Busted At Mass--a great article by Protestant pastor

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christianitytoday.com/le/2012/july-online-only/bustedatmass.html

I found this article fascinating! For those who want more info, it’s an article by a Protestant pastor who started attending Catholic Mass in the morning for his own personal edification, and was “taking” Holy Communion at the Mass :eek: and then got “busted” by the presiding priest who stopped the Communion procession, told the pastor that non-Catholics couldn’t receive the Eucharist, made him return the Host, and asked him to come see him after Mass.

I won’t tell you what happened! You’ll have to read it yourself.

I would be interested in hearing what other people think of the article.

I would love to ask this pastor why he doesn’t consider becoming Catholic. My guess is that he is afraid he will lose his livelihood. This wasn’t an issue for me and my husband, because we weren’t making a living being Protestant pastors. But for Pastor Dalbey, this has got to weigh heavily on his mind. To become Catholic would be to lose his job, and there isn’t a whole lot of demand for ex-pastors.
 
Thanks, Cat, for posting a link to this article. I really enjoyed reading it.
 
The best part of the the whole story was when the Protestant minister confessed to the Catholic priest that he had been attending Mass for sometime, and then said, “I can only tell you that something happens to me at a Catholic mass that doesn’t happen when I take Communion at my church. I don’t know what it is, but there is a power here, and I have been drawn to it.” 🙂

Now that is what I call a personal encounter with the Living Christ! 👍
 
I agree, a great article. Glad he was able to bring something important back to his church from the experience. Many Protestant churches get so focused on wordy sermons, they’ve gotten away from the core of Christianity, which is more mystical.
 
Anyone else who couldn’t contain their laughter when he asked why the sign had to be so embarassing hahah! 😃

Thank you for sharing this. The “grandmother” analogy part was very interesting and gave me something to think about. :rolleyes:
 
Praise God! He’s on his way home! Gordon Dalbey added to my rosary intentions!
 
I have heard of ex pastors, even of current pastors that they see and feel that the Eucharist is real. Some don’t leave even tough they know is the real presence, but for economic reasons decide to stay. God willing these men actually let God guide them. It’s obvious he’s the one calling them.
 
Great article. He asked God for a sign, and he got it.

DGB
 
chero23 said:
I have heard of ex pastors, even of current pastors that they see and feel that the Eucharist is real. Some don’t leave even tough they know is the real presence, but for economic reasons decide to stay. God willing these men actually let God guide them. It’s obvious he’s the one calling them.
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This is what happened to me. When I was confronted with Eucharist (while attending a Mass as an observer), I RECOGNIZED Jesus.
 
I remember my Great Aunt Ruth telling me of a nice guy, a Presbyterian minister, who confided in her that he really didn’t believe in the Gospel any more, but he tried to do the best job for his congregation that he could, it was his job, and he didn’t really have any other career options at that point in life.
 
This was certainly an interesting article although I suspect it was a little injudicious of the priest to call after the pastor and ask for the host to be returned during the service. It’s difficult to pronounce on these situations without knowing the full story and there may have been more to this one than meets the eye. However I’m inclined towards the view that a quiet word with the pastor after the service would have been a better approach.

I occasionally attend Mass in RC churches and to date I’ve always obeyed the rules, not least of all because I’ve got friends at my local RC church and I don’t want to embarrass them, but also because rules are rules and they’re meant to be obeyed whether we believe they’re right or not. For what it’s worth I’ve never felt in any way excluded by having to settle for a blessing instead of receiving Communion.

That said I went on a visit to Rome back in 1986 and, whilst there, attended Sunday Mass at St Peter’s. At Communion time I went up for a blessing as usual but the priest - who wasn’t English - didn’t understand the posture I adopted and tried several times - without success - to communicate me. Needless to say it caused a bit of a problem as a queue was building behind me and I went back to my place rather frustrated without receiving either the sacrament or a blessing. On my return home I recounted this story to my mother and she counselled that it would have been less hassle if I’d simply taken Communion as the priest wouldn’t have known who I was.

I find it surprising and hard to imagine but until comparatively recently my own church didn’t normally allow members of other religious bodies which weren’t in communion with it, to receive sacramental Communion. There is good ‘case history’ of exceptions being made on rare occasions but it certainly wasn’t usual. Until well after World War II the rule that “there shall none be admitted to the Holy Communion until such time as he be Confirmed or ready and desirous to be Confirmed” which effectively excluded Nonconformists from Anglican altars was enforced. However during the late 1950s and 1960s the will to enforce it effectively evaporated. This was partly down to the changing ecumenical climate, the fact that increasingly the Church of England was the only organised Christian presence in many rural areas and, a growing practice of the main service (often the only service) being Eucharistic. All of this led eventually to the promulgation of Canon B15 (A) in 1972 which directed that “members of other churches which subscribe to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and are in good standing with their own church” were to be admitted to Holy Communion. To the best of my knowledge nobody’s ever tested the meaning of “in good standing” at law and usually, for the avoidance of doubt, the welcome listed in pew sheets is to those who are “used to receiving Communion in their own church.”
 
