Blessings to non-communicants

  • Thread starter Thread starter MWPapabear
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MWPapabear

Guest
So many serious, heated threads lately! I thought I would try one not too controversial (other than stirring up peoples’ passions regarding the use of Extraordinary Ministers of holy communion). I decided to look into becoming an EMHC (I used to say Eucharistic Minister - until I saw some post’s on that!). I truly love God and wish to be able to serve him in a way that seems worthy at Mass. For me that is to offer to God his only son, to offer myself through him, and participating with my parish. I wish to set a good, favorable, and respectful example for all of my children, and now grandchild. Plus I was asked if I would like to assist.

I have looked in the GIRM adaptations issued by Archbishop Vlazny (a truly kind & wonderful man, BTW) for the Archdiocese. He writes, “It presumes the participation of lay ministers, but is also careful to preserve a clear distinction between the ordained and non-ordained.” He also writes, “Patience, mutual respect, caharity and careful catechesis over a significant period of time will be needed, as we work together through these changes (aforementioned adaptations), which will bring us into unity of practice and expression in this rich and ethnically diverse local church.”

All that said, I pose my question to my learned brothers and sisters: What is an acceptable blessing to give non-communicants? I have been told that there are no specific rules or prayers for this, but to say “May the Lord set his Word in your heart and fill you with lasting joy,” or something similair that I can easily remember. Is there a standard? Is there something better? I would love to hear from you on this. May God bless you and keep you!
 
there is no provision in the communion rite for anyone to bless non-communicants, so it should not be done. there is no room for lay ministers to make up ad hoc words, gestures or blessings. this has been discussed many times before, and unfortunately, like any topic that mentions EMHCs, is also very controversial.
 
Today I was serving as an EMHC and distributing the Host when a woman approaches me with he arms across her chest. What I usually do is to just look at them in the eyes and invite them to “Receive the Spirit of Jesus Christ in their heart”. I think that it works well with the children that are in line with their parents, but the adults should know better and just kneel at the pew for a spiritual communion.

Anyway I just noticed some motion on my side and this lady moves to my right. With the corner of my eyes I see someone that gives a real blessing (in words and gesture) and I was really shocked that someone would dare to do something like that. I looked over and I saw that it was our pastor that came to distribute Communion in the side chapel because the number of faithfuls was even more than the usually large crowd. It is interesting to notice that I was running out of Hosts and I was just thinking 'Lord, please. I need your help"
 
So much for not too controversial or stirring up peoples’ passions…

Not quite what I was looking for. Look, I understand AND support that the EMHC is supposed to be temporary in order to address the fact that there is a vocation shortage which creates the need for temporary lay people to assist. I pray for vocations that my young and only son enter into a priestly vocation. And that my youngest daughter enter religious. But by the Lord God we call good, could you be more constructive? I even prefaced it as such. All the faithful - most people for that matter - want to do the right thing. But why ask questions to learn if they are going to be shut down hard? When a non-communicant comes before me with arms crossed, am I to understand that my response is to be “bugger off?”

I apologize for a passionate retort, but many people - including myself - came back to the church. We don’t want to change what is correct, but neither do we want to push people away by saying, “all are welcome - except you.”

I was just trying to be good - and helpful - and posibly, just possibly, say the right thing that would make the next person say to themselves - “I need to be here, I need to learn the teachings of the church, I need to come back.”

Sorry for the rant, just a little frustrated that most of my first few questions posted in the this forum get slapped around like so many step children.

Wasn’t trying to be controversial. Some of us - who come late to the realization that this IS the way, the truth and the life (I will ‘thank’ my own parents later) - want to make it right and better…

In his holy name,
 
Thanks Cristiano. Sorry for you to caught in the reply. I appreciate you coming up - as you have to others - with a positive reply. My marraige is mixed - my wife is Lutheran - but she goes to Mass every week with us instead, and we lead and assist our children, especially our youngest daughter who is disabled (we prefer “blessed specially by God”) and who received her 1st Communion this year. Then she crosses her arms and receives a blessing. She has heard everything from “May the Lord set his Word in your heart …” to " Jesus loves you, Yes He does!" I am hoping it is still all about loving thy neighbor as thyself."

Anyway, thanks again for the reply.
 
I have read that blessings are restricted at mass to the ordained. Why don’t you ask your pastor who will give you the advise you need instead of people who only think we know. I would be interested in knowing what he says to you.
 
