Jesus Christ or Yahshua Messiah?--The fact that we ARE [or at least ought to be] God focused takes some getting used too by non-catholics. patrick j miron opinion

Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic?

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This is something I haven't heard much during Catholic sermons. But our evangelical brothers seem to say it a lot. Is this Catholic, and if so, why don't we hear this phrase more?

#2   May 9, '11, 2:13 pm

PJM Senior Member   Join Date: August 31, 2008 Posts: 8,506 Religion: Informed, practicing RomanCatholic

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? Quote: =Neil_Anthony;7852297]This is something I haven't heard much during Catholic sermons. But our evangelical brothers seem to say it a lot. Is this Catholic, and if so, why don't we hear this phrase more? GREAT QUESTION! I suspect it's not preached in the CC because our relationship EXCEEDS BY FAR "just" being Personal. Our's is a INTIMATE and Personal relationship: God IN US and WE in God; that no protestant church can duplicate or claim. They therefore do the next best thing... seek a deeper relationship which has to be difficult in that they do not always listen to God's Actual words and Teaching [first Peson / Christ] on the Primacy of peter; Only One Church; Eucharsit; and Confesson, to mention but a few. How they are able to reckoncile not believing what God teaches and still believe in God is a manifestation of Love. Both from them and from God in return. It's quite amazing. __________________ PJM http://working4christ2.wordpress.com Can we partake of God's GLORY and NOT partake of His PASSION? NO! A.B. Fulton Sheen: "The truth is the truth even if nobody believes it, and a lie is still a lie, even if everybody believes it."

#3   May 9, '11, 2:18 pm

josephback Regular Member   Join Date: April 18, 2011 Posts: 928

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? Quote: Originally Posted by Neil_Anthony This is something I haven't heard much during Catholic sermons. But our evangelical brothers seem to say it a lot. Is this Catholic, and if so, why don't we hear this phrase more? Catholicism has the most personal relationship a person can have with Jesus in the Eucharist. "Personal relationship with Jesus" though is an Evangelical buzz phrase. It generally means "individual, one on one." It's can often be very emotion based. Hence what constitutes the 'relationship' can mean something different to each individual. Most have never heard the Catholic understanding, so their 'personal relationship' means something different....-Anyway it's psychology. Study of the soul.

#4   May 9, '11, 2:32 pm

Neil_Anthony Regular Member Book Club Member   Join Date: August 10, 2007 Posts: 4,875 Religion: Catholic

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? It seems to me that "personal relationship with Jesus" describes what Catholics should get out of a deep prayer life and frequenty prayerful reception of the sacraments and living a life of virtue. But so many Catholics seem to think their faith is about following a list of rules, and seem to be missing that. Is emphasizing a "personal relationship with Jesus" a possible solution to that problem?

#5   May 9, '11, 2:52 pm

ctkrcia Junior Member   Join Date: July 6, 2009 Posts: 156 Religion: Catholic

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? Quote: Originally Posted by Neil_Anthony It seems to me that "personal relationship with Jesus" describes what Catholics should get out of a deep prayer life and frequenty prayerful reception of the sacraments and living a life of virtue. But so many Catholics seem to think their faith is about following a list of rules, and seem to be missing that. Is emphasizing a "personal relationship with Jesus" a possible solution to that problem? In my RCIA class, I try to emphasize praying daily, frequent reception of the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation, and "Church plus 2". "Church plus 2" means to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation plus two other activities. One is for their own spiritual growth and another is to do charitable works for others. I really try to de-emphasize the "rules and guidelines". I explain them to the class, but quickly emphasize those are simply that - rules and guidelines. If they are truly, deeply, and hopelessly in love with God, no rules or guidelines are needed. They will surpass all of these quickly and yearn for more. Hopefully, they will realize the more they GIVE, the more they RECEIVE. Once they get there, they will the best "personal relationship with Jesus" they have ever had! No catchphrase will be needed!

