My first Eucharist... (Jesus Christ, priests, rejecting, soul, blood)

[des]

I suppose it might be in a Catholic church, but it isn't so in a progressive protestant church. We have kids that help out in the service, washing the cups and so on. I have seen them drink any of the grape juice that hasn't been drunk and eat the bread (it is usually regular whole wheat bread-- hey we're liberal :-)) except during passover.
I don't think anyone thinks anything much of it, though I found it kind of funny. And hey, I don't want to wash a ton of little teensy cups. For us, since it is a symbolic event, it only has meaning within the context of a worship service.

Though I did think the original story was funny.

--des

Originally Posted by Darkness

I think those waffers are tastey. I wonder if I can ask a Priest for some, so I can snack at home. Yes, I know I am blasphemous.

[namguy]

Originally Posted by Mr_Spinkles

I went to a Catholic high school, starting my sophomore year. The ceremonies I attended inside our gymnasium were the first Catholic masses I had ever been to...it was all very strange to me. Prior to this, I had only been to Presbyterian churches. Eventually the time came in the mass for the Eucharist.

Now, keep in mind, at this time I was completely ignorant of the Catholic faith other than a few things: that they had a Pope, bishops, confessed their sins to priests, and prayed to Saints like Mary. I was also a new student, very nervous and timid.

So anyway, I noticed that people began lining up to drink from a cup of wine, and take what I thought was bread. At first I thought I shouldn't go up, since I wasn't Catholic...but then I thought "hey, we're all Christians, right?" Besides, I would have thought someone would tell me if I was supposed to do something different, and I figured I might be scolded or thought disrespectful if I remained in my seat.

In my Presbyterian church, the ceremony of the Eucharist was performed extremely rarely, and little square peices of actual bread were used. At this Catholic service, small coin-chaped crackers with crosses on them were used. As I came to the front of the line to receive my cracker, I realized I had no idea what I was doing. I saw other people crossing themselves after they took the crackers...I tried to memorize "up, down, left, right".

I arrived. The priest said "Body of Christ" and held up the cracker in front of me. Instead of ceremoniously holding out my hands for the priest to place the cracker into, as everyone else had done, I awkwardly reached out and took the cracker out of his hands....and forgot to cross myself before moving on.

Now, imagine my horror when I looked down at the thing in my hands..."What the heck is this??! This isn't bread!" Oh no--was I sure I saw anyone else actually PUT it in their MOUTH? I was certain that this small disk was made of cardboard....perhaps the cross in the middle was where you poke a candle through, so that it catches dripping wax...I had no idea.

I decided to gamble. I put the thing in my mouth to see if it was bread, hoping no one would see. Yep, I was right--it definitely tasted like cardboard. At this point, I felt very embarassed--what I moron I am, putting cardboard in my mouth in front of everyone else. I still wasn't positive that it was inedible, and wasn't sure what to do with it, so I took it out of my mouth and put it in my pocket, again hoping no one would see. I took a big, awkward gulp of the wine, forgot to cross myself again, and took my seat.

Unfortunately by the time I got back to my seat, the Eucharist had ended so I could no longer see what people were doing with their little cardboard disks. I noticed no one else had brought them back to their seats....

When the mass ended without a distribution of candles, I was very perplexed. As I walked out of the gym into the halls with the rest of the students, I felt in my pocket, and the cardboard coin was still there...what am I supposed to do with this? I didn't want to risk asking someone and looking like an idiot, so I clandestinely threw it into a trashcan I passed. Problem solved! Next time I'll pay closer attention to what people were doing with these things...

Well, later that year, I told a friend the embarrassing story. "Those crackers are the Body of Christ....you threw away Jesus!" I replied that they tasted like cardboard.... "It's unlevened bread...it sort of melts in your mouth. You threw away Jesus!"

I hope you guys aren't too mad at me, it was an honest mistake...how big of an offense is this?

No offense at all. I was raised Catholic but I never understood all the condrictions the Catholic Church made. Just 'till recently the Pope declaired that babies that wern't Baptized that died do go to Heaven as opposed to going to hell. The Catholic Church 'makes up rules' as they go a long! It's true.

Remember this, the Catholic Church is "big business," that's what their all about in reality, they LOVE THAT CASH!

[happ]

As a former Lutheran who is now Roman Catholic, the "Real Presence" of Christ bodily in the Eucharist is a long-held belief. The consecration of the sacrament [either transubstantiation=Catholic or consubstantiation=Lutheran] signifies that the Jesus of the Upper Room & Golgotha is now among us. After the distribution the rest of the elements are consumed at the altar or reserved. Roman Catholics hold strongly to the belief that Christ's holy presence remains among us and chapels are set aside for the Reserve Sacrament or Tabernacle. Anglicans basically follow the Roman Catholic customs but are less likely to have processions [Corpus Christi] and some parishes do not reserve the elements.

Lutheran practice runs the gambit. Lutherans firmly believe in the Real Presence [that's what separates them from Calvin] but differ on what happens after Holy Communion. Most commonly, the leftover bread [they also use wafers] is placed in a special vessel at the altar and then set in a sacristy or in some parishes the bread/host is stored in an ambry near the altar with a candle signifying Christ's actual presence. Wine is generally not reserved or reused due to hygienic reasons; so is either consumed at the altar by pastor/assistants or in the sacristy. I can't image a Lutheran church where the leftover wine would be poured down a sink, but there is a special covered sink/piscina in the sacristy that empties directing onto the earth.

The recognition of Christ's bodily presence at Mass is similarly expressed in all three churches [Roman Catholic, Anglican/Episcopal & Lutheran]. Catholics use incense, genuflexion, bells and some Anglicans do the same. Most Anglicans & Lutheran elevate the host & cup, bow, make the sign of the cross. Kneeling to receive communion is still the common posture though many parishes have removed the communion rail & communicants walk up the aisles for the communion.

All three churches worship in much the same way following the ancient Mass that includes corporate confession/absolution by the pastor. First Communion allows children to receive holy communion at age 7-10 though I seen babies given communion [host]. Infant baptism is the norm. Confirmation in early teens.