Why, Indeed

The sacramental theologian in me took GREAT interest in this clip from Monday’s edition of the Colbert Report…

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So...St. Augustine thought transubstantiation (although, I admit, the term wasn’t yet coined) was “ridiculous”?  Funny, since he once preached to his congregation:

“You ought to know what you have received, what you are going to receive, and what you ought to receive daily. That Bread which you see on the altar, having been sanctified by the word of God, is the Body of Christ. That chalice, or rather, what is in that chalice, having been sanctified by the word of God, is the Blood of Christ. Through that bread and wine the Lord Christ willed to commend His Body and Blood, which He poured out for us unto the forgiveness of sins. If you receive worthily, you are what you have received” (Sermon 227).

Or, as Mr. Colbert put it, “You are what you eat.”

OK, OK, so Hebrews wasn’t written by St. Paul.  But how does that (coupled with the fact you find it troublesome and crazy) give you the right to simply deny its divine inspiration and singlehandedly yank it out of the New Testament?

I wouldn't do that with anything "God wrote," if I were you.

And Extreme Unction (more commonly known now as the Anointing of the Sick) has “no foundation in the early Church”?  Really?  Funny, the Letter of James (written in the 1^st century) just happens to say:

“Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters* of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14-15).

*the Greek word for "elders," from which the English word "priest" is derived

So…a Church with no Eucharist (or other sacraments) and no priesthood.  Hmm.  I think that's already been tried.  But with more scholarly theological arguments than this.  And without much success.  

It seems Mr. Wills previously wrote a book titled, Why I Am a Catholic.  A good question, indeed.

Thank you, Mr. Colbert!  Let's join him in praying for Mr. Wills.