what follows:

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together

We call that the Mass. He says, don’t neglect to meet together for the Mass. Why? He’ll tell us next.

as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 

Because neglecting to meet together for the Mass is the same thing as rejecting Christ’s sacrifice. It amounts to a deliberate sin against Christ.

This is why missing the Mass is considered a mortal sin in the Catholic Church. Now, you see that you reject the Mass, wilfully and therefore, can you be saved? It is a very grave sin.

27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

Those who miss the Mass are considered God’s enemies.

28 A man who refused to obey the laws given by Moses was killed without mercy if there were two or three witnesses to his sin. 29 Think how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled underfoot the Son of God and treated his cleansing blood as though it were common and unhallowed,

Why is missing the Mass considered to be a trampling underfoot of the Son of God? Why is it considered to be an insult to the cleansing blood of Christ?

Let’s cross reference with 1 Cor 11:27 So if anyone eats this bread and drinks from this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, he is guilty of sin against the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 That is why a man should examine himself carefully before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. 29 For if he eats the bread and drinks from the cup unworthily, not thinking about the body of Christ and what it means, he is eating and drinking God’s judgment upon himself; for he is trifling with the death of Christ. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick, and some have even died.

and insulted and outraged the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to his people.

It is such a wicked sin that St. Paul equates it with the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit:

Mark 3:28 “I solemnly declare that any sin of man can be forgiven, even blasphemy against me; 29 but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven. It is an eternal sin.”

This one convicts you of blasphemy, Buckeee.

30 For we know him who said, “Justice belongs to me; I will repay them”; who also said, “The Lord himself will handle these cases.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Mhm. Yep. The bible convicts you and all Protestants. The Bible Teaches Catholic Doctrine.

He offered himself once and it put sin away. Hebrews 10:18 ” There remains NO more sacrifices for sin.” 

Because the only sacrifice for sin is in the Mass. And you reject the Mass, thereby trampling underfoot the Body of Christ which was sacrificed for your sins and insulting the Blood of Christ which was shed for you. Thus, you blaspheme the Holy Spirit of God which pours out His grace to all who partake of the Holy Eucharist with faith.

Against the Romish church and it’s idolatry of transubstantiation , an invention of the human brain. Let Him off the cross Catholics, HE IS RISEN!!!!!!! K

Again, you have not understood the Teaching of the Scripture:

1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

Yeah, unbelievers, like yourself, don’t understand that Christ died for us to be saved. Therefore, we don’t take Christ off the Cross. We join Him upon it:

Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Yeah, we obey Christ.

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

We take up our Cross and follow Him:

Matthew 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

In order that we may find merit in His eyes and be saved. And you don’t. What do the words, “worthy of me” mean, Fred?

Why the Mass is important, according to Scripture

I recently argued with an anti-Catholic who considers the Eucharist a hoax and blasphemous idol worship.  Here’s how the conversation went.  Response to Ed #818 in the Immaculate Conception in Scripture:

ED SAYS, “The word sacrifice shouldn’t be mentioned with the breaking of bread which you call the Eucharist. 

It is the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving which Melchizedek prefigured many centuries prior:

Genesis 14:17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

Genesis 31:54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

Leviticus 7:12 If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.

The living Bible in (1Cor.10:14-16) states, “So, dear friends, carefully avoid idol-worship of every kind” Which is what you are doing when you make the Host an idol and place it into a monstrance and genuflect to it.

Read further:

15 You are intelligent people. Look now and see for yourselves whether what I am about to say is true. 16 When we ask the Lord’s blessing upon our drinking from the cup of wine at the Lord’s Table, this means, doesn’t it, that all who drink it are sharing together the blessing of Christ’s blood? And when we break off pieces of the bread from the loaf to eat there together, this shows that we are sharing together in the benefits of his body. 17 No matter how many of us there are, we all eat from the same loaf, showing that we are all parts of the one body of Christ. 18 And the Jewish people, all who eat the sacrifices, are united by that act.

19 What am I trying to say? Am I saying that the idols to whom the heathen bring sacrifices are really alive and are real gods, and that these sacrifices are of some value? No, not at all. 20 What I am saying is that those who offer food to these idols are united together in sacrificing to demons, certainly not to God. And I don’t want any of you to be partners with demons when you eat the same food, along with the heathen, that has been offered to these idols. 21 You cannot drink from the cup at the Lord’s Table and at Satan’s table, too. You cannot eat bread both at the Lord’s Table and at Satan’s table.

St. Paul is distinguishing between the idol worship of the pagans and the true worship of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church.

The 2nd Commandment prohibits idols and bowing down to them.

True.

v16 “When we ask the Lord’s blessing upon our drinking from the cup of wine at the Lord’s table, this means, doesn’t it, that all who dink it are sharing together the blessing of Christ’s Blood? And when we break off pieces of the bread from the loaf to eat there together, this shows that we are sharing together in the benefits of His body.”

Read further:

23 You are certainly free to eat food offered to idols if you want to; it’s not against God’s laws to eat such meat, but that doesn’t mean that you should go ahead and do it. 

