REBUTTAL: THE SACRAMENTS WERE GIVEN TO US BY CHRIST, AS BLUE PRINT TO THE RELATIONSHIP HE DESIRES WITH US.
What the Church teaches…
A beautiful sacrament Jesus gave his church is called the Anointing of the sick. When a person is in serious danger of death, preferably still conscious, they, are the family should call on the church, and the priest will anoint the sick individual with oil. If possible the priest will her the person's confession and the individual if they are in good standing with the Catholic Church may receive the Eucharist, the viaticum, for passing over from this life to the next. This sacrament is so merciful, the Lord Jesus has promised us, whoever is blessed to receive this sacrament and dies before any sinful act thereafter is assured heaven. This Sacrament is also capable of healing power, both of the body and/or the soul, as God's will to decide. Mark 6:13 ”They anointed many with oil who were sick and cured them". James 5:1315, “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord": If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven". The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is one of healing of both body and soul, like that of The Anointing of the Sick. Sin has the power to weaken us, if it is serious sin and not repented from, it can destroy both body and soul. Among Christians there is no argument Jesus forgave sins, "But that you may know the Son of man has the authority on earth to forgive sins", Matthew 9:6. Before Jesus ascended to heaven He told His disciples and apostles several very important commands, so that His mission of forgiveness of sins for salvation could continue. In Matthew 28: 19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit". Matthew 18:18, "Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loose in heaven". This sacrament is also called the Sacrament of Reconciliation, in which, when properly done will re-bind us to God and His family. Jesus gave the apostles this ministry, 2 Corinthians 5:17-20. James 5:13-15, the prayer of faith prayed over you by a priest is powerful; the result is your sins will be forgiven. |
The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist: is the source and summit of the Church's life, for in it Christ pours out the graces of salvation on his Body which is the Church and her members. Jesus said:" I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread he will live forever; my flesh which is true food and my blood true drink". John 6:53-56. In Exodus 12:6; 21, the Paschal Lamb had to be slaughtered and had to be eaten. 1 Corinthians 5:7, Jesus is called the paschal lamb that was sacrificed. 1 Corinthians 11:23-29, Paul explains the new paschal supper (feast) is Jesus' body and blood and we must eat him, just as God's people had to eat the lamb in the Old Testament. Exodus 12:14, a day of remembrance for you, forever. In the Gospels, Matthew 26:29, and Mark 14:25, and Luke 22:18, the account of the Last Supper, Jesus says, "He will not drink or eat of the Passover feast until the day when I do this with you knew in the kingdom of my Father". Jesus himself says he partakes of the new Passover meal in the kingdom. The kingdom which Peter holds the keys too, Jesus' Church, which is His Body. And this feast we must do in memory of him just as in the OT's day of remembrance, see also (1 Corn. 11:26). Exodus 12:15 eat leaven bread and you or cut off from God's family. John 6:56, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him". Eating the unleavened bread of both the OT and particularly the New Testament is essential to everlasting life, since Jesus is the Living Bread from heaven, in which He fulfilled the OT. Exodus 12:43-49, outsiders not welcome, you must be in communion with the family if God. 1 Corinthians 11:27-32, eating the body of Christ unworthily, or not fully believing in the Eucharist, will bring judgement on you. Exodus 12:17 do this forever throughout generations as a statute. 1 Corinthians 11:25-26, eat and drink Jesus' feast proclaims Him forever. Exodus 12:46-49, any nationality free or slave can participate, but the alien must first be circumcised, in which you become a family member of the one house of God. Col. 2:11–12, baptism replaced circumcision, 1 Peter 3:21, you must be baptized to become a member of the Church, the one house, the family of God. 1 Corinthians 11:14-17, to be eligible to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, you must have first been baptized and received the holy Spirit, and believe, then you would be in communion with the Church and with Jesus.
In other words… I once heard a Protestant say that humans are "much like caterpillars, born into a fallen world and living in the dust" (Fusilier, The Ultimate Gift). He's right. God is infinitely greater than us; yet he begot his only son to come down, become a caterpillar, and die a horrible death to save us stupid and sinful caterpillars. He saved us all, that is clear. What is not clear is this. Unlike the caterpillar, we do not instinctively understand how to transform ourselves into butterflies. Jesus, in his eternal wisdom, knew this. He left with his apostles; an unwritten guide, complete with teachings and traditions on how to be transformed into beautiful butterflies through a relationship (religion) with Him. That guide is The Church which Jesus built and handed over to Peter. Thousands of years ago Jesus transformed caterpillars into butterflies through entering into communion with him. Jesus then entrusted those butterflies to spread his “good news” of how others could also become transformed. We, the caterpillars, must enter into His Church, the pupa (the housing of the caterpillar where the metamorphosis takes place),and in the pupa’s protection the caterpillar grows and receives the grace it needs to become that miracle the butterfly, so it is in the Church we can be transformed into a New Creation in Christ. That pupa, The Church, is of, and is with, and hangs onto, the Tree of Life; the cornerstone of our faith, Jesus Christ. The following extensive quote, from Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus, the Bishop of Lyon was written around 190 AD (that’s only roughly 160 years after the death of our Lord):
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