Abuse of the Eucharist

[Sir_Knight]

Thank you for your reply but you now have me totally confused. I’m a relatively new (only a couple of months) EMHC with no training in this area and charged with distributing communion to the sick and homebound.

Can you please tell me what is self-communion and how it differs from what we’re talking about. Thanks in advance.

 

[Marauder]

Sir Knight:

Thank you for your reply but you now have me totally confused. I’m a relatively new (only a couple of months) EMHC with no training in this area and charged with distributing communion to the sick and homebound.

Can you please tell me what is self-communion and how it differs from what we’re talking about. Thanks in advance.

Self-communion is taking the Eucharist instead of being given it. Communion is an offering not something to be taken.

Now as an EMHC that takes communion to the sick there are occasionally things that you have to do that go above and beyond normal situations.

First off protection of the Eucharist from sacriledge or any improper use is exteremly important. In a situation where there is a danger, it is better to consume the Eucharist then allow something to happen to it.

In a normal situation where an EMHC has to go to the hospital, they have to take an unknown number of hosts with them, any unused hosts SHOULD be returned to the tabernacle. But occasionally there can be a situation where you can not return the hosts. These situations should be avoided but if they can’t the EMHC can consume the remaining hosts. It shouldn’t be part of your normal job to plan on consuming the hosts, it should be under unusual circumstances. I have heard of several EMHCs that do this where the only reason they don’t return the unused hosts is because its out of their way, that shouldn’t be a good enough excuse.

One difference between this and self-communion is intent. The other difference is that under the normal situation for this, if you are going to the hospital you are usually going after Mass where you have already received the host from the priest when you received communion. Also (under ideal situations) you also received the hosts for the patients from the priest. So you wouldn’t be self-communicating.

This mainly applies just to the Ministry of the Sick with the hospital because under normal situations where you are visiting X number of homebound patients you should know exactly how many hosts you will need.

 

[Paris_Blues]

juno24:

When Father turned his back to collect the other vessels, the woman reached up to the altar, grabbed that host and stuffed it into her pants pocket!!!

GASP!!! :nope: :tsktsk:

I can’t believe that woman did that!

 

[Sir_Knight]

Marauder, thank you for your reply.

Marauder:

if you are going to the hospital you are usually going after Mass where you have already received the host from the priest when you received communion

We were told that in order to avoid “disrupting” the mass, we are to go to the tabernacle after mass ourselves so we’re not really receiving the host from the priest but taking it directly ourselves.

For example, this Thursday is a Holy Day. After mass is over, I am to go in the back, get the key to the tabernacle, obtain a pyx, and go to the tabernacle to get the hosts. I’ve been instructed to bring 50% most hosts than are needed in case the caregivers ask to receive as well. If there are any leftovers, I am to bring them back after I am done and do the process in reverse.

Is this “correct” or within “acceptable procedures”? I ask, because, as I said above, I’m fairly new to this and received very little instruction and I don’t want to unkowingly do something sacrilegious.

Thanks again.

 

[juno24]

Just a follow-up–

I received an email back from the secretary of the parish, and she indicated that the EMHC was taking the host to someone who was sick (as some here suggested she might be doing). She did not address the irreverence with which the host was treated, though. She said the woman should have used a pyx, and it was her understanding that she did. At least from the tone of the response, it seems that the parish knows what to do with regard to the Eucharist, but from what I saw, they appear to have some trouble making it known to the EMHC’s. I will pray that the woman in question comes to understand just how invaluable Christ in the Eucharist is, and that she begin to treat Him with the respect He deserves.

 

[Marauder]

Sir Knight:

We were told that in order to avoid “disrupting” the mass, we are to go to the tabernacle after mass ourselves so we’re not really receiving the host from the priest but taking it directly ourselves.

For example, this Thursday is a Holy Day. After mass is over, I am to go in the back, get the key to the tabernacle, obtain a pyx, and go to the tabernacle to get the hosts. I’ve been instructed to bring 50% most hosts than are needed in case the caregivers ask to receive as well. If there are any leftovers, I am to bring them back after I am done and do the process in reverse.

Is this “correct” or within “acceptable procedures”? I ask, because, as I said above, I’m fairly new to this and received very little instruction and I don’t want to unkowingly do something sacrilegious.

Thanks again.

As I mentioned in my previous message, under ideal situations you are getting the host directly from the priest. Due to variations in procedures, timing, etc. you may be getting the host yourself from the tabernacle. Make sure you know the proper procedures for doing this. In the situation you describe you went to Mass and received the Body of Christ during Mass. So if you HAVE to receive again immediately after Mass due to your duties in taking communion to the hospital or nursing home then there is no problem.

What you are doing is fine as in getting more hosts then what you think are needed for the nursing home or hospital. You never know how many people you will be distributing to. There could be Catholic relatives in the rooms, caregivers, etc. at the location. If you are specifically going to visit one person you should only bring one, and if someone else is present you can break the Host in multiple pieces, but in the hospital/nursing home situation you never know how many people you are visiting.

All hosts not distributed are to be brought back to the tabernacle. Of course if a situation arises where there is a real need to consume the host (i.e. danger of sacrilege, absolutely no way to get the host back to the tabernacle, etc.) you can do so.

When dealing with the hospital there will be situations where you have to think on your feet and know proper procedures for dealing with the situation. One time I had to deal with a patient in the isolation ward spitting out the Eucharist and falling onto them. Solutions to situations like this aren’t always readily taught to EMHCs.

 

[convert_2000]

Deborah:

Maybe you misheard Eternal Word , referring to the network

It’s odd, EWTN doesn’t show Fr Corapi in their regular series any longer.

 

[AFrances]

To see abuses of the Eucharist saddens me so much in Ireland. Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers are now being used every day at almost every Mass in many Churches (contrary to the Church’s teaching). I believe this has contributed to the lack of respect and solemnity at Mass where lay people can now be seen walking up to the Altar with little or no reverence. And also where Ex Eucharistic Ministers would be allowed to distribute Holy Communion while Priests sit down at a large assembly. Many Churches in Ireland have been destroyed by taking out beautiful altars, altar rails and statues and replacing them with simple wooden tables and meaningless pictures which also has contributed to the lack of solemnity at Mass.