Progress in the Spiritual Life is rather like trying to walk up a downward escalator. The moment you stop going forward is the moment when you start going backwards.
Podcast: Entering into the Prayer of Christ
Progress in the Spiritual Life is rather like trying to walk up a downward escalator. The moment you stop going forward is the moment when you start going backwards.
I have some disagreements with the facts…you say a spiritual communion arose because “they only broke bread on Sundays”?
…Acts 2:46–
And continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
In the early Church there were two distinct liturgical rites. That which was called the Synaxis, and the Supper of the Lord, or the Heavenly Liturgy.
The synaxis took place on Wednesdays and Fridays. These meetings were to begin with, almost a carbon copy of the liturgy as celebrated by the Jews as attended with Jesus when He was alive.
However, on the ‘Day of the Lord’ or Sunday as we call it today, they gathered together to re-enact what happened at the Last Supper. This came to be called the ‘Heavenly Liturgy’.
Listen to my podcast called ‘Sacrificing with Christ’, at metanoia.org.uk to see what happened then, and to understand its spiritual significance. When persecution broke out frequent meetings magnified the risk of capture, torture and death, so they began to meet just once a week on Sundays when the synaxis and the Heavenly Liturgy were celebrated together. The two then became united together to become what came to be called the Mass.
The quotation from Acts refers to fraternal meals celebrated by the brethren as they had been celebrated with Christ whilst He was on earth. In the early Church they came to be called the Agape, at least as long as they lasted.
If I said they only broke bread on Sundays, then I could have misled you. What I should have said was, they only broke bread in the way Jesus had done at the Last Supper, on Sundays. Apologies for any confusion caused.
See ‘The Mass of the Roman Rite’ by Joseph Jungman.
I hope this helps
This is the most beautiful and helpful explanation of the Mass I have ever heard. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much, Terri.
Thank you
Appreciated, John.
David
Thank you, again, for sharing. The story about your mother and her self-sacrficing love was particularly meaningful to me. I was listening as I folded load after load of laundry for my six children. I hope I can be like her.
Dear Claire, I love the fact that you are the mother of six children. There is nothing that can equal a mother’s love. God bless you, your husband and your children.
David
What a blessing! Wow! Thank you for such a lovely and informative Podcast. I have learned so much! Looking forward to many more podcasts! Be well & Happy! Cieloscent-
Thank you Cieloscent. Much appreciated.
David
immediately brings tears to my eyes and my heart…. powerful, in the Spirit, speaking straight to my soul
Thank you Melanie. So encouraging from you.