Noel, et., those whom I've offended by being over zealous and belittling:
My perspective is not simply to say what Catholics already believe about the Eucharist and that being those who devote themselves to the feast. My terminology changes from time to time because I also deal with other languages other than English and sometimes I have to use the most basic words in order to converse with those who do not know English whose common languages are other. This can be a serious impediment because of translating internally to find the correct words. I deal with three languages other than English. So my brain may not pickup the words my spirit is relaying. I apologize if you feel the misnomers of language issues. This is unavoidable for me which is necessary in my life at the moment. Very tiring of the mind.
My walk with God has been over the entire world. I have traveled extensively only to find that people are the same anywhere. The world over, experiences same issues in different avenues such as common to man.
I do not stay too long considering one level of any thing but take in and digest and sometime later it pops up in conversation. I wasn't so lucky to have been born a Catholic, so I had to learn about the most important parts only to find other faiths denying cornerstones of what Catholics openly practice. And to find those who claim to be Catholics to be less than par. So I tend to have a less than normal outlook for present day Catholics, I see some as lacking many truths who have the whole Church of cataloged history rich in the faith. I took to the races when I became Catholic because I saw the raceway clearly. Where as before I was a Catholic I saw a dead end.
Two things that brought me to true faith:
Holy Spirit
Eat my flesh and drink my blood.
I thought these two were the only things necessary.
I was amiss. There is more to Catholicism than these two.
In conjunction with these two there is deeper meaning to God.
I find a great dialog John Chapter 17.
To believe in God the Father and Jesus Christ. These are higher than anything else we believe. To know the Father through the Son. We have so many ways to believe to come to this: one that comes to mind, Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph in the Presentation. God gives us many "gifts" I call them this for the time being because as I get closer to God my words become few as my spirit needs no words to relate to God to release and in the presence of God who lives in my soul. So I have the intention and try to say very little but end up writing a book with scants here and there because I try to keep it short. It is definitely easier to meditate on God and see and feel with my soul. Speaking about faith as you grow in knowledge and in spirit takes up a lot of time when talking to others. Because the end is not in sight. The infinite God decided to keep us busy with things of religion so we don't run off elsewhere.
Over the past half year I've learned that in my soul is an altar where God comes to dwell. When I get bogged down I stop everything and meditate letting go of my issues. I realized that teachings all lead to simple faith and that God dwells in my soul, if He does this for me, He does this for all souls. Then I realized that my soul is the most important part of my being. Without a soul I could not commune with God.
Then I understood through reading and listening to others who speak from their true soul, I gain more understanding of God. I read the CCC and it represents Good. But there are things which you cannot write about. You have to experience it. There is something that God imparts to each person that identifies an exclusive "this is for you" and no one else at the moment. I find this to be true. Not with standing that there are common things of Faith that we all identify with that is exclusive to the Body of Christ. Then I find that to share in fellowship is also a necessary part in growth because the Holy Spirit dwells with each one of us. I realized that A body by design requires all parts to work "in" together.
Concerning the mysteries of God
God is spirit, so as I grew in knowledge of God, my spirit grew in God by reason of several things one being the Holy Spirit who I believe is my teacher, the Paraclete. This is mystical to me because it cannot be explained away like some definition in the dictionary according to the natural world. An element of Faith. Then I learned that I have faith.
But I will give my definition because I like to be able to identify what's happening in order to make sense. This is just to make some sense which is still beyond my intellectual comprehension.
God is spirit, he gave or imparted to me his spirit two ways and in two forms, first, directly from His being, I think it's His heart or bosom, which he breathed into the first man and second by the Holy Spirit which cannot be spotted but evidenced supernaturally --invisible.
God is able to instruct through our spirits. If the intellect is not able to identify what it is, it is only good for that person. I'll use A mirror effect. The mind or intellect is the part that speech is rendered and then dispersed out the mouth. Thought brings forth Words at some point. Our spirits take what our thoughts and words have formed and bring it about. I then realized that my spirit or soul is always in contact or conversing with my intellect, whether my flesh is in motion or not. I have to choose to listen to my spirit because it leads to God whereas if I listen to my flesh it leads to earthly things. Then I understood that sin keeps my spirit from from keeping God in my soul, (I'm still surveying this part) He leaves the altar or better yet He is cutoff from my altar which He made to dwell in; the flesh takes over and therein I return to the sinful man I was. Loss of Grace.
God comes to us using Grace or grace which is many many things is like unto for me the transporter in Star Trek where if you stand on the pad you beam out or in. So God is on a pad in Heaven and beams down to my soul when I'm in a state of Grace. This is just graphic illustration on my part and nowhere near the exact. Illustration only. Science can be useful for the imagination of how God works. I've learned much from Scifi and translated it. There are certain phenomenon that can be produced with technology for Good. This is where I mentioned about ET is good if it produces a spur to God. To give a more definite meaning to what I was searching for so I can understand God better.
I recall a prayer regarding the soul:
Hail Mary white lily of the always serene trinity. .... etc. etc. effuse our souls with effusions of Divine Grace. Hail Full of Grace!
Therein I get the soul is a traveler or sojourner in this world to find God and make Him happy. This concept although you say it is exclusively Protestant theory, they still are brothers in Christ. It is not entirely incorrect as they do not use the terminology you may be looking for to identify if someone is Catholic. If we Catholics do not understand them, they will never understand us. The apparent errors are both ways because they see us in error and in heresy and we see them the same way. We both are in error for not putting aside or coming to terms with each others terminology and listening with our true souls wherein we fellowship.
To say to our fellow man because you do not speak the same words we speak is like saying because, you wear rags for clothes you cannot enter. This is universal. God will judge each of us according to how we treat one another.
I am guilty of doing just that, a bad vice which I picked up from having worldliness. Never the less I endeavor to get rid of the poison which vice instills. The antidote to Satan's poison I've learned is the Eucharist.
So to be Catholic to many here means to say the right buzz words. This makes you all exclusively innate and inept to reach a world who speaks a completely different language who love vice rather than virtue. We have to adapt in order to win the world for Christ. Only the Church in it's true form can testify of Christ. I do not criticize to bring down, I bring from my observation what I noticed.
Noel, especially goes out of his way to post his grievances and says, we have to defend the faith. God needs no defense, neither does Christ as they are Almighty, The Creators of our Lives and Universe. Which we forget. The Church is under His Control and not under ours. We are His Body not ours. Our Faith is a Gift. It does not belong to us, we are privileged to be made and created. Not the other way around. God does not need us we need Him. He can always say ah, I've had enough. I'm going to create something else. He has the right. This is not a negative statement, this is a statement that says God is all powerful.
Peace.
