What is the role of will in relationship to belief? Is belief a passion that we undergo or is it something that we choose? As I approach Easter, I wonder if I really belief that the bread and wine become the mystical presence of Christ. Am I too ingrained in Pentecostal ecstatic experience of Christ throughout the world to see a special place for that presence in the Eucharist? Do I see bowing in front of the tabernacle as idol worship? It isn't even clear to me: isn't it only the Lord who can discern the thoughts and the motives? But will the belief come or am I acting against my conscience? Aristotle pointed to a person's actions as most indicative of his beliefs and motivations. So what is indicated by the fact that I feel a bit silly genuflecting outside of the pew?
1 comment:
I think the best statement of Catholic apologetics was Flannery O'Connor's "If it's just a symbol, then to Hell with it!"
I think the problem is that you're thinking of the Eucharist as "mystical." It's not mystical. It's physical. It's not just Christ "mystically present." It's Him, physically there, BBS&D, just as much as at Nazareth.
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