No. It's not cannibalism.

can·ni·bal·ism

  

[kan-uh-buh-liz-uhm]  Show IPA

noun

1.

the eating of human flesh by another human being.

2.

the eating of the flesh of an animal by another animal of itsown kind.

3.

the ceremonial eating of human flesh or parts of the humanbody for magical or religious purposes, as to acquire thepower or skill of a person recently killed.

4.

the act of pecking flesh from a live fowl by a member of thesame flock.

5.

the removal of parts, equipment, assets, or employees fromone product, item, or business in order to use them inanother.

T: Whatcha talking bout?

B: What do you think? ;)

T: The Holy Eucharist?

B: Yessir.

T: Well we believe Jesus is God so since cannibalism would only be eating the flesh of fellow humans we are not doing that we are only eating God's flesh.

B: I know. That's what I said.

J: But you can't separate Jesus' divinity from His humanity. He is both fully God and fully man, even in the Eucharist.

B: True enough, J. This is why another answer to question/accusation, “Isn’t that cannibalism?” would be that it doesn’t matter. This is what we are instructed to do.

Continually, there are folks who ask this, with a smirk, as though this question (whichever one they are asking this time) is THE question that is going bring the entire Church to ruin. They are the same old questions since the early days of the Church and before. It was difficult for people to hear, even as Jesus told them in person. And I will admit it is also difficult for someone to understand. Rarely, though, do I encounter this question, outside of RCIA, as just an innocent attempt to comprehend The Eucharist.

I still maintain that, based on the definition, that it is not cannibalism. When we receive the Body, Soul, Blood and Divinity of our Lord, it’s not the same as eating the flesh of the human dead. He is inseparably True God and True Man and we receive the Living Glorified Body of Christ. In such a beautiful act as participating fully in the Eucharist, who is consuming whom, really?

A Video

The dream.

The dream.

I was at noon Mass and about to receive communion. I cupped my hands and made a throne to receive the Blessed Sacrament. The priest raised the host up high and said, “The Body of Christ.” My eyes locked on the Precious host in my hand, I said, “Amen.”

I stepped away to to consume The Body and I averted my gaze for a moment-- perhaps I blinked. The next thing I saw was in my hand a hunk of true flesh. I stopped. I didn't know what was happening nor what I was supposed to do. I said to myself, am I supposed to consume this? Am I supposed to show someone? I stumbled toward the steps leading up to the Sanctuary before I fell to my knees, still staring in awe at the flesh in my hands. Bewildered I began to panic, wondering if I was imagining this or if I was losing my mind. Was this really happening? Could anyone else see this? I heard someone exclaim, “get the Bishop-- now!”

Then our Lord appeared in front of me. He was kneeling down and facing me. He was holding my hands as I began to weep. I looked into His eyes and said, “Are you coming? Are you coming back?” He never moved His gaze from my face as He answered me. “No. Not yet.” I was still crying. I didn't know what to say- what to ask- what to do. Still looking into my face He said, “tell anyone about this who asks.” I just nodded.
 

Then He said I would receive the gift of the Stigmata. By this time the Bishop was there. The Lord said to me that my Bishop and my Priest would watch after me-- they would know what to do. I looked at them, tears still streaming down my face. Then I looked back to the Lord, who's gaze was still fixed on me. Then He was gone.

The flesh had taken back the appearance of bread.

Then...

the dream was over.

Examination of Conscience

Last Saturday I was driving to the Cathedral for Confession.  I was just sort of doing a last minute Examination of Conscience... you know... things were on my mind.  As I was driving, the silence became too much as it amplified my sins and shortcomings.  I turned on the radio to drown them out.  And do you know what was playing?  AC/DC's "Highway to Hell".


Tell me God doesn't have a sense of humor.

RCIA

My alarm went off today to remind me about RCIA.  Have to say I was a little sad to know that it's over until next year...

A Home Blessing

I’ve been to a Home Blessing before.  Let me tell you, it’s different when it’s YOUR home being blessed.  It's personal.  It's real.  And it’s hard not to take these words to heart:

“Lord, be close to your servant (that’s me!) who moves into this home and asks for your blessing. Be her shelter when she is at home, her companion when she is away, and her welcome guest when she returns. And at last receive her into the dwelling place you have prepared for her in your Father's house, where you live for ever and ever.”

I remember after I was Baptized the smile that was on my face.  For at least a solid year.  People noticed it and commented on it.  I’d fall asleep at night with this goofy grin on my face as I would recall that blessed evening.  I’ve done that this week since my Home Blessing.  It’s that profound and real and happy.

I even did another walk through after everything was calm and quiet and the party had been cleaned up.  I traced our steps from Friday night and looked at every room that had been blessed.  I imagined what that meant.  I thought about what that blessing meant for my life.  Not just at home.  It added meat to the idea that has been spinning around in my head about two worlds colliding*.  About the Mass being the Real World—the only thing, truly, that is real.  And while I still haven’t figured it out, I’m sorting through things at lightening speed now.

When I carry the Mass in my heart when I am away from home, when I carry God with me (or He carries me with Him) I’m bringing my two worlds together.   It’s all just anticipation until I participate in the Eucharist once again—when I am physically in Communion with my Brothers and Sisters—if I’m sitting in a pew or sitting at a traffic light.  I can imagine it all melting into one.  I don’t see how it can happen… but I can almost feel it.  I’m excited about going out into the world with Him.  Why have I never felt this before?

More on these worlds colliding as they do.



*(Worlds colliding.  It’s funny that I would use that phrase.  Clay and I joke about that when we talk about our different groups of friends meeting one another.  You know, Church friends, old friends, Nick friends, work friends, these friends, those friends…  Friday night they all collided and it was beautiful.  

They are all beautiful. ) 

Why do you want to be friends with a couple of 80-year olds, anyway?

I've been thinking of what to write in my thank-you notes to the folks who came to my HomeWarmer. I remember a conversation I had with Jack a few days ago. I had postponed the party because he and his wife would be in Europe on the first date I picked. I so wanted them to be at the HomeWarmer, which would be a Home Blessing followed by a Shindig.

“Why do you want to be friends with these 80 year olds?” he laughed. 

Why indeed. I've been thinking about it. Life has been ugly. Neglect and abuse formed me. And I searched and searched for something so different. I looked for the values and tradition that I felt missing deep in my core.

When I entered the Church, after I was baptized and confirmed on that beautiful night in 2007, I came to realize that I had always had The Perfect Father and The Perfect Mother. And They gave to me, through the Church, the family I had longed for. And those 80-year olds are part of that family.