Send your words of blessing to those in the Forum.

I'd like to say God bless Ramanie Weerasinghe. It's wonderful to have your positive presence in the forum.

-- Oliver Fischer (spicenut@excite.com), March 01, 2005

Answers

Bless You Oliver,

You have always been a knowlegable, courteous and a pleasent presence here. Your posts have a nice glow!

-- Jim (furst@flash.net), March 01, 2005.

Hi Oliver,

I believe you are a wolf in sheep's clothing.

-- John (jmgordon7@yahoo.com), March 01, 2005.

Dear Oliver,

Thank you Oliver. May God Bless you and all those who contribute to the Forum. One can say one can find enough spiritual resources in the Net too if one cares enough to find. I am sure Holy Spirit has to guide each one of us. Therefore we have to pray for one another, for the Lord to enlighten us in His Own Time.

Where I live (Christchurch-How I love this name,) we are surrounded with churches of many denomunations and if one wants to lead a rich spiritual life all the resources are available right round us. One only needs the guidence of the Holy Spirir.The majority of people are so kind and helpful that I never want to live anywhere else. May God Bless all christians Amen. God Bless.

-- Ramanie Weerasinghe (lilanw@yahoo.com), March 01, 2005.

God bless you and your family too. Desire to bless others is truly a divine desire.

-- Leslie John (lesliemon@hotmail.com), March 02, 2005.

God bless David@Excite and his family, through the intercession of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. And may He grant eternal rest to David's loved ones.

-- (Mountain@Gate.Lover), March 02, 2005.

John, you're right. I am a wolf in sheep's clothing. I am a sinner covered by the righteous blood of Christ. I have many shortages and defects. Pray for me that the Lord would transform me like unto Himself. Without transformation, I am a big problem to the Body of Christ.

-- Oliver Fischer (spicenut@excite.com), March 02, 2005.

Dear Oliver:
With no intention at all of hurting your feelings, I tell you,

No one is ''covered'' with Jesus Christ's Precious Blood. We have His blood to drink as He told us to-- as the Blood He shed as the Lamb of God.

Now, should you as a faithful follower, want Him to give that blood to you, it has to be your CUP-- your participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Eating His Body and drinking His Blood; as He taught YOU--

In John, 6 :54; YOU-- ''Unless you eat and also drink-- YOU shall not have life in you.''

His words could not be clearer. In fact Jesus says nothing about covering you in His Precious Blood. That's a heretical interpetation of other, metaphorical or Old Testament verses. (Which we can point to.) You must come to the Catholic Church for the Sacrament of His Body and Blood.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), March 02, 2005.

I don't see you as a wolf at all, Oliver. If I did, I would hate you altogether.

I think you're a lamb; a precious one whom Jesus loves; who is lost out in the wilderness. I'm afraid we'll lose you to Christ's enemy. I sincerely hope He doesn't let you get away;

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), March 02, 2005.

Thankyou Eugene for you sincere and kind words.

Romans 4:7 - Blessed are they whose lawlessness has been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered over.

I indeed believe that the blood covers us. Furthermore I believe that the bread and the wine are symbols, and are not transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ. I recognise that this is the belief of all Catholics. I do not. However, I truly respect your spirit of compassion directed toward me. There are many reasons why I am not a Catholic, however I respect the people here. I am not here to proselytize but to have fellowship.

-- Oliver Fischer (spicenut@excite.com), March 02, 2005.

As an end note regarding the covering. I believe that salvation has two aspects - Judicial redemption and organic salvation. One being the objective righteous act whereby Christ Died for the redemption of mankind through the shedding of His blood which covers us. The other being the subjective, daily, experiential process of inward transformation, whereby our corrupt humanity is transformed by the divine life. Thus I don't believe in a "ticket to heaven" Christian living, but one that experiences the joy of salvation daily through an organic union with Christ.

-- Oliver Fischer (spicenut@excite.com), March 02, 2005.

Oliver, I think that's a beautiful way to put it, and probably closer to Catholic teaching than you might imagine...

-- Lori (I@dontthinkso.com), March 02, 2005.

In other words Oliver, the salvation of each individual depends not only upon what Christ did, and not only upon believing in what Christ did, but also upon what we individually do in response to Christ. Faith and works. That's exactly what the Catholic Church teaches.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), March 02, 2005.

Your preference for 'covered'' over eat and drink is contrary to every teaching of the holy apostles. I know you'll have to dispute that; but how can you?

Romans 4:7 is not about Christ, but just Paul's kind of metaphor.

Whereas Paul makes the most trenchant reference to John 6 :54 saying, ''He who eats and drinks . . . (the Sacrament) --without distinguishing the body-- (he doesn't say a symbol of the body) eats and drinks judgment to himself.'' (1 Cor 11) If it were a symbol of Christ's body and blood, what would be ''distinguished'' by the recipient? Nothing, only symbols. Why would it be called judgmental? Because it is Christ Himself we eat and drink unworthily in that verse. That has to bring judgment on the recipient, as Paul clearly warns.

So, Oliver; your quote of Romans is about forgiveness of sin; not about the Body and Blood. Jesus in person calls His flesh ''food indeed'' and His blood, ''drink indeed.'' (John 6:56) --This is the precise sense Paul is clarifying for us in 1 Cor 11 :23 to :29 -- Nothing about the words stand for a symbol.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), March 02, 2005.

I'm on a short break at work. Perhaps when I am at home, I will compile a thorough response. By the way, I really do appreciate the sincerity and compassion of people here. It is a good testimony.

-- Oliver Fischer (spicenut@excite.com), March 02, 2005.

Oliver,

For a STAUNCH protestant, "fellowship" MEANS nothing but proselytizing his heretical beliefs (see above and below) especially to unwary Catholics. "Saved" protestant preacher boys "minister" to the "unsaved idolatrous Catholics" on the internet. If you really want true and complete fellowship (beyond pleasantries) with the Body of Christ, then you will first have to go to Sacramental Confession and become a faithful Catholic again.

-- (thous@n.ds), March 02, 2005.

It seems to me that Oliver suggested we "send our words of blessing" to those in the forum. This certainly is not an ominous, suspicious or un-Christian thought.

In that spirit, I send mine to each and everyone here---including Oliver.

Has the original intention behind this thread gone off track---a wee bit?

-- Jim (furst@flash.net), March 02, 2005.

God Bless all.

I thought I saw a FAITH vs WORKS debate above. Here's my 2 cents.

-- Fr. Paul (pjdoucet@hotmail.com), March 02, 2005.

Fr. Paul, thanks for the enlightening homily. "Love is not thinking, but being." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. So profound!

-- (faith@nd.works), March 04, 2005.