Altar Rail Puts Communicants on Right Track

[Don_Ruggero]

Oh you were inspected by the bishop and you showed deference? Just curious, what year was it when you were 17?

A very very long time ago.

 

[angel12]

And if defending one’s ability to reverence Christ the way the Church has for thousands of years is being snarky to some people, then so be it.

You might want to do a google search and find out what the saints have said about the virtue of obedience. I would think that someone so concerned about reverence would already know.

 

[Phemie]

Your poor left brain would have really had a problem back when everyone poured forward in no particular order to kneel at the rail. In the parish where I grew up the only time I ever saw ushers directing traffic at Communion time was at Midnight Mass for the first two or three Christmases after we started receiving in the hand.

I think only once since then have I attended Mass anywhere that had ushers directing traffic at that time. Even Notre Dame Cathedral & San Marco, filled to the brim with Mass goers on Sunday morning, don’t use ushers for that purpose and yet everyone who wants to manages to receive with little delay and confusion.

 

[Augustinian]

I think people are suggesting the use of altar rails because some are unable to kneel on the floor and then stand up without assistance.

That’s really not necessary, however, as the current norm is to receive when standing so they don’t have to kneel on the floor to receive. Ditto for men who might not want to kneel on a floor that might not be pristine clean in their good dress pants.

 

[Katie777]

Dropping to your knees without warning can cause accidents on a communion line.

 

[Spyridon]

@JimR-OCDS

No, you are wrong.

Intinction is routinely used in my Ukrainian Catholic parish. It is a legitimate, orthodox discipline.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Dropping to your knees without warning can cause accidents on a communion line.

Actually, it can cause a tragedy.

 

[Spyridon]

and intinction and use of a tube or spoon are when the

Again wrong.

The Spoon ([Κοχλιάριον, Kochliárion]; Slavonic: Лжица, Lzhítza) in Eastern Christianity is a liturgical implement used to distribute Holy Communion to the laity during the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite. It is also called a cochlear.

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[Spyridon]

Don, I take it you mean the kneeler tripping up the communicant behind them, thus sending them tumbling into the minister holding the Eucharist, and scattering consecrated hosts all about?

 

[Augustinian]

Actually, it can cause a tragedy.

Not that likely, the people behind are usually moving slowly enough to prevent tragedy

 

[JanSobieskiIII]

Even if someone slowly bumped into the priest and he dropped the Eucharist, that itself is a tragedy.

 

[Loud-living-dogma]

Yes - - that could be a tragedy! It simply would not happen with an altar rail, would it?

 

[Augustinian]

Yes - - that could be a tragedy! It simply would not happen with an altar rail, would it?

People can trip over altar rails easily, if they aren’t watching where they are going.

 

[Loud-living-dogma]

People can trip over altar rails easily, if they aren’t watching where they are going.

Yeah, when they are doing the tango around the altar.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

Why not? Ever actually seen one or used one?
The rail is not a 6 ft fence. It’s easy to be tripped up or knock into the Priest at the rail. A rail should be designed so the Priest doesn’t need to bend down. That puts it on a platform, one must step up and down to access it.

I am not sure what idea people have of an altar rail. Perhaps I should take some pics of the vintage rails in my rural churches.

If you want to kneel, then kneel. If you need a rail to get down or back up, you are a risk of knocking the Eucharist on your way down or up.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

All these arguments tell me one thing.

People are not putting the action of sharing in the Eucharist first in the celebration of the Mass.

People are putting what they would like, would not like, first. God comes first. We are his creatures, there to worship and glorify Him.

 

[Joe_5859]

People are not putting the action of sharing in the Eucharist first in the celebration of the Mass.

Indeed. It’s not all about us.

I’m not opposed to altar rails. My present parish actually has one (it was installed with recent renovations), though it isn’t used in the distribution of Communion. From an aesthetic perspective, I like them a lot. And a lot can be said about the reverence in approaching the Lord on our knees to receive him.

