Thinkingstuff
Active Member
Thank you for the compliment. You are more correct about the relationship. However, I was attempting to keep it simple. Certainly, before the fall we had a close relationship to God but the fall made us enemies and dead as you have said. Paul was dealing with the abuse of the sacrament not only eating, and getting drunk, but showing favoritism, humiliating others, lack of unity, causing division, etc.. However, my point was that there is a principle at work, an issue when you are not properly disposed to the sacrament. where the Catholic Catechism states: "The assembly should prepare itself to encounter its Lord and to become “a people well disposed.” The preparation of hearts is the joint work of the Holy Spirit and the assembly,.. The grace of the Holy Spirit seeks to awaken faith, conversion of heart, and adherence to the Father’s will. These dispositions are the precondition both for the reception of other graces conferred in the celebration itself and the fruits of new life...While your comments were not directed at me, I generally liked and agreed with most of what you said.
With respect to this ...
... I would see the relationship differently. We do not have a "friendship" with God restored through Christ, we have our relationship upgraded from "dead in sin" (Ephesians 2:1) "already judged" (John 3:18) "enemies of God" (Romans 5:10) to children of God (Romans 8:15). While this does not make it impossible for us to go astray, as the Prodigal Son went astray (Luke 15), I am confident that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" (Philippians 1:6) and like the Prodigal Son, all of God's adopted children will eventually "come to their senses" (Luke 15:17) and return home to find the God waiting with open arms.
While I agree that Sacraments are of no value to those without faith, wasn't this verse ...
... really more about people turning the Table into a drunken party rather than a somber remembrance?
“By the saving word of God, faith... is nourished in the hearts of believers. By this faith then the congregation of the faithful begins and grows.”21 The proclamation does not stop with a teaching; it elicits the response of faith as consent and commitment, directed at the covenant between God and his people. Once again it is the Holy Spirit who gives the grace of faith, strengthens it and makes it grow in the community." 1 Corinthians 11:29-31 later states: "For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment." I just got home from work so if I seem a bit disjointed forgive me.