By Cris Putnam
I find the Eucharist as it is postured by the Roman Catholic Church to be extremely problematic theologically and this post will explain my reasoning. I suspect few Catholic lay people are aware of what the priest believes he is doing during the ritual. John O’Brien’s popular Catholic apologetics work, The Faith of Millions: The Credentials of the Catholic Religion, is considered a classic defense and accurate explanation of Roman Catholic faith and practice. What follows is a thorough explanation of the priest’s role in the Eucha
rist:
The supreme power of the priestly office is the power of consecrating. “No act is greater,” says St. Thomas, “than the consecration of the body of Christ.”[1] In this essential phase of the sacred ministry, the power of the priest is not surpassed by that of the bishop, the archbishop, the cardinal or the pope. Indeed it is equal to that of Jesus Christ. For in this role the priest speaks with the voice and the authority of God Himself.
When the priest pronounces his tremendous words of consecration, he reaches up into the heavens, brings Christ down from his throne, and places Him upon our altar to be offered up again as the Victim for the sins of man. It is a power greater than that of monarchs and emperors: it is greater than that of saints and angels, greater than that of Seraphim and Cherubim.
Indeed it is greater even than the power of the Virgin Mary. While the Blessed Virgin was the human agency by which Christ became incarnate a single time, the priest brings Christ down from heaven, and renders Him present on our altar as the eternal Victim for the sins of man—not once but a thousand times! The priest speaks and lo! Christ, the eternal and omnipotent God, bows his head in humble obedience to the priests command.[2]
The quote above is outrageously blasphemous on a number of levels. First, it seems sorcerous. An academic definition of magic is the “Attempt to influence or control people or events through supernatural forces. These forces are called upon by means of ceremonies, the recitation of spells, charms, incantations, and other forms of ritual,”[3] So it seems fair to examine the description and ask: “In the Mass, is the priest said to influence events, people, and things with ceremonies and the recitation of incantations to control supernatural forces?” Is this not something like ritual magic? Indeed, the priest is said to be even more powerful than angels and to have the authority of God, Himself! Not only does he control people or events, he allegedly controls Christ. The priest ostensibly reaches up into the heavens, knocks Him off His throne, and offers Him up on the “altar as the eternal Victim.” I contend the priest has no such power and this reflects hubris of the highest order.
The sheer unmitigated gall it takes to even imagine ordering the sovereign Lord down from heaven in head-bowed obedience is beyond comprehension. Think about this passage before defending the Roman theology:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (Col 1:15–18)
Do you really believe the sinful human priest orders the Creator of the Universe off his throne? A better question is whether another sacrifice for sins is necessary. What does the scripture say? Speaking of Christ, the Bible says, “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself” (Heb 7:26–27; underline added). The comparison in Hebrews is with the Old Testament priesthood who offered up animals for sin. The Bible could not be much clearer than “needeth not daily” and “for this he did once.” Once is the operative term which the Holy Spirit inspired repeatedly throughout Hebrews.
Rome’s theology is a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree inversion of what Hebrews unequivocally teaches, because the Eucharist is a sacrifice that is repeated day after day all over the world. Please consider another passage from Hebrews 9 (and just in case one might think there is a Protestant bias in the Authorized Version, this time I will quote from Rome’s sanctioned NAB translation):
For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf. Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own; if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice. Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him. (Hebrews 9:24–28, NAB)[4]
Oh, how we do eagerly await him! The passage speaks for itself and I only cited the NAB version to show that they are without excuse. It really could not be any clearer that the Roman mass is a disgraceful sacrilege. It really seems that God anticipated the apostasy of the Eucharist because yet again in Hebrews we read, “But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated” (Heb 10:12–14). If you accept the authority of the Bible, there really is no possible way to reconcile the Roman sacrificial system.
[1] St. Thomas, Summa Theol., lib. III , q. 40, a4, 5.
[2] John A. O’Brien, The Faith of Millions: The Credentials of the Catholic Religion, New and rev. ed. (Huntington, Ind.: Our Sunday Visitor, 1974), 255–256.
[3] Walter A. Elwell and Philip Wesley Comfort, Tyndale Bible Dictionary, Tyndale reference library, 844.
[4] Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board, The New American Bible : Translated from the Original Languages With Critical Use of All the Ancient Sources and the Revised New Testament, Heb 9:24–28 (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 1996, c1986).
About Cris Putnam
Catholicism is really cloaked Judaism. The same Whorish Spirit!
Just as the Jewish leaders did not reveal that they were violating God’s Law through their tradition, so do the catholic hierarchy preach another Gospel to the people (a traditional gospel centred upon the eucharistic Jesus)
The sacrifice of the mass, the priests, the alter, the bells, vestments ect, are all remnants of Judaism incorporated into this Mystery system.
The same elevated clerical persecuting Spirit of Judaism is also within Catholicism.
“But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now” Gal4:29
Yes they are two branches of the same synagogue of satan with babylonian/sumerian origins empowered by the father of lies as Jesus revealed in revelations. In addition, majority of christian denominations including modern day protestants are not excluded from this synagogue. They just falsely believe they are.
‘Clerical institutions’ fashioned after the Synagogue is represented in the denominational system.
There is always a High priest, a pope, a superintendent, a senior pastor ect.
This is a copy of the “powers and principalities” among the spirit of wickedness in the heavenly places
The clerical ‘holier than thou’ mentality of the catholic priest was never vanquished by the reformation, but rather, it filtered through creating many daughters (the separated brethren) affectionate daughters of the Whore.
Jesus said to the Pharisees after having discerned their hearts; (for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God) Luke16:15
I recall the former pope Benedict had denied a physical second coming of Christ and that his presence is sufficient in the Eucharist. That Jesus was speaking allegoricaly when the disciples asked him what would be the signs of his coming.
“http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/on-the-coming-of-the-son-of-man”
It is amazing how far off the path some have gone.
I envision a false rapture in the future and only those who partake in the Eucharist are allowed safe haven. They can have it!!
No man can order God… Jesus who is Truth: tells Pilate; and speaks to every man, that any power that man exercises comes only from above.
John 19: 10-11 {10} Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
{11} Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. Looking at Jesus Christ on the cross… in head-bowed obedience is beyond comprehension… But then I think about this passage John 3:16… Here I have copied and pasted from the Catechism of the Catholic Church Number – 1565, and 1566. Through the sacrament of Holy Orders priests share in the universal dimensions of the mission that Christ entrusted to the apostles. The spiritual gift they have received in ordination prepares them, not for a limited and restricted mission, “but for the fullest, in fact the universal mission of salvation ‘to the end of the earth,” “prepared in spirit to preach the Gospel everywhere.” Number – 1566 “It is in the Eucharistic cult or in the Eucharistic assembly of the faithful (synaxis) that they exercise in a supreme degree their sacred office; there, acting in the person of Christ and proclaiming his mystery, they unite the votive offerings of the faithful to the sacrifice of Christ their head, and in the sacrifice of the Mass they make present again and apply, until the coming of the Lord, the unique sacrifice of the New Testament, that namely of Christ offering himself once for all a spotless victim to the Father.” From this unique sacrifice their whole priestly ministry draws its strength. God Bless…
Any stength they draw is from the evil one. Where is the humility? Where is the faithful servant? Where is the proclaimation of “it is done” eliminating the sacrifice of mass all together? The Eucharist adoration is a work done for the benefit of a sacrament and not a faith in the power of the spirit of Christ that moves in us.
This is the ultimate result of Jesus’s death on the cross, that the spirit of truth has come to our aid. Not that we can play God every morning by sacrificing a cracker for the benefit of lost sheep.
Hi,
May I say in the words of YAHSHUA Himself, ‘they know not what they do’. Simply, there are many GOD loving Catholics that are just blinded to the realities or what Catholicism really is. RCC doctrine teaches that the mass is a ‘re-presentation’ (to present again, to ‘offer’ as symbolicaly again) the death of Christ. They reason b/c of Revelation where Christ is as a lamb that was slain (as if He ‘perpetually’ sheds blood for the atonement of sins). Their doctrine stimulates the intellect and is very ‘sensual’ in its presentation, as is the mass itself with all the things that stimulate the senses and truly we are a people who like ritual and order-it keep us ‘balanced’ and gives us something to ‘anchor’ ourselves to. While Protestant believers would argue that the Bible is the ‘living, breathing, Word of GOD’, so too do the Catholics argue that the Eucharist is the living, breathing, Word of GOD. However, what is missed by RCC and Protestants is that we worship GOD in Spirit and in Truth. Some Catholics would beg that they do worship in Spirit and in Truth and that the RCC offers ‘tangible’ things to help people along the way. They don’t disregard the Word, as they understand it, they are just blinded by a very powerful Dragon that speaks like a Lamb!! For those who were not raised RCC (like I was), you may not ever really comprehend the deception these folks are under. My personal opinion is that GOD’s grace is greater and HE knows all mens hearts.
