Can You Be Saved Without the Eucharist? (Aquinas 101)

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Can you be saved without the Eucharist? Is the Eucharist necessary for salvation? In this episode of Aquinas 101: The Sacraments, join Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P., a Catholic priest and Dominican friar from the Province of St. Joseph, as he explains why the Eucharist is necessary for our salvation.

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Aquinas 101 is a project of the Thomistic Institute that seeks to promote Catholic truth through short, engaging video lessons. You can browse earlier videos at your own pace or enroll in one of our Aquinas 101 email courses on St. Thomas Aquinas and his masterwork, the Summa Theologiae. In these courses, you'll learn from expert scientists, philosophers, and theologians—including Dominican friars from the Province of St. Joseph.

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[marlenesmall]

Whether or not everyone needs it, I found during the pandemic that I needed it. The first time I went back to mass I had tears in my eyes when I received communion. And I wasn't the only one. I didn't know how much I needed it until I couldn't receive it.

[anthonyw]

thank you for yet another illuminating video. Quite frankly, I'm learning on here than I have ever done in all my 50 years of life about the faith. God bless you, all.

[adelbertleblanc]

To respond a comment, I would say this: There are many, many ways to LOVE God: praying, praising, fasting, good works, venerating the SAINTS, venerating the HOLY CROSS, participating in the Sacraments, etc. . But notice that, THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO WORSHIP GOD: the celebration of the BODY and BLOOD of CHRIST: the EUCHARIST.

[Catholicity-uwyb]

ST. POPE JOHN PAUL II: “The universality of salvation means that it is granted not only to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the church. Since salvation is offered to all, it must be made concretely available to all. But it is clear that today, as in the past, many people do not have an opportunity to come to know or accept the Gospel revelation or enter the Church. The social and cultural conditions in which they live do not permit this, and frequently they have been brought up in other religious traditions. For such people salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace, which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally part of the Church but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is the result of his Sacrifice and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. It enables each person to attain salvation through his or her free cooperation.”

[Alkemisti]

I have two questions:

1) Are Anglican, Lutheran, and Old Catholic (Utrecht) eucharists valid? I have understood that according to Catholicism, they are to some degree but not entirely. What does this mean?

2) If a priest knows that someone coming to the Holy Communion in his church is an Eastern or Oriental Orthodox, a member of the Assyrian Church of the East, or a member of the Union of Scranton, is he going to deny the eucharist from that person? What about a Lutheran or an Anglican?

[Caleb-wl]

"Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him" (Acts 10:34). Millions who have been born and died without ever hearing of Jesus, let alone the Eucharist, can be saved by God's mercy. The real question is why anyone who, having met Jesus and celebrated the sacrament would ever want to do without it...

[Theziz]

I have a question. Could the Eucharist be taken with a repentant heart, one who has acknowledged his sins in front of God, but has not confessed them in front of the church? Is the Eucharist not a sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins, past and present?

[byzantinedeacon]

The Eucharist is the reason why we will be resurrected

[bentonpix]

It's very interesting that both man's damnation and his salvation is centered around eating.

[DonBailey-odde]

To even ask such a question is absurd.
Its like asking if. You need air to breathe.

[rickswineberg]

The word "anti" in antichrist does not mean someone who is going to be openly anti (against) Christ. That word "anti" in the original Bible language can actually mean "IN PLACE OF". So could the bible antichrist be someone who has actually put himself "in place of" Christ? Well, we have further Bible evidence to support this. In 1 John 2:18-19 it says that there were "many antichrists", who "WENT OUT FROM THE CHURCH". In other words, John is pointing to the fact that those "antichrists" were WITHIN THE CHURCH!! Not only that, but Paul in 2 Thess. 2:3-4 calls the man of sin the "son of perdition". Now there is only one other place in the Bible where the name "son of perdition" is used, and that is in John 17:12 talking about JUDAS! And what was Judas? A professing follower of Christ Jesus. Someone who deceived from WITHIN the "church".
"The leader of the Catholic church is defined by the faith as the Vicar of Jesus Christ (and is accepted as such by believers). The Pope is considered the man on earth who TAKES THE PLACE of the Second Person of the omnipotent God of the Trinity." (John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, p. 3, 1994).
"ANTI" - Christ = "IN PLACE OF" Christ!

[jacktracy]

Ephesians 2:8 KJV "For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of GOD: 9 not of works, lest any man should boast."

[russellmiles]

According to the Roman Catholic church; Jews can be saved. That is, no need to except Jesus as Lord and Saviour

Next question

[SeaJay_Oceans]

All are Saved purely by God's Grace, so none can boast. Period. Make a decision, be born again, get baptised, eat stuff at church every day. Read the Bible until you can quote it, & die in battle defending the Church. None of that can save you. It is solely by God's Grace Alone He Saves anything or anyone from this doomed world. We are all dead in sin, Christ & Christ alone grants God's Grace as a life giving Gift. Nothing else matters.

[fly.into.theblue]

Only believing and trusting in Jesus Christ's sacrifice can we be saved.
Ritual perform by men will not save you.

[djparsons]

There is NO importance for the eucharist, it's a pointless ritual that means nothing.