Posted by kat on September 30, 2001 at 15:10:58:
In Reply to: communion services posted by giveawayboy on September 30, 2001 at 10:12:56:
: Let me qualify something I said about communion services. What I meant is that the Bible nowhere describes churches full of people lining up single file to go eat the Eucharist or to go eat bread and drink grape juice or wine in memory of Christ. It simply says DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME. However there are instances in scripture of the early believers gathering together in love feasts, which usually contained some sort of communion service. For Catholics, these were the rudimentary masses, without the encrustations of time, architectural form, liturgical tradition, etc. They were just the early Jesus People getting together to remember the first Passover Seder/Eucharistic Meal that offerred up Jesus' sacrifice once for all.
: Peace, Bill
Personally I have always felt that when breaking bread with your brothers and sisters you are "remembering and celebrating Jesus as part of fellowship. That's why I think we should pray or "say grace" before a meal, that this is the essence of what we call communion.
That kind of gives me an opportunity to ask you about the Eucharist.
Do Catholics really believe that they are eating the literal body and drinking the literal blood of Jesus in partaking? Do you personally?
Don't feel like you have to answer this, I am not going to debate it, just curious.
-kat