Peace,
Deirdre
The blasphemy of this just boggles the mind. How can a priest ordering Jesus Christ down from heaven to do his bidding NOT be blasphemy. Just reading it makes my hair stand on end. No one can conjure God down from heaven. That’s what occultists believe: that they can conjure God or Satan and order them around. It is paganism, pure and simple.
And yet…Protestant Christians ‘conjure’ all the times. “I thank you Jesus that you are going to save my husband and get me that job.” I hear people pray this way a lot!
That is not necessarily “conjuring” as you call it. We are told in Romans 4:17 that by our faith in Him He will call things into existence as though they were not. So this type of praying can be a matter of faith in Him and not conjuring.
The Eucharist is part and parcel of a ‘work-base’ salvation which requires its adherents to be righteous enough to earn their salvation.
The rigour of training associated with vows places the priest in a favourable position with God to become the officers and handlers of God in the form of the wafer. No ordinary person can do this for the holiness required suffices not. Let us not forget that the Holy father Pope was once a priest!
That was the religion of ancient Babylon, with its elevated priest-craft, which was adopted by the pharisees and eventually inculcated into the frame work of Catholic papal Rome.
The catholic doctrine that one can attain actual righteousness is the very error of the Jews. catholics have a ‘Zeal for God, but it is not according to Knowledge’ This the Apostle Paul said referring to His countryman Rom10:2-4.
Salvation cannot be obtained by one’s lineage, works, the law or even the force of one’s will.
It is the design of Lucifer to establish clerical institutions (priest-craft ect;) It is the way that he controls the masses. That is the essence of religion.
Hello jaz; I find your statement (It is the design of Lucifer to establish clerical institutions (priest-craft ect;) It is the way that he controls the masses. That is the essence of religion)
Interesting because, The one world religion which involves the Image worship of the beast is instigated by the lamb-like False Prophet (a religious figure) as indicated by the title. A religious figure with the ‘authority of the dragon’ Rev13:11
The essence of religion is obviously going to find it’s climax in this ‘false worship of the beastly image’ Rev13:14,15
I wonder if it will be some form of worship imposed by Papal authority!
Hmmm. Well with the pope condoning homosexuals recenlty and now john haggee doing the same, looks like that zionist posse is heading east.
I do wonder though is all is smoke and mirrors. Distraction of the tangible to keep the Spirit filled mans spiritual eyes off of himself, where he should be most concerned.
Personally I am not 100% confident there will ever be ‘an antichrist’ person.
if you’re not 100% confident that there will ever be an antichrist person they you’re not 100% reading your personal Bible.
As someone who no longer identifies with Catholicism, I find this quite interesting:
Indeed it is greater even than the power of the Virgin Mary….
That clause summarizes a lot of Catholic piety concerning Mary. In the entire passage Putnam quotes, Christ’s power is nowhere mentioned. Besides, God gave Mary whatever “power” she had on Earth; she could not have created such power on her own.
How does O’Brien rationalize his words with the idea that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was a one-time event, not to be repeated — or with the idea that Christ is the Heavenly High Priest? Perhaps I should just buy the book and find out.
It’s clear O’brien doesn’t follow the words of Hebrews where it says that Christ died once and for all and that He is our High Priest in heaven.
I envision a false rapture in the future and only those who partake in the Eucharist are allowed safe haven. They can have it!!
hopeful_watcher, what are you talking about? I don’t ask in derision but out of curiosity. How can there be a “fake rapture”?
Glad you ask. Not only is Satan the great lier, he also is the great counterfeiter.
If a great number of Christians await rapture and a large percentage expect it to happen before the antichrist rises to power, then manufacturing a fake rapture would ensnare a lot of Christians. Of course this scenerio presupposes that you believe in a prewrath doctrine over a pretrib doctrine and that Christians are around for at least some of the tribulation, else we would be gone.
The nature of a fake rapture could be quite varied. Something like an escape to an orbiting space station, admission to isolated protected bunkers in the Rockies, Alps, etc. or even admission onto an actual craft.
