The Eucharist is the uniting reality in the Church. It is that thing that unites and draws the Church deeper together into her head, Christ, and in turn, to one another. This unity that is found in the Eucharist is an ontological unity that exists regardless of visible jurisdictional unity. Therefore, the Church is truly one through this blessed sacrament.
That being said, there is a true need for the Church to live out her unity in a visible sense. The very fact that Protestants and Orthodox are normatively barred from Roman Catholic altars, and vice versa in many cases, is a horrific reality. This is not an Orthodox table, Roman table, Lutheran table, or any other table besides the Lord’s table. We should not be so quick to forget that it is the Lord, not us, that hosts the meal at this table.
Part of why I am an Anglican is because we have open communion to all those validly baptized in the Triune name. If baptism is the sacrament that unites one to Jesus Christ, who are we to bar one from the table unless they are under church discipline? It would seem to me that barring a baptized Christian from the table of the Lord is one of the gravest things a priest could do. And the reason for closed communion is nearly always jurisdictional—who you are or are not in communion with. This cannot be the the basis of coming to the Lord’s table. Since this covenant meal is sacramental, the standard for admittance must also be sacramental; in this case, baptism. Baptism is sacramental entrace into the Church, which mystically unites one to the body of Christ, even if their visible unity to that body is jurisdictionally impaired. One can be mystically united to the Church through baptism without necessarily living out that reality, for all intents and purposes, in a true church with sacramental orders. However, this outward, visible, jurisdictional unity—while extremely important— is not what allows or disallows one from the altar. Baptism accomplishes our union with Christ, and through that, invites all those who belong to Christ to his table where the unity of the faith is encouraged, strengthened, and deepened.
Our ontological unity is built upon the sacraments. Our unity continues through the sacraments. And though we struggle and strive towards a deeper visible and jurisdictional unity—a necessary testimony to the world—we can start by opening the altar of the Lord to all those baptized in the Triune name in Nicaean orthodoxy. This will be the first step in acknowledging the sacramental ontological unity in the Church and manifesting it on a visible and jurisdictional level.
“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 ESV
This is the first video reflection for the Great Fast.
Welcome to the Mere Catholicity Locals Community! Here, you will find like-minded Christians with a desire to live ecumenically and pursue Christ in all things.
The Mere Catholicity movement runs only through listener support. The work that I (Jonah) do requires time and money. Without the financial support of my Locals community, I would not be able to continue making content. Simple as that. It is only thanks to this group that I can continue providing you with content that (hopefully) both edifies and challenges!
The good news for you is that joining the community itself is completely FREE! Once you sign up, you will be able to see most posts, live streams, and even content posted by other users. However, you will only be able to observe. You will not be able to comment, post, or see any exclusive content. This might be a good way to see if you want to support later down the line. So please join! Even if you cannot afford to give at this time!
Now, for those who do wish to give ...
Friends - as I consider the various platforms that I operate, I find Substack to the most conducive to the model of online ministry that I am aiming for. Though I still plan to post here, as many of you still support me through this platform, Substack is where I will be focusing the majority of my time. If some of you wish to move your subscription from here to Substack, you are welcome to do that. Those who continue to support here, I will continue to post here — mostly the stuff that is behind the paywall on Substack so that you are getting the exclusive content regardless of where you are subscribed.
Hope you all are doing well. Lord bless you.
- Rev. Jonah
I've been gone again for a time preparing for my ordination. I was ordained a Deacon in the Holy Catholic Church on March 8th, 2025.
It was a joy beyond words. I am now back in full swing with ministry, media, and work.
I hope you all have been doing well. More to come soon.
Good morning everyone. I wanted to quickly update you on the Mere Catholicity Podcast. I’ve been posting videos on my channel, but it has been quite sometime since my channel has had a podcast episode release.
With my new job as a classical teacher, scheduling interviews has been a challenge. However, my plan is to use my summer breaks as time to double down on planning and recording new podcasts. The idea will be to record a ton of interviews that will then slowly release throughout the school year, expiring around the time the following summer arrives. This will ultimately result in a consistent once a month interview.
All that to say, the podcast will resume here in May or June of 2025 with some excellent interviews lined up!
Blessings on your Sunday!
