FOUR COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID AFTER A BREAKUP

According to Lisa Steadman, a relationship expert, a breakup can definitely bring out the worst in people. But rather than letting your ex see your hurt or vindictive side, try focusing on the positives of a breakup whenever possible.

Everyone processes a breakup differently. But to accept it and move on, Steadman advises her clients to avoid these four common pitfalls when it comes to finding new happiness after a breakup.

1. Focusing on Your Ex: All that energy is really a waste though, because it only heightens the negative emotions. "It's really easy to focus on what's next for an ex –who will he date, what he will do –but a woman should really refocus on herself instead."

2. Cyber-stalking: Though the temptation is strong, avoid following your ex online. "The best approach is to just remove him from your social media pages," said Steadman. "It will only upset you and make you feel like you're missing out."

3. Rebound Sex: "Rebound sex can actually send you running back into the arms of your ex," said Steadman. "You miss the comfort from the relationship sex and when it's not the same, it can be very unsettling."

4. Self-loathing: No matter who's responsible for the breakup, women tend to shoulder the burden and turn it into something deeply personal, especially as they get older, according to Steadman. "Women see all of their friends settling down, getting married, and having kids... they think, what's wrong with me? Now I have to start all over again," said Steadman. "And it can feel very exhausting."

Instead of worrying what everyone else is doing, though, Steadman says you should just zero in on what's positive in your life and remind yourself of what was wrong in the relationship. "Don't view a breakup as a failure," she said. "It isn't about everyone else. It's about you and your next steps."

Rationality is not always easy to come by when matters of the heart are at stake, but putting a positive spin on a breakup can bring closure and peace faster.

Think about all of the good stuff in your life, like healthy friendships, how well school or your career is going, how supportive your family is and what your next steps are in terms of chasing what you're passionate about. A bad relationship can hold you back, so you're much better off with this fresh start.

"The best news ever is when a woman looks back and says that she's glad she broke up with an ex," said Steadman. Just remember that you'll be okay, and you will find happiness again.

FROM: Just Break Up? Don't Do These 4 Things –K. Parsons for GalTime.com

TEN MINUTES AT BEDTIME: REPAIRING CONFLICT AND MISUNDERSTANDING WITH CHILDREN

 The daily lives of children are not all about positive feelings. All children have moments of disappointment, discouragement and self-doubt. In every family, there will be moments of anger and misunderstanding. In healthy development, children recover from these moments. Whether on their own or with our support, most children bounce back. Too often, however, children do not quickly bounce back. Painful feelings linger longer than they should. Vicious cycles are then set in motion, and bad feelings lead to bad attitudes and bad behavior. Criticism and punishment lead to anger and defiance or secretiveness and withdrawal; and then to more criticism; and then to more defiance and more withdrawal.

Our task, as parents and guardians is to recognize these moments and begin a process of repair. Children learn invaluable lessons from moments of repair. They learn that, although it is not always easy, moments of anxiety, sadness and anger are moments and can be repaired. Disappointments are disappointments, not catastrophes, and bad feelings do not last forever.

A Pathway Toward Emotional Maturity

We have now opened a pathway toward emotional maturity. In these moments, children begin to develop a more balanced, less all-or-nothing perspective on the disappointments and frustrations in their lives. As a result, they will be better able to "regulate" their emotions –they will be less urgent in their expressions of distress, less insistent in their demands and able to think more constructively about how to solve emotional problems.

Moments of repair may also lead to a reduction in the level of stress hormones and other stress-related physiological processes that, when prolonged, are damaging to children's physical and emotional health.

Ten Minutes at Bedtime

I therefore recommend that parents and guardians set aside some time, every day (perhaps 10 minutes at bedtime), for kids and parents to have a chance to talk and to use this time to repair moments of conflict and misunderstanding. This may be the most important ten minutes of a child's day.

In these brief daily conversations, we should ask kids if there is something they might want to talk about –perhaps a problem he\she is having at school or with friends, something he\she is angry with us about or what she may be anxious about the following day. 

