bringing up gifts to the altar

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My husband is lutheran, and I am a catholic. We just recently had our marraige blessed, so that I can receive communion. We went to church with my parents on mothers day. They were asked to bring the gifts up to the altar. When we sat down, my dad passed this onto us. They were very insistent on it, even after I stated my concern about it being right to do, since my husband was lutheran. I didn’t want to upset my parents, but I’m really feeling unsettled about possibly having upset the priest, or others in the church by having done this. Were we wrong to bring the gifts up?
 
space ghost,

Thank you. You have no idea how much better I feel thanks to that answer.

God bless you.
 
for eternity:
My husband is lutheran, and I am a catholic. We just recently had our marraige blessed, so that I can receive communion. We went to church with my parents on mothers day. They were asked to bring the gifts up to the altar. When we sat down, my dad passed this onto us. They were very insistent on it, even after I stated my concern about it being right to do, since my husband was lutheran. I didn’t want to upset my parents, but I’m really feeling unsettled about possibly having upset the priest, or others in the church by having done this. Were we wrong to bring the gifts up?
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Like spaceghost said, although short but sweet, I don’t think there is any harm in this, after-all the Consecration hasn’t been done at that stage.

Maybe you should ask a priest about it, but I’ve seen the priest ask some people, and for all he knows they may not be Catholic.

Would they object to non-Catholics putting money into the collection box ?
 
There is not any problem with you and your husband bringing up the gifts. Although you are Catholic and he is Lutheran, there is no rule to prevent you as a couple or as a family bringing up the gifts!

(In my own parish, one lady’s non-Catholic husband attended Mass with her every week, and they often brought up the gifts. He was also, while still a non-Catholic, president of the parish men’s club. After some decades, he did eventually become Catholic. He said he was involved in everything else in the parish, he might as well be able to go to communion.)
 
My husband is also Lutheran, and our two girls and I are Catholic. He attends Mass with us each week and our priest has stated that he is more faithful about attending church than many Catholics are! We have taken the offertory gifts to the altar on several occasions and have had no negative reactions. (Please join me in praying for his conversion, which I have faith will happen someday!) God bless!
 
Thanks for all the help! You have no idea how relieved I was that we didn’t do something wrong! It’s so great to have a forum like this to find out answers to questions on.

Regi, I will pray for your husband. I know how difficult it is to have two different faiths in a marraige, especially with children. I keep hoping that God will also help my husband and I unite more in this area.

Thanks again everyone who helped me.
 
You are blessed that your husband will go to church with you! :yup:
 
Right now it’s only on ‘special occasions’, but that’s a start I guess. You’re right, I am lucky.
 
Hi recently a new priest was sent to my parish, and traditionally when bring up the gifts the presiding priest accepts the gifts first and the money basket second. But this new priest says he is well verst in liturgy. and tells us the money should be accepted first before the gifts. what is correct. thank you
 
jfmonforte said:
Hi recently a new priest was sent to my parish, and traditionally when bring up the gifts the presiding priest accepts the gifts first and the money basket second. But this new priest says he is well verst in liturgy. and tells us the money should be accepted first before the gifts. what is correct. thank you
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Please note this is an 8 year old thread and we are asked not to resurrect old threads. I PMed the mods to split this off.

The GIRM does not specify any sort of order.

The bread and wine are the gifts proper and the GIRM says it is praiseworthy that they are brought forward (although they might not be, in some cases they might be on the credence table and brought to the altar by the priest or altar servers).

Money or other items are optional but acceptable in the presentation of the gifts.

The Preparation of the Gifts
  1. At the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist the gifts which will become Christ’s Body and Blood are brought to the altar.
First of all, the altar or Lord’s table, which is the center of the whole Liturgy of the Eucharist,[69] is made ready when on it are placed the corporal, purificator, Missal, and chalice (unless this last is prepared at the credence table).

The offerings are then brought forward. It is a praiseworthy practice for the bread and wine to be presented by the faithful. They are then accepted at an appropriate place by the Priest or the Deacon to be carried to the altar. Even though the faithful no longer bring from their own possessions the bread and wine intended for the liturgy as was once the case, nevertheless the rite of carrying up the offerings still keeps its spiritual efficacy and significance.

Even money or other gifts for the poor or for the Church, brought by the faithful or collected in the church, are acceptable; given their purpose, they are to be put in a suitable place away from the Eucharistic table.
  1. The procession bringing the gifts is accompanied by the Offertory Chant (cf. no. 37 b), which continues at least until the gifts have been placed on the altar. The norms on the manner of singing are the same as for the Entrance Chant (cf. no. 48). Singing may always accompany the rite at the Offertory, even when there is no procession with the gifts.
  2. The bread and wine are placed on the altar by the Priest to the accompaniment of the prescribed formulas; the Priest may incense the gifts placed on the altar and then incense the cross and the altar itself, so as to signify the Church’s offering and prayer rising like incense in the sight of God. Next, the Priest, because of his sacred ministry, and the people, by reason of their baptismal dignity, may be incensed by the Deacon or by another minister.
  3. Then the Priest washes his hands at the side of the altar, a rite in which the desire for interior purification finds expression.
 
STIOFAN said:
Would they object to non-Catholics putting money into the collection box ?
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No, I don’t think there would be any objection to that. :rotfl:

My non-Catholic husband and I are frequently asked to bring the gifts forward. The priest is very aware that DH is not Catholic.
 
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