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Catholics/transubstantion and no meat on fridays

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Expert: Fr. Timothy Johnson - 3/2/2010


Question
QUESTION: peace of Jesus now and forever,father,......i heard in a homily yesterday on the Eucharist, that the reason we do not eat "flesh" on fridays, is because we believe that Jesus is the "meat", on calvary.this is the way i understood it.....i am a convert and so would like to be accurate. with the resources to the answer, as i do attempt to evangelize, by the grace of God......thankyou, God bless you.....filumena

ANSWER: Hi, Filumena:
Thanks for the question and comments.
What you describe sounds pretty much like you might encounter in a homily.  For myself, I have never exactly presented the matter as "Jesus being the meat on the cross"; but I have said something quite similar: "Just as Jesus gave up His flesh for us in death on the cross, so do we die to ourselves in doing penance and giving up the eating of flesh meat on Fridays."
I hope this helps - May God bless you!

Fr. Timothy Johnson


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: i was really thinking more along the lines of the body and blood of Jesus.i would like to be able to explain this to my catholic and non-catholic friends.......John 6....the whole chapter. thankyou.....GOD BLESS YOU.....filumena

Answer
Hi, again... and you are welcome!

The consecrated bread into the Sacred Host (Victim) and the consecrated wine into the Precious Blood of Christ become the reality of Jesus Christ: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.  In the separate consecration (one before the other - separated) is "shown forth the death of the Lord until He come again in glory" (I Cor 11) - so, just as Jesus gave up His very being, His Divinity in his incarnate human flesh on the Cross, so we give up the eating of flesh meat to call this Passion of the Lord to our mind and spirit.

Fr. Timothy Johnson

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Fr. Timothy Johnson

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A Traditional Catholic Priest, validly and licitly ordained, incardinated legally and canonically in the Diocese of Fargo, and in good-standing with my Local Ordinary (Bishop) on active assignment at a rural Tri-Parish. I can provide honest and balanced answers to questions on topics pertaining to Traditional Roman Catholicism of the Latin Church (Councils of Trent and Vatican II)and a lot about the Eastern Catholic Churches, including the Sacred Liturgy, Sacred Scripture, Church History, the use of the Latin language, the tradition of Sacred Music, and current events in the Catholic Church from a traditional, historical and balanced perspective.

Experience

I have been ordained a Roman Catholic Priest since June 2001.

Organizations
Knights of Columbus; Church Music Association of America (CMAA)

Education/Credentials
Ordained Priest, 02 JUN 2001; Ordained Deacon, 27 JAN 2001; MA - Dogmatic/Systematic Theology; MDiv - Professional Degree from Seminary; 2-Years formation with Canons Regular of Premontre including studies and experience in Sacred Liturgy, Chant, Latin, Sacraments, Spirituality. BA - Scholastic/Thomistic Philosophy; BA - Liberal Arts; AA - General Studies.

Past/Present Clients
I serve 3-small, rural Parish Communities in Easter North Dakota
I converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1981, at the age of 15. Over the years I have done work as an organist, cantor, and choir director for the Latin Rite (English & Latin) Mass (Liturgy of the Eucharist), and even for the Hours of the Divine Office. I have worked as a cantor for a Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church. Presently my pastoral and administrative duties as a Catholic Priest do not allow me as much time as I used to have to devote to Sacred Music; but for my weekend Masses and Solemnities within my Tri-Parish, I offer High Sung Mass in English. Weekday Mass is typically Low Mass (recited Mass) in English, though on occasion I will offer the "Tridentine Mass" in Latin, which I usually offer on my "Day Off", as well. And now, in light of the "Motu Proprio" by his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI placing the extraordinary usage of the Roman Rite back into the mainstream of the Catholic Church, I have been offering a regularly scheduled SUN, 2:00 PM Tridentine Latin Mass with a community of the faithful that has a stable existence.

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