When there has been conflict in our relationship with our kids, it is especially important for us to take the lead and begin to repair hurtful interactions. We need to make a deliberate effort to set aside criticism and judgment as long as we can and hear her side of the story. Discussion and disagreement, even problem solving, can come later. Don't stay angry.

I also encourage parents and guardians to take responsibility for their own emotional responses, acknowledge their errors and, when appropriate, apologize to their child. (We can say, for example, "I know I was really angry at you earlier. Maybe I got too angry.")

Some parents express concern that, in apologizing to their children, they may implicitly condone their child's disrespectful or defiant behavior and diminish their authority as parents. This fear is understandable, but unfounded. Our apology does not excuse our child's bad behavior. ("You still should not have hit your sister.")

In my opinion, when a parent initiates repair and offers an apology, he has modeled an important lesson in interpersonal relationships and gains authority with his child, because our children's acceptance of adult authority is, ultimately, based on respect.

Of course, children do not always make this easy. And sometimes we may not know what to say. But our willingness to make the effort is important in itself.

Patient listening receives far less attention than it deserves in current parenting debates, in our understandable concern with children's achievement and character development. In my experience, however, there is no more important parenting "skill" than this and nothing we do as parents that is more important for our children's emotional health –and for their success in life.

Original Article: “The Most Important 10 Minutes of a Child's Day”

< K. Barish, Ph.D.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

THE ONLY GOOD REASON TO GET MARRIED: A LETTER TO MY SON

Dear Son,

It seems like yesterday you were blowing poop out of your diaper onto your mother's lap. Yet here we are, on the verge of the birds-and-the-bees conversation. The poop was way easier.

Before we talk about sex, though, I want to talk about marriage. Not because I'll shun you or shame you if you don't put them in that order -- although I hope you will -- but because I believe the only good reason to get married will bring clarity to every other aspect of your life, including sex.

Buddy, you're probably going to want to get married for all the wrong reasons. We all do. In fact, the most common reason to get married also happens to be the most dangerous: we get married because we think it will make us happy. Getting married in order to be happy is the surest way to get divorced.

There are beautiful marriages. But marriages don't become beautiful by seeking happiness; they become beautiful by seeking something else. Marriages become beautiful when two people embrace the only good reason to get married: to practice the daily sacrifice of their egos.

Ego. You may be hearing that word for the first time. It probably sounds foreign and confusing to you. This is what it means to me:

Your ego is the part of you that protects your heart. You were born with a good and beautiful heart, and it will never leave you. But when I was too harsh toward you, or your friends began to make fun of your extracurricular choices, you started to doubt if your heart was good enough. Don't worry, it happens to all of us at some point.

And so your mind began to build a wall around your heart. That happens to all of us, too. It's like a big castle wall with a huge moat -- it keeps us safe from invaders who might want to get in and attack our hearts. And thank goodness for your ego-wall! Your heart is worthy of protection, buddy.

At first, we only use the ego-wall to keep people out. But eventually, as we grow up, we get tired of hiding fearfully and we decide the best defense is a good offense. We put cannons on our ego-wall and we start firing. For some people, that looks like anger. For other people, it looks like gossip and judgment and divisiveness. One of my favorite ego-cannons is to pretend everyone on the outside of my wall is wrong. It makes me feel right and righteous, but really it just keeps me safe inside of my ideas. I know I've fired my ego-cannons at you from time to time, and for that I'm truly sorry.

Sometimes we need our cannons to survive. Most of the time we don't.

Both men and women have ego-walls with cannons. But you're going to be a man soon, so it's important to tell you what men tend do with their ego-walls -- we justify them by pretending they are essential to being a "real" man. Really, most of us are just afraid our hearts won't be good enough for the people we love, so we choose to stay safe and protected behind high walls with lots of cannons.

Can you see how that might be a problem for marriage?

If you fall into the trap of thinking your ego-wall is essential to being a man, it will destroy any chance of having an enduringly joyful marriage. Because, in the end, the entire purpose of marriage is to dismantle your ego-wall, brick by brick, until you are fully available to the person you love. Open. Vulnerable. Dangerously united.

Buddy, people have sex because for a moment at the climax of it, their mind is without walls, the ego goes away and they feel free and fully connected. With sex, the feeling lasts for only a moment. But if you commit yourself to marriage, you commit yourself to the long, painful, joyous work of dismantling your ego-walls for good. Then, the moment can last a lifetime.

Many people are going tell you the key to a happy marriage is to put God at the center of it, but I think it depends upon what your experience of God does for your ego. Because if your God is one of strength and power and domination, a God who proves you're always right and creates dividing lines by which you judge everyone else, a God who keeps you safe and secure, I think you should keep that God as far from the center of your marriage as you can. He'll only build your ego-wall taller and stronger.

But if the God you experience is a vulnerable one, the kind of God that turns the world upside down and dwells in the midst of brokenness and embraces everyone on the margins and will sacrifice anything for peace and reconciliation and wants to trade safety and security for a dangerous and risky love, then I agree, put him right at the center of your marriage. If your God is in the ego-dismantling business, he will transform your marriage into sacred ground.

What's the secret to a happy marriage? Marry someone who has also embraced the only good reason to get married.

Someone who will commit to dying alongside you -- not in 50 years, but daily, as they dismantle the walls of their ego with you.

Someone who will be more faithful to you than they are to their own safety.

Someone willing to embrace the beauty of sacrifice, the surrender of their strength and the peril of vulnerability.

In other words, someone who wants to spend their one life stepping into a crazy, dangerous love with you and only you.

With my walls down,

Dad.

< Kelly M. Flanagan, Clinical Psychologist, 

          http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

DAD TEACH THY DAUGHTER

6 ESSENTIAL FACTS DADS SHOULD TEACH THEIR DAUGHTERS

So many girls and women today suffer or flourish in life-long relationships because of the influence or the lack of influence from their fathers.

The fun but sometimes scary thing about raising a daughter is that every dad has the opportunity and responsibility to show her what a “real man” is and to give her confidence to face the world with happiness and strength.

The truth of the matter is that we aren’t always the kind to sit down, sip tea with teddy bears, and teach with words, but the following six things are ways that dads can make the message sink in. I’ll try to keep the mushy stuff to a minimum.

1. How to Change a Tire and Change the Oil

Teach her to be self-reliant, even with things that society says are “men’s jobs.” Teach her how to count on herself and to know that she has the power to be successful and confident. Teach her to be tough when she needs to and to be able to care for herself and others.

2. It’s OK to Wear Pink

No matter how tough and capable she is, encourage and appreciate her natural, feminine qualities.

3. She is Beautiful – No Matter What

Beauty is more than physical, but I have never met a girl that did not love to hear those words. The world can be cruel. When zits come, or if she gains a few pounds, she always needs to hear from her daddy that she is beautiful.

4. She is More than Just Beautiful

Teach her that she is not an object—she is your daughter! Show her how men should treat women by your example. The media objectifies women more than ever before, and dads are the greatest force against the barrage of body messages that are thrown at our daughters. Make sure you’re not only complementing her physical beauty, but her mind, her kindness, and her character. Show her that you value these traits in the women in your life, especially in her mother.

5. When to Open Her Mouth

Strength is not masculine or feminine; it has to do with character. Help her learn to say “no” to people and to stand up for what she deems right, even when it’s not comfortable or popular.

6. When to Keep Her Mouth Shut

Gossip and backbiting are common, especially in today’s technological society. Bullies don’t have to be 200-pound brutes any longer with Facebook and other social media; all it takes is cruel words, gossip, and rumors. Teach her to treat others with kindness and to seek to add value to others rather than to take it away.

So, be the “real man” in your daughter’s life that will give her trust and confidence in her future and the capability to face it.

-      Tosin  < everydayfamily

SIX TIPS FOR A LESS PAINFUL IM INJECTION

1. Prepare the injection site using an alcohol pad, but make sure you let the alcohol dry completely. This is probably the most common mistake people make that can cause unnecessary pain. It only takes an extra five seconds and is the easiest way to reduce pain during the injection.

2. Choose the correct site for the injection. The deltoid muscle of the upper arm is the preferred IM injection site, but viscous material or volumes larger than 2.5 ml should be given in the gluteus maximus muscle in the upper, outer quadrant of the buttock. An alternate site for larger injections is the vastus lateralus muscle on the outside of the leg halfway between the knee and the hip. These two larger muscles can accommodate a volume up to 5 ml.

3. Ensure that the needle remains at a 90-degree angle to the skin during the procedure. The needle must penetrate deep into the muscle, and a 90-degree angle puts the needle through as little skin as possible. Skin contains many more nerve endings than muscle and registers far more pain. Changing this angle while the needle is still in the muscle will cause pain in the muscle tissue as well.

4. Grasp a two- or three-inch section of the injection site and squeeze firmly but not painfully. Insert the needle quickly and firmly into the injection site up to the hub of the needle. The injection should not be so fast that it is not well controlled. Take care that you do not use a needle that is too long. Most people do not notice when a bone is hit, but it is possible to damage the needle on a bone and cause pain from a complication.

5. Perform the injection slowly. Injecting anything into the muscle too quickly will cause more trauma to the tissue. However, performing the injection should not cause the person pain because of the length of time the needle is in the arm. The speed of the injection should be about one second per ml for most medications and vaccinations.

6. Gently massage the muscle tissue after the injection has been given and the needle has been removed. The person receiving the injection may prefer to do this especially if the injection is in the buttock. If the person shows resistance or reluctance, this step can be optional.

< http://forum.facmedicine.com/threads/ 

GAUDETE SUNDAY: 11 THINGS TO KNOW AND SHARE -Jimmy Akin

The third Sunday of Advent is known as “Gaudete Sunday.”

In the readings, we hear about miracles associated with the Messianic age, its coming, and what we need to do to prepare.

We also learn about the doubts of John the Baptist, how he dealt with them, and the blessing that makes us even more fortunate than John was.

Here are 11 things to know and share: 

1. Why is the third Sunday of Advent known as Gaudete Sunday?

Its name is taken from the entrance antiphon of the Mass, which is: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.”

This is a quotation from Philippians 4:4-5, and in Latin, the first word of the antiphon is gaudete (Latin, “rejoice”; it's also pronounced with three syllables: gau-de-te)

2. What Significance does this have?

Advent is the season of preparing for the arrival of the Lord Jesus (both his first coming and his second coming), and by the third Sunday of Advent, we are most of the way through the season.

Thus it is appropriate to rejoice as we see the goal of the season approaching: “The Lord is near.”

3. What is the appropriate liturgical color for this day?

According to the rubrics: In this mass the color violet or rose is used. It can thus be either one. It doesn't have to be rose; it can also be violet.

4. What does the first reading say?

The first reading is Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10. It opens with a prophecy that the desert region will rejoice and sing and bloom with abundant flowers. The reason is: “They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.”

It then contains an exhortation to strength and courage, and explains the reason why: Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you.

It then contains the significant statement: Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing.

And it concludes: Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.

5. What does this mean?

This prophecy uses nature imagery to convey the sense of joy that the Jewish people would experience upon their return from exile.

This is what is meant by the statements that the desert will sing and be covered with flowers that “see the glory of the Lord.”

It depicts God’s coming with vindication to save his people after their exile, and it depicts urges patience until it arrives.

It portrays God working miracles among his people, such as healing the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute.

It promises that he will bring back those he has ransomed and give them everlasting joy, from which sorrow and mourning will flee.

Taken up into the Christological realm, this passage points to the joy of those God redeems through Jesus from their sins and the deliverance and spiritual homeland that he provides.

It contains elements that point forward to both the first advent of Christ—when he performed miracles such as curing the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute.

And it contains elements that point forward to the ultimate consummation that will occur with his second advent, when “death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

6.  What does the Responsorial Psalm say?

The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 146:6-10.

It contains a series of praises of God, stressing the good things that he does: He keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, sets captives free, etc.

Among the notable things that the Psalm declares is this: The Lord gives sight to the blind.

The reading concludes: The LORD shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, through all generations.

7.  What does this mean?

The Psalm gives voice to the worship of God’s faithful on behalf of his wondrous deeds, including miracles, such as the restoration of sight to blind people.

This particular miracle was also mentioned in the third reading, and it will become significant again in the Gospel reading.

The conclusion of the reading—the statement that God will reign forever—gives voice to our confidence in God and his ever-present providence in our lives.

On a Christological level, it also points to the eternal reign of the Son, which has been inaugurated with the first coming and which will be consummated at the second coming.

8. What does the Second Reading say?

The second reading is James 5:7-10.  It contains an exhortation to be patient until the coming of the Lord.

James compares the patience the reader must have to that of a farmer, who must wait until his crop “receives the early and the late rains.”

As in the Psalm for today, James exhorts the readers to strength and courage (“Make your hearts firm”) because “the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

He also tells them not to complain about each other, that they may not be judged.

Finally, he tells them that the Judge is standing before the gates and that they should follow the prophets as an example of hardship and patience.

9. What does this mean?

Rain did not fall year-round in Israel, but only at certain times. The early rains took place from mid-October to mid-November, and later rains took place from mid-December to mid-January. There were also rains in March and April.

Farmers were thus dependent on the arrival of these rains for the success of their crops and had to wait patiently for the rains to come and the crops to ripen.

The prophets, likewise, had to endure hardship and patience, particularly because their prophetic mission caused opposition—just as the Christian message did (and does).

These facts make both the farmers and the prophets models of patience and endurance for Christians in James’s day—and in ours.

Ultimately, God will reward our faith and patience, but we must be prepared to wait and to endure hardship.

As we do so, we must live in harmony with each other. One manifestation of this is resisting the urge to complain about each other, for in the way we judge others, we too will be judged. (That is, if we are unmerciful to others, we will obtain less mercy for ourselves.)

This latter statement is noteworthy because of how well it harmonizes with things Jesus says. James does not directly quote his kinsman, Jesus, in his letter, but as this passage shows, his thought was permeated by that of Christ.

10. What does the Gospel Reading say?

The Gospel reading is Matthew 11:2-11. The reading contains two parts.

In the first, John the Baptist, who is in prison, sends messengers to Jesus to ask “Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?”

Jesus replies by telling them to report to John what they have seen: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.

He adds: And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.

In the second part of the reading, as the messengers are preparing to leave, Jesus pays tribute to John the Baptist by asking the crowd a series of rhetorical questions about why they went out into the desert to see John when he was ministering.

The implied answer to the questions is “no” (no, they did not go out to see a reed shaken by the wind or someone dressed in fine clothing) until he names going out to see a prophet.

At this point Jesus affirms that they did go out to see a prophet, “and more than a prophet.”

He then identifies why John is more than a prophet: He is the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1, in which it is said: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.

Finally, Jesus states: Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

11. What does this mean?

The Jewish people in Jesus’ day had certain ideas about what the Messiah would be like and what he would do.

It was common to envision him as an earthly king who would deliver Israel from the dominion of the hated Romans by violent revolution.

John the Baptist may have shared some of this expectation, for even though he had received a revelation pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:30-34).

Despite this revelation, Jesus’ subsequent actions (his failure to start a revolution?) apparently caused John to question whether Jesus was the Messiah.

Rather than lose faith or let his doubts eat away at him, John decided to confront the issue directly, and so he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if his understanding of Jesus’ Messiaship was correct.

Jesus indicated that it was, pointing to the fact that he had been fulfilling the predicted miracles and the preaching of the good news proper to the Messianic age.

One of these miracles was the recovery of sight to the blind (already mentioned in the first reading and the responsorial Psalm).

Jesus then states that those who do not take offense at him (i.e., who do not reject him) are blessed.

In the original context, it applies to John the Baptist (he will be blessed for maintaining faith in Jesus, despite his doubts).

The same principle, however, applies to us as well.

As John’s messengers are departing, Jesus pays tribute to their master, stating that he was a genuine prophet—and even more than that—he was the messenger prophesied in Malachi, who would be the herald of the Messiah.

This makes him the greatest prophet of all, which is why Jesus says that among those born of women, none has been greater than John.

Despite this, Jesus states that “the least in the kingdom of heaven” is even greater.

In this context, the kingdom of heaven is understood in its earthly manifestation as the Church, in the Christian age, which John did not live to see.

Every Christian—man, woman, and child—is more blessed than John because we didn't just get to herald him. We get to live in the age he inaugurated, to share in its many blessings, and to be part of his mystical Body.

(That also goes for his mother, Mary, incidentally).Fine modulo

About Jimmy Akin: Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant pastor or seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith. Eventually, he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is a Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to This Rock magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/gaudete-sunday-11-things-to-know-and-share-.-/

OPEN LETTER TO CHRIS OKOTIE, RE. ‘ALL CATHOLICS WILL GO TO HELL’ _Sly Fulton Achonam

 “The Catholic church is a counterfeit church set up by Satan. Catholics bow to idols and crucify Jesus every Sunday when they eat bread claiming they are eating Jesus’ body.” _ Pastor Chris Okotie

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/12/01/catholics-will-go-to-hell-says-chris-okotie/

Am not going to join issues with you Chris , making mockery of people and their faith and making yourself THE LORD AND MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE THAT HAS THE POWER TO SEND PEOPLE TO HEAVEN OR HELL. I am only writing to educate you Chris Okotie and to encourage my fellow Catholics and others who care to know what we believe about the Eucharist, which is one of the issues Chris Okotie talked about.

First Chris Okotie is absolutely right when he said we eat bread and drink wine [body and blood] and say we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This accusation/misinterpretation has always been there from the first century. Listen to Pliny the Younger AD 62-114, a Roman official making a report of his discovery about Christians,
''They have been accustomed to assemble on a fixed day before daylight and sing by turns a hymn to Christ as God: and that they bound themselves with an oath [‘sacramentum’], not for any crime, but to commit neither theft, nor robbery, nor adultery, not to break their word and not to deny a deposit when demanded; after these things are done, it was their custom to take food and drink believed to be the body and blood of their God'' [Pliny, Epistulae.10, 96]

Yes that’s what we do, every Sunday, and even everyday Catholics who are in the state of grace receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Why do we do that? and how do we come about such a tradition?.
We receive the body and blood of Christ because that is what Jesus Christ Himself commanded us to do. There are a lot of things Jesus commanded us to do but the emphasis He placed on his Body and blood makes it a defining event in the life of early Christians which they in turn handed over to us… Let’s take a tour in the bible.

There are two instances where Jesus specifically used the word unless...'UNLESS YOU ARE BORN AGAIN of water and the spirit you cannot enter the kingdom of God… ' [John 3:3-7] Am sure our separated brothers and sisters are so familiar with this verse… Because that’s why they place so much emphases on being born again. We Catholics also take this verse and every verse in the bible very seriously since you cannot become catholic unless you are born again of water and the Holy Spirit. To be born again for us Catholic means, rejecting Satan and all his works, rejecting sin… and professing faith in Jesus Christ …faith in God the Father Son and Holy Spirit… then the person will be baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus in the name of The Father Son and Holy Spirit..[Attend a Catholic Baptism and you will see all these elements celebrated.]

The second verse is John 6:52-58…'' Then the Jews started to argue among themselves, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?. Jesus replied and said, truly truly I say to you UNLESS YOU EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, YOU HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU… for my flesh is real food and my blood real drink… As the living Father sent me and I draw life from the Father so whoever eats me will also draw life from me… It is not like the bread our ancestors ate, they are dead but anyone who eats this bread will live forever. [John 6:52-58] I will encourage you to read the whole sixth chapter of John to understand the importance, emphases and uncompromising position of Christ on this teaching.

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes" (Jn 6:53; ICor. 11:26).