#6   May 9, '11, 3:03 pm

Barbkw Banned   Join Date: August 18, 2010 Posts: 5,927 Religion: Cradle Catholic - Revert

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? Catholics become personal with Jesus's grace through His Sacraments of continual renewal - Reconciliation and Eucharist. And through Confirmation, Marriage, Baptism, Holy Orders and the Priesthood. In addition, we have Sacred Scripture, the teachings of the Church, an enormous family of Christians in the Communion of Saints. "Personal Relationship with Jesus" in the Catholic Church is a great topic for a homily. Many times 'people don't see the forest - because of all the trees'.

#7   May 9, '11, 3:11 pm

Della Veteran Member   Join Date: May 18, 2004 Posts: 11,442 Religion: Catholic

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? What Protestants who use that phrase mean is that unless one accepts Christ as one's personal Lord and Savior one cannot be saved. That alone is reason enough for our priests to avoid using it--because it's a false Gospel for it means that baptism means nothing nor any other sacrament only faith in Christ or sola fide. Having said that, there's no reason Catholics can't use the phrase when trying to help Protestants who use it see that the Catholic faith is truly the one that teaches a "personal" relationship with Christ, as others have cited, in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. But, it's not a phrase I would use with other Catholics or to describe Catholic belief and practice since what Protestants mean by it is not at all what the Catholic Church teaches. __________________ The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast. -- Pope Benedict XVI Tiber Swim Team, Class of '87. Inklings! "Sancti, facere bonum"

#8   May 9, '11, 3:12 pm

Theophorus Regular Member Prayer Warrior   Join Date: February 3, 2010 Posts: 885 Religion: Catholic Christianity

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? Quote: Originally Posted by Neil_Anthony This is something I haven't heard much during Catholic sermons. But our evangelical brothers seem to say it a lot. Is this Catholic, and if so, why don't we hear this phrase more? You can't get any more personal a relationship with our Lord than worthy reception of Holy Communion. It doesn't get any more personal than when we revive his Body and Blood under the appearance of bread and wine. I often(but not always I must add) find among protestants not so much a personal relationship but a private one, a just me and my old buddy Jesus kind of thing is just as bad as the attitude some Catholics have. I agree though that it would be an excellent topic for sermons, many of the saints have written lovely and deep pieces on this topic. Indeed I would put the fact that they are saints today down to their "Personal relationship with Jesus" __________________ “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction....There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him."

#9   May 9, '11, 3:15 pm

Marie5890 Regular Member   Join Date: November 3, 2007 Posts: 3,980 Religion: catholic--embracing all universality, diversity,traditions

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? Discipleship is very Catholic. And that is what a personal relationship with Our Lord is, serious discipleship is. __________________ "It is not a unity of religion we seek but a union of religious people. We may not be able to meet in the same pew, but we can meet together on our knees (as Christians)" VENERABEArchbishop Fulton J Sheen.

#10   May 9, '11, 3:32 pm

odhiambo Senior Member Prayer Warrior   Join Date: June 7, 2010 Posts: 18,029 Religion: catholic

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? Quote: Originally Posted by Neil_Anthony This is something I haven't heard much during Catholic sermons. But our evangelical brothers seem to say it a lot. Is this Catholic, and if so, why don't we hear this phrase more? Having a personal relationship with Jesus is indeed Catholic; only that we do not express it in those terms. __________________ Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!

#11   May 9, '11, 3:43 pm

Della Veteran Member   Join Date: May 18, 2004 Posts: 11,442 Religion: Catholic

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? Quote: Originally Posted by odhiambo Having a personal relationship with Jesus is indeed Catholic; only that we do not express it in those terms. Yes. Because what we mean by that phrase and what a Protestant who uses it means by it are not at all the same things. __________________ The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast. -- Pope Benedict XVI Tiber Swim Team, Class of '87. Inklings! "Sancti, facere bonum"

#12   May 9, '11, 4:32 pm

franny50 Banned   Join Date: April 24, 2011 Posts: 123 Religion: Ex Catholic(Christian)

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? I think anyone who has faith and lives what the gospel teaches,has a personal relationship with out Lord.Catholics do not have a special relationship because we believe we are "The True Church",or because we believe Jesus is actually present in the sacraments.All Christians can claim a personal relationship.

