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S/O Christians: Communion once a month
I'm Catholic, and lived in a small town. So I didn't know much about other forms of Christianity beyond Catholicism until a few years ago. What I don't understand is why Baptists, or any other Christians only receive communion once a month. I had an employee tell me this once, and I never understood it. Not judging, just wondering why. TIA.
ETA: As opposed to Catholics receiving communion at every service, except on Good Friday.
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Re: S/O Christians: Communion once a month
good question.
I don't think it says in the Bible you have to do it every week, or to do it once a month. I think it just depends on the church and it's preference.
As long as you are doing it, and understands the reasons behind it and it doesn't lose it's meaning being done so frequently I don't see a huge deal.
Interesting thought though.
Because they realize it's just a symbol. The focus most of their time at church on the actual teachings of christ. Catholic church you read/sing/read/sing/have communion for half an hour, in most protestant churches there is a lot of focus on really discecting just a few lines of scripture. They don't have time to do communion every week. I'm not saying it's bad to do communion every week, but that's basically the reasoning.
as a former catholic i feel i must point out that catholics do it once a week (lol) because catholic mass is reenacting the last supper. the whole of mass is pretending that jesus is right there in the church asking you to eat his body and drink his blood. so that's why they eat it every week.
ETA: and mass is an hour long. same EXACT thing every single week except what the priest says during his homily.
you forgot kneel, stand, kneel, pray
I went thru RCIA a couple of years ago and the priest asked me the same thing - if I knew why Baptists (how I was raised) didn't practice communion except on rare occaisions. I didn't have a good answer... so I asked my mom. She said because it was such a sacred event, that in her mind, it would somehow be less special if she did it every week.
Honestly, I don't know the answer. It's pretty clear in the Bible that Christ asks his disciples to do it... just not how often:)
Exactly where I was going with the question. I was just confused when I found out it was only done once a month with Baptists. I know it just depends on the church.
My old church only did it once a week so you'd concentrate on it more. Their rationale was, while it wasn't bad to do it weekly, the more you do it, the less meaning it has to some people, so they do it only monthly so you concentrate on it more.
I'm almost scared to hit post, cause I know how Nesties like to jump on things. ?Not saying it's BAD, and neither was my church, but that was the reason...?
To take communion in a Catholic Church, there are a whole bunch of rules. For example, protestants may not accept communion.
Other religions tend to take a much more liberal approach to communion.
DMoney will be a kickass big sister
I don't understand...it can only be symbolic or literal. And it obviously can't be literal, so...?
catholics also believe that the bread and wine actually ARE the body and blood of christ, not just a symbol. i could never truly get my head around that one, but that's why they have so many rules (like if you miss mass one week, you're not supposed to go to communion the next week until after you've gone to confession).
maybe other christian faiths are more liberal about the communion rules bc it is simply symbolic to them?
i dunno....
Google transubstantiation
We believe that the body and blood of Christ is present in the eucharist (communion). That is why protestants can't take it, they don't believe Christ is actually present.
I hit "post" too fast.
For Catholics, it is a sacrament. For others, it is an expression of faith. For Catholics, the elements become the body and blood of Christ. For others, it's a symbolic ritual.
It's not as....revered...although that may not be the right word.
DMoney will be a kickass big sister
the priest is there to call on jesus to ACTUALLY TRANSFORM the wafers and wine into flesh and blood. if you don't believe that, you're not a catholic and you don't get communion.
yup. this is where i (a catholic) hit a snag. i just can't get my head around this concept.
Kristen (7), Timothy (5), Robert (3), Charles (9 months)
B/c those damn tiny styrofoam wafers can get so freakin' costly. The body of Christ, but at what price $$$
ahahaha
Kidding, I have no idea why.
Wow. Now that's deep. So the priest prays for the wine and wafers to actually become the blood and body of Jesus, and then everybody eats and drinks it. Is that what Catholics believe happened at the Last Supper? That Jesus prayed over it and it became his actual blood and body prior to his crucifixion? This is beyond fascinating.
lol...the parish i grew up in did keep close tabs on what families contributed $$$, and if you didn't give enough, they let you know it. perhaps this "business practice" allowed them to afford the wafers weekly?
i, too, kid, of course....
yes exactly
True..but Jesus also called himself a "door" a "vine", etc. He's referred to as a lion and a lamb. Am I to believe he is literally those things because he didnt' say I'm a symbol of a lion? Just wondering.
i dunno. believe what you want. the catholic religion has been picked apart for, what... 2000 years? and it's still going strong. so if you aren't keen on celebrating the last mass as a sacrament then it's not for you. kwim?
Yes, "I Myself am the Living Bread come down from heaven. Whoever eats this Bread will live forever; and the Bread I will give is My flesh, for the life of the world" (John 6: 51).
I need to leave for swim lessons, so I don't have time to explain, but google Transubstantiation for more info. It's the basis of all the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism.