A question from yesterday’s comments

Jesus instituted the Breaking of the Bread / Eucharist at the Last Supper on the night before he died.

He told ALL there to celebrate like this whenever they met ‘ in memory of Him.

At this time there were no priests or bishops and the Breaking of the Bread took place in peoples houses.

There were no vestments or altar cloths, no incense and very few if any formalities.

This was also 1200 years before the term “Transubstantiation” was introduced.

The MASS that later developed took decades and centuries of evolution.

The RCC believes and teaches that all this development was on the authority given to it by Christ when He said:

Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:18-20).

Not all Christian Churces agree with te RCC interpretation of those words.

ME

Personally, I am very much of the Catholic tradition, and have no essential problems with any of the Sacraments, including Holy Orders.

I agree with the Laying on of Hands and the prayers of ordination associated with that Sacrament.

But I do not agree with the clericalism that has overtaken both the priesthood and episcopate.

Nor do I appreciate that a very small number of Church members – the clerics – have taken control of everything and hijacked everything.

And now they say to the rest of us:

“WE will only give you the Sacraments if you do everything we tell you to do and agree 100% with us and our teaching”.

The Sacraments primarily belong to God and operate as sources of grace at God’s bidding.

A NON CLERICAL EUCHARIST?

If a group of non ordained believers meet together and Break Bread in Memory of the Lord Jesus – is that a true Eucharist?

“Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:18-20).

On the basis if what Jesus said, such a group meeting would indeed attract the PRESENCE of Jesus.

And if the meeting Broke Bread, then surely it would be a Eucharistic encounter?

Personally, I have never attended such a celebration.

But I have taken Communion in the churches of other denominations than the RCC one, and on those occasions I believed that I was in the House of God and was indeed communing with God and my brothers and sisters who were present.

ABSOLUTE CHAOS v TOTAL CONTROL

I can of course see the case for in the Cristian Community for clarity and order and basic beliefs and practices.

Otherwise you could easily have ecclesiastical chaos.

But I also think that in the Church there can be too much structure, too many petty rules and indeed one group lording it over another.

To answer the question I was asked that prompted this blog

I believe that if a group of sincere believers left the RCC and chose one of their group to be their pastor, and prayed over that person for that intention then that person would be acceptable in God’s sight as their chosen shepherd.

OR

Such a group could approach an independent Catholic bishop?

INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC BISHOPS

And there are out there – various groups of Catholics, not connected with Rome, who claim to have valid episcopal and priestly Holy Orders.

These interesting books are about this issue

Many of these bishops claim to have valid (if not Roman canonical) Holy Orders and their lineages are very difficult to dispute.

Category:Bishops of Independent Catholic denominations (Wikipedia)