But for me that Church of which the Pope is the acknowledged head on earth has as chief claim that it is the one that has (and still does) ever defended the Blessed Sacrament, and given it most honour, and put (as Christ plainly intended) in the prime place. “Feed my sheep" was His last charge to St. Peter; and since His words are always first to be understood literally, I suppose them to refer primarily to the Bread of Life. It was against this that the W. European revolt was really launched—"the blasphemous fable of the Mass"—and faith/works a mere red herring.
~J.R.R. Tolkien
The interesting question: were promises of bread 1) simply metaphors, for invisible spiritual things? Or 2) literal promises of physical material support from our churches and lord; actual physical, material food?
ReplyDeleteFor centuries we have been assured by the churches that it is crass to think of material things. That these were metaphors for spiritual things only. And that the church in effect did not have to take care of the physical material side of life for us. Indeed, we could starve to death it seemed, and the church would be satisfied. So long as we received the metaphorical "bread" of its message.
But what was the ancient original source of this language about bread, and sitting at the lord's "table"? Originally, in ancient times, if we "sat at the table of the lord," we sat at his messhall. And he literally fed us dinner. It was in exchange in part for that, that we pledged our loyalty.