Of course to participate, one would be deemed as “worthy and righteous” by the standards of the antichrist and this would come with many strings attached.
I have no revelation that such a thing will happen, but only that it is very conceivable and that Christians should make sure their faith in Christ trumps their expectations as to the timing of the rapture. In other words, a fake rapture would be a false miracle and lying wonder, that we are told to expect.
This false rapture may also eventually be generated by choice via neural implants that transhumanists are so feverishly developing which could then be used to create artificial delusion realities for the partakers. It would then be quite easy to generate false heaven environments in the minds of the implanted or 5D spaces as new agers like to rat about constantly. On the promise of immortality and endless experience downloads appealing to human desires, there will be plenty of takers.
Not excluded are satan’s more devious delivery methods by leveraging smart dust nanoparticles via vaccines, GMOs, water, cosmetics, chemtrails and so on in an attempt to modify our DNA. There is even evidence that morgellon fibers found on some infected individuals have inscriptions that can be viewed under microscope portraying arabic numbers. Basically, satan’s army known as the biblical dragons of arabia (nachash) have been doing their dirty deeds as we speak trying to build its end time army and convert the rest into beasts.
Owl, I rule nothing out at this point. Basically, anything that would protect a person’s life, wealth, security or livelihood would be viewed as a savior and an escape from hardships viewed as rapture.
The lord is not some pool life guard. Salvation is of the soul, not our earthly existence.
With all due respect; these promises that you mention will never manifest. these things will be but a snare into slavery of the soul.
I am of the view that no such thing as false rapture or promises of lasting life by DNA or Nano technology is planned by Lucifer. To the contrary it will be the manifestation of his very nature Death.
As I see it, the Revelation’s closing chapters, will be an enslavement of humanity to the beastly powers with chaos permeating in every sphere of society.
I see nothing in scripture to support the Idea of some Utopia for the elite or anybody else.
I see Fear as the rule of the day ‘For great darkness shall cover the earth’. Rev16:10
I see the remnant of faith persecuted. Rev13:15
The prospect of ‘peace & safety’ is a delusion into destruction 1Thes5:3 Lk21:26
Noone can be so sure how it will play out but from a technological point of view and where the society is presently heading nanoengineering and virtual realities are just around the corner for the masses. Utopian immortality dreams for the rulers and slavery for the rest.
What does Revelation 9:6 say… And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them… Is this some sort of physical immortality where the soul is locked into a physical matrix without desiring or even knowing how to let go or some sort of a prison in a virtual reality or are they perhaps one and the same? Either way it is a trap for even deeper imprisonment of the soul.
Keep in mind that our souls have been imprisoned since time immemorial on just the basic fleshly needs and desires as well as fears based on simple physical survival and peer acceptance. That is all that is necessary to keep the slaves in line generation after generation.
Jay, the Revelation of John is only understood by the faithful and you have the benefit of knowing the truth. So just because you know their ultimate fate, it doesn’t mean it won’t look attractive to the lost. They are in awe and worshipping the beast after all. I think order and progress will be the order of the day.
There will be peace on earth, even if is one that has been impossed on them.
1 Thess 5 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly.
We know good will be called evil and evil good. So everything described as dark and evil in revelation will be twisted and justified in the minds of the lost as benificial.
Clearly we see it as evil and chaos, but for some people who are desperate for order, they will relish in the authority impossed peace. Look at Germany in the early part of world war two. Hitler was running a tight ship and things were prospering. Of course this was bad, but those in the thick of it.don’t view it that way.
The flaw in your argument is two-fold. First, satan has no idea of the day or hour of the rapture no more than we do. Secondly, Christians belong to God and thus satan could not take us out in some “fake” rapture.
Satan takes no one out. We give ourselves up. The delusion is that we stand righteous before God, just as the phariseas believed. And the self appointed righteous are the ones who will be first to participate.
Secondly, you are right. Satan does not know the day or hour. He has been trying from the very beginning in the garden and he has never stopped. His savior system is in place now and we don’t even know it. It is “global governance”which will be born out of the united nations.
God gives them over to delusion. If they trusted in the holy spirit over their own knowledge, then the spirit of truth would lead them into all understanding.
Submit to the spirit in faith or be fall into deception. God has given us a way out and He is true to his word to protect us, but it requires our faith. This we know. That is gospel truth. Faith leads to salvation.