Communion: Catholic vs. Methodist
Being catholic since I was born, I know a lot of the history and traditions of the Catholic Church. I took part in a program called Religious Education at my church from 1st grade to 8th grade and performing my First Communion and Confirmation. I am going to tell a little about each religions tradition behind Communion and how it is done. Then I am going to compare and contrast Communion of the Catholic Church and the Methodist Church. The Communion rituals are similar in how it is performed, but there are a few significant differences.
First off Catholics believe that they are receiving the very Body and Blood of Christ Himself. At the Last Supper Jesus said, "This is my body which is given for you" and offering His disciples the cup of wine said, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins." In the Gospel of John they read: "Jesus said to them, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day, for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink (St. Louis Parish para 1).” When receiving communion and the person ahead of you is receiving Communion you offer a simple bow of reverence with your head and then step forward. You receive Holy Communion either in your hands or directly on the tongue. If you receive in the hands you should take care that they are clean (as a sign of reverence) and place one hand over the other and raise them up high, forming a throne with our hands to receive Jesus. As the priest places the host in our hands and says "The Body of Christ" you should respond loudly and clearly "Amen (St. Louis Parish para 5)." Also, one major point in Catholic Communion is with non-Catholics. Non-Catholics are not permitted to receive Holy Communion. The very action of receiving Communion says that the church believes it is the Body and Blood of Christ and that we share in the whole life of the Catholic Church. Inviting non-Catholics to Communion can be an obstacle to one day reaching full communion by blurring the differences in belief among Christian denominations.
Parishioners often ask me if there is really any difference between United Methodist and the Baptists down the road. The answer, “quite a lot,” generally surprises them. When they ask me to explain, I often point them in the direction of our polity and the theology it reflects.
...conceived notions were proven inconsistent with the experience. Having the opportunity to compare the similarities and differences of these two churches was an eye-opening experience. It was surprising to see so many differences between the two when half of my congregation is made up of individuals that use to belong to the Catholic Church. Being able to better understand the Catholic faith and their taboos helps me better access the things that happen around my community.
I am a nondenominational Christian and I decided to attend a catholic mass. I attended mass at the Conversion of St Paul Parish on April 6, 2014. The preside was Father Senan Glass and the starting time was 10am. The Conversion of St Paul Parish’s location is 4120 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44103. The church was very big and the stain glass windows were beautiful. At first, I felt uncomfortable because I did not know where to sit or what to do. I really did not have an idea of what to expect. Everything seemed very formal and the service was easy to follow because of the bulletin I was given, which had the order of service on it. The service was concise and it only lasted about an hour.
Hamilton, Andrew. "The Differences and Similarities Between Catholicism and Protestantism."Yahoo Voices. Yahoo Contributor Network, 29 Apr. 2010. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
The United Reformed Church's approach to Holy Communion is different
There are various religions around the world, they all have their own types of music, and they are spread throughout the world. Some similar, some drastically different. The religions that I have looked at for this study all have similar characteristics. Yet different the United Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal Church, and Judaism all have ideals in common but throughout their histories have changed and turned into their own separate churches or synagogues with their own ways of worship. That is why I wonder what causes members of these religions to join these ways of worship.
The first difference between the two religions is their services. Roman Catholic services are held in sanctuaries that are richly decorated with artwork, crosses, statues, candles, incense, and kneeling benches. The elaborate decorations in the sanctuaries have a lot to do with the Catholic practice of worshiping icons. Catholic members also offer their prayers to Mary and the saints as well as to God during service. The services are very ordered and laid out with much member participatio...
In order to gain a full understanding of the United Methodist Church’s practices and doctrines, it is important to compare and contrast the modern tradition of the Methodist Church to Wesley’s original tradition; by considering Wesleyan-influenced worship specifically relating to Methodist preaching, the Methodist sacraments, order of worship, significance and meaning of various baptism ceremonies, open communion, and the nature of the early Methodist worship service. The Methodist tradition and it’s future has been significantly transformed from its original theology because of controversial challenges, such as: interpretation of scripture, abortion, evolutionary theory, sexism, racial issues, and homosexuality.
Although the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church ultimately had more differences which ended up causing their split, they once had quite a few a similarities. The churches shared “many of the same prayers and liturgies” (“Eastern Orthodox”, 2001 para.1). Both the Eastern and Western churches had a difference in opinion in defining and numbering sacraments but they did agree on what the seven major sacraments for their churches should be. They also agreed upon that the male clergy should consist of bishops, priests, and deacons.
they eat together at a table where all are welcome, they extend their communion to
The Sacraments that they have are Fruit of the Vine and Bread, which are grape juice and ceremonial bread. In the Baptist religion they have interfaith communion, where anyone can receive it. To the Baptists the sacrament of communion is more symbolic than what Catholics believe it to be. I found it interesting marriage and confession are not sacraments in there faith.
Many times couples will incorporate Communion into the wedding ceremony, making Communion their very first act as a married couple.
The Roman Rite has many traditions that developed over time have been kept fundamentally the same, though they differ a lot from the Eastern Rite. In the Roman Rite, the liturgy is referred to as the Mass or The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In the Roman Rite, instead of using leavened bread, it is typical that unleavened bread is used when celebrating the Eucharist during Mass. Also, instead of bowing, like done in the Eastern Rite, genuflecting is what is done when venerating the Blessed Sacrament. In the Eastern Catholic Church all three Sacraments of Initiation are done at the same moment, but in the Roman Catholic Church each sacrament takes place at a different time in a persons life. The events are separated and given to the individual as they grow in their
The Eucharist (Otherwise known as the Holy Communion or the Blessed Sacrament) is a Catholic sacrament considered to be the apex of Christianity. While some Catholics and different branches of the English Church believe that this bread and wine are transformed into the literal blood and body of Christ, others believe that it is a simple expression of faith. It is considered to be the very essence of love that binds us to the savior; and it is this teaching of love that inspires the Catholic view on social justice. Social justice spreads love to all humankind, via fighting for equality and respect for all man. The Eucharist is the symbolism of this love, and it is the concept that inspires the catholic doctrine of the social mission.
Only through the words of consecration, “This is my Body… and this is my Blood”, can we truly experience the fruits of the Eucharist. This is only possible through God’s accordance with the Scriptures, Sacraments(the Eucharist in this case), minister(priest or bishop), and the people of the Church(The Body of Christ). Just like Jesus and his disciples during the Last Supper, all of the members of the Mass join in intercession in order to properly bestow power upon the Sacrament of the Eucharist. As the priest serves as a representation of Jesus, we serve as his disciples.