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I recently engaged in a conversation with a Protestant that said ‘you call it the Eucharist. We call it communion. I’s the same thing.” I lovingly explained to her that the terminology is basically the same, since we use communion interchangeably, but the theology and truth of each is different.
I explained to her the Real Presence verses symbolism. She said, “well the difference is the Catholic Church does communion every week and our church does it a few times a year.” As Catholics, we must never take for granted the beautiful gift we have been given in the Holy Eucharist. It is a gift and blessing from Christ that we can never find outside the Church. It also requires us to never forget the reverence and love it demands.
There is no Mass without the Eucharist.
Protestants can have their church service without a piano player, choir, music minister, or even their pastor. There is no one core element of a Protestant service that would cause it not to be a church service if that element was missing. The majority of the mainline Protestant churches have their services centered and focused around the pastor and his sermon. If the pastor is unavailable, they can have anyone from a guest pastor to a regular congregation member to preach. Their service would be unaffected.
The Catholic Church, based on the truths given by Christ, is different. There is no Mass without the Eucharist. There can be Penance Services, adoration, even communion services, but without the transubstantiation of the Holy Eucharist, it is not Mass.
"The Eucharist is "the source and summit" of the Christian life. (CCC 1324-1327) It is the foundational element of our faith and the Mass because Jesus is the foundation of our faith. The Eucharist is the Real Presence of Christ, and it is the core for which everything else is centered.
Amelia Monroe Carlson graduated from the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism. Being raised as a Methodist during her early years, it was not until she entered college where she began to take her faith seriously. She was baptized as a Southern Baptist in Muscle Shoals, AL and began immediately serving in international missions and in the church.
During college, she became the Co-founder of an International Ministry, where she spent time traveling and speaking to church groups and in large conferences. She authored a Bible study and traveled abroad on mission work. She sat on the Mid-South Interfaith Conferences in Mississippi, where she defended the faith and discussed beliefs with leaders of various religions.
After a business trip to Washington D.C., where she was introduced to a former Baptist who converted to the Catholic Church, she was placed on a journey to enter into the Catholic Church.
Amelia is a military wife and currently residents with her husband and daughter in Tennessee. She is a nine time award winning journalist, receiving press awards for various categories including investigative journalism, best news coverage, and best single feature. It is her desire to help Catholics, particularly Cradle Catholics, see the beauty in their faith which converts see and appreciate the fullness of truth which the Church has held and guarded throughout history. It is her desire all Catholics fall as much in love with Jesus as she is, and love the Church to a greater capacity than they could imagine.
Amelia taught PRE for 4-6 grade at St. Mary Catholic Church in Bolivar, Tennessee from 2014-2016. She served as Youth Director at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Somerville, Tennessee in 2017-2018. She now teaches 7th grade (1st year Confirmation) PRE class at St. Philip. She's also a writer and frequent podcast guest on Our Warpath.
She has a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Francis de Sales, St. Padre Pio and St. Maximilian Kolbe.
To contact Amelia for speaking inquiries at conferences, retreats, or parishes contact her via social media on Facebook (Amelia Monroe Carlson), Twitter (@2_catholic ) or send a text to: (731)518-6923.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ameliamcarlson
Twitter: @2_catholic (Catholic ministry account)
Twitter personal account: @ameliamcarlson
