First Holy Communion (reflections)

[Wyrd of Gawd]

What do you say? Is gathering together with other people to intentionally cultivate love within oneself a beneficial spiritual exercise?

I fail to see why or how such a thing wouldn't be beneficial.

---

I'm glad you enjoyed the homily. Sounds like a very typical homily, which is why they've become boring to me (always about the same type of theme), but I'm glad you liked it.

As for holy water, no, we don't believe it has any magical powers or anything like that lol. It's more of a symbolic thing. Just as a flag might inspire feelings of patriotism, the knowledge that an object is blessed might inspire us towards God.

Is holy water the water that Jesus walked on?

[I_am_not_mafia]

But isn't it odd that, this day and age, masses of people attribute special holy powers to ordinary water? Seriously, its just water. And it takes a bit of imagination to consider it otherwise.

The only thing that differentiates it from "normal" water as that it has been blessed by a priest. So what? That brings up my next issue: blessing. At one point during the ceremony, the priest talked about these little plaques that were given to each of the participants commemorating their first holy communion. Fine. But then he added that he had personally "blessed" each one. What good does it do to "bless" something? This is starting to sound less like reality and more like D&D. It's all fine and good that if (while carrying the plaque) my nephew were to receive a +1 bonus to his saving throws, but there is absolutely no evidence that anything remotely like that is the case. However, I'm sure that "blessing" holds a real meaning for many that were in the church that day. If you pressed a believer to give an explanation for what a blessing practically does, I'm guessing you'd either get a shrug or a convoluted explanation that resembles the saving throws concept.

A bit like homoeopathy. It's the idea that something can leave a memory on a collection of H2O atoms which then has an effect. I remember in my late teens when I was in a D&D group. Unfortunately it became infected with christianity via the DM to everyone else. It's like the opposite of the Jack Chick tract, but whereas the DM started preaching instead of giving us cool Satanic spells once we reached level 8 (which I incidentally need to remind my current DM now I am a level 8 halfling assassin).

Anyway one memory I have is that we were out on the way to a meet up and went to pick someone up in the car. One the group decided to bless the house and then started worrying afterwards that maybe he shouldn't have because it was only supposed to be church leaders doing that. I mean what did he think actually happened when he physically touched some concrete and said a few words? It really was like seeing some people take their D&D too seriously and start believing in magic in real life. And this is one reason why the function of woo is to give people the illusion of control over a noisy and unpredictable world. The closest similarity is with people who do actually believe that they are practising magick, such as from the traditions of the Golden Dawn or Wicca.

What I did like was the homily. The priest talked about cultivating love within oneself, not only for family and close ones, but also for strangers. This seems like a good idea to me. I have reservations about equating love with Jesus or advising one to express love to an imaginary being. But where else (outside of religious institutions) do people intentionally and meditatively cultivate love within themselves? Hippies do it, I guess. But otherwise this sort of thing is only practiced in a religious context.

Now I have the image in my mind of a group of naked women in church chanting and getting to know their rose buds

[Succubus]

...As for holy water, no, we don't believe it has any magical powers or anything like that lol. It's more of a symbolic thing. Just as a flag might inspire feelings of patriotism, the knowledge that an object is blessed might inspire us towards God.

Is it possible to perform the holy sacrament of baptism without holy water?

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So, I went to Mass last Sunday at the behest of my sister.

Grow a pair.

I do admire the Vulcan's fortitude. Shire horses on speed couldn't drag me into witness such a nauseating spectacle, I endured the farcical ceremony myself aged ~nine, smirking all the way through. I was an atheist from age seven.

'First Holy Communion.' Tom Sharpe's hilarious best seller.

[Catholic_Lady]

...As for holy water, no, we don't believe it has any magical powers or anything like that lol. It's more of a symbolic thing. Just as a flag might inspire feelings of patriotism, the knowledge that an object is blessed might inspire us towards God.

Is it possible to perform the holy sacrament of baptism without holy water?

Yes. Holy water does not affect the validity of a sacrament.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Is it possible to perform the holy sacrament of baptism without holy water?

Yes. Holy water does not affect the validity of a sacrament.

And it is one of the few Catholic sacraments that can be performed by anyone, not just a priest.

[Minimalist]

When nuns are admitted to Heaven they go through a special gate and are expected to make one last confession before they become angels. Several nuns are lined up at this gate waiting to be absolved of their last sins before they are made holy.

"And so," says St. Peter, "have you ever had any contact with a penis?"

"Well," says the first nun in line, "I did once just touch the tip of one with the tip of my finger."

"OK," says St. Peter, "dip your finger in the holy water and pass on into heaven."

The next nun admits, "Well, yes, I did once get carried away and I, you know, sort of massaged one a bit."

"OK," says St. Peter, "rinse your hand in the holy water and pass on into heaven."

Suddenly there is some jostling in the line and one of the nuns is trying to cut in front. "Well now, what's going on here?" says St. Peter. "Well, your excellency," says the nun who is trying to improve her position in line, "If I'm going to have to gargle that stuff, I want to do it before Sister Mary Thomas sticks her ass in it."

[url=http://www.jokes4us.com/dirtyjokes/confessionjokes.html][/url]

[Catholic_Lady]

Yes. Holy water does not affect the validity of a sacrament.

And it is one of the few Catholic sacraments that can be performed by anyone, not just a priest.

Yep!

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Yes. Holy water does not affect the validity of a sacrament.

And it is one of the few Catholic sacraments that can be performed by anyone, not just a priest.

Also, get your ass to RCIA. You know you want to.

[brewer]

Is it possible to perform the holy sacrament of baptism without holy water?

Yes. Holy water does not affect the validity of a sacrament.

I understand that urine is occasionally involved. 

[Neo-Scholastic]

Also, get your ass to RCIA. You know you want to.

Why? I should be able to jump in front of the line. I don't have time for a year of adult education classes on RC doctrine that I probably already know better than most American Catholics. The Church should have an entrance exam I could take. Pass it and you immediately get the wafers.

[Minimalist]

They aren't exactly tasty treats, you know.  More like a cross between wallpaper paste and cardboard.