Nothing will happen to you, good or bad, if you eat the meat offered to idols. But now keep reading:

23 For this is what the Lord himself has said about his Table, and I have passed it on to you before: That on the night when Judas betrayed him, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks to God for it, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body, which is given[e] for you. Do this to remember me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new agreement between God and you that has been established and set in motion by my blood. Do this in remembrance of me whenever you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you are retelling the message of the Lord’s death, that he has died for you. Do this until he comes again.

27 So if anyone eats this bread and drinks from this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, he is guilty of sin against the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 That is why a man should examine himself carefully before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. 29 For if he eats the bread and drinks from the cup unworthily, not thinking about the body of Christ and what it means, he is eating and drinking God’s judgment upon himself; for he is trifling with the death of Christ. 

If the bread and cup were mere idol worship, nothing would happen to us. That is according to the Teaching of Scripture. But it is the true Body and true Blood of Christ. Those who partake of this Sacrament but do not believe in it, will die because they have blasphemed the Body of Christ and the Blood which sanctified them.

But, now, what will happen to those, who like all Protestants, refuse to partake even in the celebration of the Eucharist? Let’s go to another book for that answer:

Hebrews 10:21 And since this great High Priest of ours rules over God’s household, 22 let us go right in to God himself, with true hearts fully trusting him to receive us because we have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean and because our bodies have been washed with pure water.

Oh look! A description of baptism which says that when we are washed with pure water we are actually washed in Christ’s blood. Hm. I’d better file this one in my memory banks.

But I actually wanted to show you what follows:

25 Let us not neglect our church meetings,

We call that the Mass. He says, don’t neglect to meet together for the Mass. Why? He’ll tell us next.

as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.

26 If anyone sins deliberately by rejecting the Savior after knowing the truth of forgiveness, this sin is not covered by Christ’s death; there is no way to get rid of it. 

Because neglecting to meet together for the Mass is the same thing as rejecting Christ’s sacrifice. It amounts to a deliberate sin against Christ.

This is why missing the Mass is considered a mortal sin in the Catholic Church. Now, you see that you reject the Mass, wilfully and therefore, can you be saved? It is a very grave sin.

27 There will be nothing to look forward to but the terrible punishment of God’s awful anger, which will consume all his enemies. 

Those who miss the Mass are considered God’s enemies.

28 A man who refused to obey the laws given by Moses was killed without mercy if there were two or three witnesses to his sin. 29 Think how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled underfoot the Son of God and treated his cleansing blood as though it were common and unhallowed,

Why is missing the Mass considered to be a trampling underfoot of the Son of God? Why is it considered to be an insult to the cleansing blood of Christ?

Let’s go back to 1 Cor 11:27 So if anyone eats this bread and drinks from this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, he is guilty of sin against the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 That is why a man should examine himself carefully before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. 29 For if he eats the bread and drinks from the cup unworthily, not thinking about the body of Christ and what it means, he is eating and drinking God’s judgment upon himself; for he is trifling with the death of Christ. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick, and some have even died.

and insulted and outraged the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to his people.

It is such a wicked sin that St. Paul equates it with the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit:

Mark 3:28 “I solemnly declare that any sin of man can be forgiven, even blasphemy against me; 29 but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven. It is an eternal sin.”

You might want to go search for another Bible that doesn’t teach Catholic Doctrine, Bucky. This one convicts you of blasphemy.

30 For we know him who said, “Justice belongs to me; I will repay them”; who also said, “The Lord himself will handle these cases.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Mhm. Yep. This bible convicts you and all Protestants. Maybe you can find another more to your liking. One that Protestants have totally rewritten to mean something totally different than what Christ teaches. This one Teaches Catholic Doctrine.

Was the Last Supper a Jewish Passover?

I wonder why it is important that the Last Supper be a Jewish Passover or that a passover lamb be present in the meal?

Here is my reasoning.

First, to me, St. John explicitly states that it is not a Jewish Passover.   He says:

John 13

1Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.  2And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;

This is a reference to the Last Supper, is it not? Therefore, the Last Supper is not a Jewish Passover. And for us to cling to this idea seems illogical since it is not necessary in order to confirm Catholic Doctrine and in order to prove that it is so, we must force our interpretation on the text of Scripture.  Besides, it is easier to harmonize the Gospel accounts of the Last Supper without this idea since the Synoptics are not explicit about the matter, either way.

I don’t mean to say that the Last Supper is not a Passover. Because Scripture also says:

Luke 22:15

15And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

But Jesus frequently said things which had double meaning. And I believe that Jesus was here referring to the first Christian Passover. The first Mass.  That is the Passover which He desired to eat with the Apostles.

Nor am I saying that a lamb or some other meat dish was not there being eaten. But it need not be a lamb killed to celebrate the Jewish Passover. The bottom line is that Jesus established the first Christian Passover, what we call the Mass, during the Last Supper when He said:

Matthew 26:

26And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

And thus fulfilled the words of St. John 6:

John 6:51

King James Version (KJV)

51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

What does the Bible say about transubstantiation?

Nothing.

Transubstantiation is a big word that means changing one substance to another.  The word itself is never found in Scripture because the word had not yet been coined.  That wouldn’t happen for many more centuries.

However, there are examples of transubstantiation in the Bible.  Jesus Christ transubstantiated water into wine in the Wedding at Cana.

And Jesus Christ transubstantiated bread into His Body and wine into His Blood in the Last Supper.

Matthew 26:
26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.