But, ultimately, I’m more concerned with receiving Jesus with a worthy heart than with a particular posture. If my pastor decided he wanted to start using the altar rail exclusively, I would follow suit and support him. If he opts never to use it, well, I will still follow suit and support him.

A little humility goes a long way. I have my own preferences in liturgical things, but I’ve learned not to let those personal preferences distract me from the Mass. Mainly because it’s not all about me.

Honestly, I think going back to altar rails for the distribution of Communion is going to be a hard sell in most parishes. For one, with increased life expectancy and access to transportation, I think you have a lot more people going to Mass nowadays that simply would not be physically capable of kneeling at the altar rail. Further, it’s logistically more complicated than a simple procession to the front. Now, I’m sure these aren’t insurmountable obstacles. And if the priest really had a desire for it and explained it to his parish well to get them all on board, more power to him. I don’t think most priests want to fight that battle, though. And I can’t say I blame them.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

You’re merely showing that intinction by the priest, i.e. not that self intinction is allowed.

I’ve already stated that I accept this.

However, what I’m referring to is when I’m EMHC of the cup and a person comes to receive with the consecrated host in their hand and wants to dip the host into the cup to receive the Precious Blood. As I was instructed by my pastor, this is prohibited and I should place my hand over the cup and instruct the person to receive the host first, then they can receive from the cup.

Sorry, but obedience to my pastor trump’s directives from strangers on CAF.

Jim

 

[Loud-living-dogma]

I thought this was a really good blog post:

The purpose of the altar rail was two fold. First, it separated the sanctuary from the body of the church. For Catholics, the
sanctuary is our Holy of Holies. This is where the sacrifice of Christ
takes place in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and where Christ remains
in the tabernacle in His abiding presence in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
The second purpose of the altar rail was for the Communion of the
faithful.
It was only on June 17, 1977 that the Holy See granted an
indult with permission for the faithful to receive Holy Communion in the
hand. An indult is a a permission granted by the Holy See, giving an
exception from a norm of the Church. That means that the norm for
reception of Holy Communion in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church
remains kneeling and on the tongue. So, the indult gives what we could
say, a relaxation of the law.
With the indult, the Holy See gave regulations that demanded proper reverence and protection for the Most Blessed Sacrament. At all
times, Holy Communion should be protected from profanation by using a
Communion paten to catch any fragments that may fall from the Host. The
Sacred Host is to be placed in the left hand which is held flat over the
right hand, the Host is to be immediately taken with the right hand and
placed in the mouth and any particles in the left hand consumed.
Anyone who distributes Holy Communion can relate that since
the change, not only is Holy Communion received poorly, but very little
respect and reverence is given to Our Lord by many receiving the Most
Holy Sacrament.
…During Mass at St. John Lateran, on May 22, 2008, Pope Benedict
XVI began giving Communion to all who received from him kneeling and on
the tongue. His mater of Ceremonies, Monsignor Guido Marini stated that
Communion kneeling and on the tongue helps to emphasize “the truth of
the Real Presence (of Christ) in the Eucharist, helps the devotion of
the faithful, and introduces the sense of mystery more easily.” Since
that Mass, the practice has become the norm at all Papal Masses."

My experience of the altar rail by Fr. Jay Finelli

Recently there has been a lot of buzz about returning altar rails in the last few years. One of the latest blog post was by Deacon Greg Kandra over at the Deacon’s Bench. After the Second Va…

deaconjohnspace.wordpress.com

 

[Spyridon]

However, what I’m referring to is when I’m EMHC of the cup and a person comes to receive with the consecrated host in their hand and wants to dip the host into the cup to receive the Precious Blood. As I was instructed by my pastor, this is prohibited and I should place my hand over the cup and instruct the person to receive the host first, then they can receive from the cup.

Oh no don’t get me wrong.

That is most certainly an illicit liturgical abuse.

That’s a practice in Protestant episcopalian communities, not orthodox Catholic discipline by any means.