MWPapabear said:
So When a non-communicant comes before me with arms crossed, am I to understand that my response is to be “bugger off?”
e,
Click to expand...
I realize you were not trying to be controversial, we are trying to point out that you have inadvertently brought up a controversial topic, moreover, it is a topic that is dealt with in the rubrics for Mass. If you are an EMHC you should have had proper training for this, and for other things that arise. If you have not been trained, that is not your fault, but your pastor needs to address the issue with you. The policies for your parish come from your parish, so the best thing to do is simply ask him.
 
an EMHC can bless whatever and whoever they want to.

But they can confer no grace in doing so.

So, bless all you want to. It wont mean anything more than when I do it, or anyone else does it.
 
Hellisreal said:
an EMHC can bless whatever and whoever they want to.

But they can confer no grace in doing so.

So, bless all you want to. It wont mean anything more than when I do it, or anyone else does it.
Click to expand...
I think that this is not a correct thing to suggest. It seems to imply that it is fine to go ahead with a form of liturgical abuse from the laity and to disobey the Church. I am quite sure that you were just trying to say that the blessing would not bring any grace, but a less informed person might be misled in doing something wrong.
 
Cristiano said:
I think that this is not a correct thing to suggest. It seems to imply that it is fine to go ahead with a form of liturgical abuse from the laity and to disobey the Church. I am quite sure that you were just trying to say that the blessing would not bring any grace, but a less informed person might be misled in doing something wrong.
Click to expand...
You are correct, I was hoping that I was clear but it seems one needs to be abundantly clear so as to avoid confusion.

The EMHC that gives a blessing to anyone is not giving the recipient a blessing that holds any more weight than one I would give or anyone else who is not a priest.

A blessing from a Priest does confer grace.

So, I hope that is clear.

I will not speculate on why EMHC do this, or why Priests who know they do it let them. Or why someone would seek a blessing out from an EMHC…That would be another thread.
 
I am an EMHC in my own parish. I would caution others in peremptorily answering someone who has returned to the church in a manner that may be well-meaning but discouraging in phraseology or nuance. I was also a lay minister many years ago, and from then till now we have been told to bless non-communicants. The Sacrament is a visible sign of God’s grace at work, and God can work through anyone or anything, even through stones if He wished. I have never been forbidden by any parish priest whatever church I have served in to bless non-communicants, but rather the reverse.

To answer your original question, sir, there are many different forms and none written in stone. Try May the Lord bless you and keep you. That’s easy enough to remember.
 
Thing is that blessings can only be given by a priest, especially during a Liturgy. You will notice this in many prayer services where there is options for prayers without the priest, there will be alternative text as the lay people pray for blessings instead of imparting it.
 
I hope people won’t be dredging up my posts from years ago. This was a dead thread. Just let this one die.
This topic has been thoroghly discussed in more recent threads.
 
zab said:
I hope people won’t be dredging up my posts from years ago. This was a dead thread. Just let this one die.
This topic has been thoroghly discussed in more recent threads.
Click to expand...
This could happen if one searches via Google and ends up on the thread. Sometimes they don’t see the last posted date.
 
Regardless I still don’t get why people still bring up old threads especially ones over 3 years. Start a new thread, it’s been going on lately.
 
archangel04 said:
Regardless I still don’t get why people still bring up old threads especially ones over 3 years. Start a new thread, it’s been going on lately.
Click to expand...
As I mentioned, they could have gotten a link to the thread via Google and didn’t even realize the last post has been some time ago.

Maybe we can suggest to CAF that they should have some sort of auto-close script if a thread has been abandonned for 6 months.
 
I did indeed get on the thread by Googling, but I’ve been lurking for years. I generally prefer to drink the wisdom in since I know mine must be limited. I do hate to see returners to the faith get discouraged, though, even unintentionally. We all serve the Lord as He has seen to use us. God bless us all.
 
Hellisreal said:
You are correct, I was hoping that I was clear but it seems one needs to be abundantly clear so as to avoid confusion.

The EMHC that gives a blessing to anyone is not giving the recipient a blessing that holds any more weight than one I would give or anyone else who is not a priest.

A blessing from a Priest does confer grace.

So, I hope that is clear.

I will not speculate on why EMHC do this, or why Priests who know they do it let them. Or why someone would seek a blessing out from an EMHC…That would be another thread.
Click to expand...
PS. A blessing from a bishop or a deacon confers the same grace as the blessing from the priest.
 
Shazaka said:
I did indeed get on the thread by Googling, but I’ve been lurking for years. I generally prefer to drink the wisdom in since I know mine must be limited. I do hate to see returners to the faith get discouraged, though, even unintentionally. We all serve the Lord as He has seen to use us. God bless us all.
Click to expand...
Everyone in the church gets a blessing though just a few minutes after communion. Our returners to the faith and non catholics can be encouraged with that. We can teach them about that. Try to look at some of the newer threads on this topic so that you can read the church teaching about it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top