Let's look at the institution narratives found in the three synoptic gospels, Mathew 26: 26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22: 14-20. In each of these gospels they all recorded an event Jesus celebrated before his passion and commanded his apostles to do in memory of Him. Even St Paul reechoed this tradition '' For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread… THIS IS MY BODY WHICH IS FOR YOU. DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME, in the same way also the cup… For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. WHOEVER THEREFORE, EATS THE BREAD OR DRINKS THE CUP OF THE LORD IN AN UNWORTHY MANNER WILL BE GUILTY OF PROFANING THE BODY OF THE LORD [ICor. 11: 23-32].

It is very lucid the apostles understood this command of Christ, prompting St Paul to issue the above warning after handing over the tradition he received. No wonder the apostles and disciples continued gathering together and breaking the bread, Acts of the Apostle 2:42 summarized the activities of the disciples of Christ in this way,
''These remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to prayers'' [Acts 2:23] read also Acts 20:7.

As the apostles and disciples were dying off, the apostolic fathers and the first, second and third century Christians continued this tradition.[ The tradition of gathering together on the first day of the week, reading the then known scripture, singing psalms and breaking of bread] 

Lets have a look at the writings of these early Christians. The Didache, or The teaching of the Apostles which dates prior to some New Testament books has this to say '' Assemble on the Lord's day and break bread and offer the Eucharist [Thanksgiving]: but first make confession of your faults, so that your sacrifice may be a pure one. Anyone who has a difference with his fellow is not to take part until they have been reconciled, so as to avoid any profanation of your sacrifice. For this is the offering of which the Lord said, ‘Everywhere and always bring me a sacrifice that is undefiled, for I am a great king says the Lord and my name is the wonder of nations'[Malachi 1:11]'' DIDACHE, sec.14. 
Reading the writings of clement of Rome. AD 96, Justin Martyr AD100- 165, Irenaeus AD 200, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and many other key players in the first three century of the church is the clearest indication of the centrality of the Eucharist.

Listen to Ignatius of Antioch AD 35- 107, '' Make certain therefore, that you all observe one common Eucharist: for there is but one Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and but one cup of union with His Blood, and one single altar of sacrifice… [Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Philadelphians 4].

Listen to Justin Martyr AD 100-165 ''And on the day called Sunday, all who live in the cities….gather to one place and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read…when the reader has ceased, the president [priest] verbally instructs and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and as we before said, when our prayer is ended bread and wine are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers to his ability, and the people accent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each and a participation of that over which thanks have been given [Eucharistic elements] and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacon… For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His Word and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh'' [ Justin Martyr, First Apology 1,67]

Rev. Fr. Sly Fulton Achonam.

Just for the records this tradition of gathering on the first day of the week, reading scripture, singing Psalms, sharing in the brotherhood, breaking the bread and prayers has continued from the apostolic times, the second, third, fourth, century and to the 21st century. And that is what Catholics do in every Mass.

I know there are some people who think that the gospel of Jesus Christ just landed on their laps, without history without tradition. This is completely false. Jesus Christ [The Incarnate Son of God, The Word made Flesh that dwelled among us, The Eucharistic Emmanuel] is a Historical being and He lived in time and the Church He Founded has been on a journey awaiting the Second Coming…[ Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again] as we reecho in every mass. 
Search the scripture, study history and Tradition, You will discover the Teachings of Jesus Christ, you will discover his church… NOT CHRIS OKOTIE'S CHURCH.

For Chris Okotie to call Pope Francis anti-Christ is seeking undue media coverage. For members of Chis Okotie church…my advice is simple…just look at the life of Chris Okotie and look at the life of Pope Francis even before he became Pope…you will discover for yourself who is for Christ and who is against Christ… and good enough Jesus had already given us the key when He said… By their fruits you shall know them [Matt 7 15-20]

May the Lord Jesus Christ who promised to be with his church always… that not even the powers of the netherworld will prevail against it bless his church [ Matt 28; 20, Matt 16 ;18]… May the Lord Jesus Christ who prayed for Peter that his faith may not fail, but to strengthen his brothers bless Pope Francis [Luke 22 ;31].