#13   May 9, '11, 4:52 pm

PJM Senior Member   Join Date: August 31, 2008 Posts: 8,506 Religion: Informed, practicing RomanCatholic

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? Quote: =Neil_Anthony;7852406]It seems to me that "personal relationship with Jesus" describes what Catholics should get out of a deep prayer life and frequenty prayerful reception of the sacraments and living a life of virtue. But so many Catholics seem to think their faith is about following a list of rules, and seem to be missing that. Is emphasizing a "personal relationship with Jesus" a possible solution to that problem? Hi Neil; What leads you to this conclusion? Laws exist for the benefit of those that they apply to most often. My relationship with Christ is extremely personal; always has been for me and a GREAT many catholics. When I was Teaching RCIA this was often a sore-point for those comming into the church. "Catholics are too focused on God and NOT friendly enough to those comming into the Chruch...." or some similar thought was often an issue to be expalined. The fact that we ARE [or at least ought to be] God focused takes some getting used too by non-catholics. God Bless, Pat __________________ PJM http://working4christ2.wordpress.com Can we partake of God's GLORY and NOT partake of His PASSION? NO! A.B. Fulton Sheen: "The truth is the truth even if nobody believes it, and a lie is still a lie, even if everybody believes it."

#14   May 9, '11, 5:09 pm

PJM Senior Member   Join Date: August 31, 2008 Posts: 8,506 Religion: Informed, practicing RomanCatholic

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? Quote: =ctkrcia;7852486]In my RCIA class, I try to emphasize praying daily, frequent reception of the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation, and "Church plus 2". "Church plus 2" means to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation plus two other activities. One is for their own spiritual growth and another is to do charitable works for others. I really try to de-emphasize the "rules and guidelines". I explain them to the class, but quickly emphasize those are simply that - rules and guidelines. If they are truly, deeply, and hopelessly in love with God, no rules or guidelines are needed. They will surpass all of these quickly and yearn for more. Hopefully, they will realize the more they GIVE, the more they RECEIVE. Once they get there, they will the best "personal relationship with Jesus" they have ever had! No catchphrase will be needed! May I dear friend thank you your Minstry but urge to be have GREAT care it what words you use. Rules and regulations are not made without thought and purpose. We must be careful NOT to encourage there dismisal on personal preference, but in humility, to accept them for ones Spiritual benefit. Having taught for 20+ years, I have learned to measure carefuly and prayerfully the words I share. Take Up your Cross and Follow Me Phil.2: 8 “And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross Luke.9 :23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Mark.8: 34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Luke.9: 23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke.14: 7 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” We must becareful to NOT give he impression that one can follow Christ in Glory without first having follwed Him in suffering: Phil.1: 29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, “ It is human nature to take "a mile" when we only give an "inch." Again thanks for your Minstry! God Bless, Pat __________________ PJM http://working4christ2.wordpress.com Can we partake of God's GLORY and NOT partake of His PASSION? NO! A.B. Fulton Sheen: "The truth is the truth even if nobody believes it, and a lie is still a lie, even if everybody believes it."

#15   May 9, '11, 6:12 pm

Claire from DE Regular Member   Join Date: May 31, 2004 Posts: 2,356 Religion: Catholic

Re: Is "Personal Relationship with Jesus" Catholic? I think most Catholics have a personal relationship with Jesus but I have known some for whom this relationship seems to consist in reciting prayers and obeying laws. These are good people, one was my mother who in her old age told me she wished she could "just talk to God the way dad does." I never knew she didn't! I assumed everyone did. Some Catholics don't realize that God wants to enter into a friendship with us that goes beyond our doing all the right things. __________________ Does a dyslexic atheist refuse to believe in dog??