AdyEbor63 said:
This was certainly an interesting article although I suspect it was a little injudicious of the priest to call after the pastor and ask for the host to be returned during the service. It’s difficult to pronounce on these situations without knowing the full story and there may have been more to this one than meets the eye. However I’m inclined towards the view that a quiet word with the pastor after the service would have been a better approach.
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No. I have actually seen a priest follow a man to a pew and take the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, from a gentleman, very recently. Also, our priests keep a close eye on those receiving the Eucharist to make sure it is actually consumed in front of the priest. (We sit near the front, and sometimes glimpse the priest.) I wish people were more reverent, and would either take it only on the tongue, and step to the side and receive it reverently.
That said I went on a visit to Rome back in 1986 and, whilst there, attended Sunday Mass at St Peter’s. At Communion time I went up for a blessing as usual but the priest - who wasn’t English - didn’t understand the posture I adopted and tried several times - without success - to communicate me. Needless to say it caused a bit of a problem as a queue was building behind me and I went back to my place rather frustrated without receiving either the sacrament or a blessing. On my return home I recounted this story to my mother and she counselled that it would have been less hassle if I’d simply taken Communion as the priest wouldn’t have known who I was.
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This, NO!!! Just becoming something is EASIER to do (taking Communion) doesn’t make it right at ALL.
Phalanx said:
Anyone else who couldn’t contain their laughter when he asked why the sign had to be so embarassing hahah! 😃
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True. Sometimes God gives you exactly what you ask for. I’ve had that ‘smack’ upside the head and I usually wish I’d listen sooner and seen the previous signs for what they were. 🙂
 
I had a question regarding this article as I am a Protestant Baptist converting to Catholicism. I was given a Roman Missal by the Parish Sacristant 2 months ago and have since been reading its pages. After going to a few Masses on my own, I began to wonder if I could partake in Communion. Well, the Missal says that Christians of other denominations are welcome to partake in Communion. Is this not true? A similar incident happened to me this passed Sunday and the Deacon (who is also my RCIA instructor) did not give me Communion, but a blessing instead, even though he knew that I was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in a Baptist Church. Is it at the Parish’s discretion which Christians can receive Communion?
 
Zeebo0311 said:
I had a question regarding this article as I am a Protestant Baptist converting to Catholicism. I was given a Roman Missal by the Parish Sacristant 2 months ago and have since been reading its pages. After going to a few Masses on my own, I began to wonder if I could partake in Communion. Well, the Missal says that Christians of other denominations are welcome to partake in Communion. Is this not true? A similar incident happened to me this passed Sunday and the Deacon (who is also my RCIA instructor) did not give me Communion, but a blessing instead, even though he knew that I was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in a Baptist Church. Is it at the Parish’s discretion which Christians can receive Communion?
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No, it’s not discretionary. Whichever “missal” you may have that says “Christians of other denominations” may receive communion in the RCC is in serious error. The RCC has always practiced “closed communion” meaning that only those who are baptized in, or formally received into, the Church may receive (the sole exception being the Orthodox, but that’s arguably not an exception at all). This is also the case with the Orthodox (who generally do not even allow Catholics to be admited to communion). Since you have not yet been received into the church, the deacon was quite correct.
 
malphono said:
No, it’s not discretionary. Whichever “missal” you may have that says “Christians of other denominations” may receive communion in the RCC is in serious error. The RCC has always practiced “closed communion” meaning that only those who are baptized in, or formally received into, the Church may receive (the sole exception being the Orthodox, but that’s arguably not an exception at all). This is also the case with the Orthodox (who generally do not even allow Catholics to be admited to communion). Since you have not yet been received into the church, the deacon was quite correct.
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I spoke to a priest earlier and he informed me. I misunderstood the text. Thank you.
 
Maybe I’m the Grinch, here, but ultimately I’m rather disappointed in this pastor. He still talks about his experiences entirely in the realm of emotion and feeling. I’m glad he felt something different after (illicitly and KNOWINGLY) consuming the Eucharist, and I’m even more glad that he turned around to go apologize to the priest.

Certainly don’t think he’s a bad man, but he’s got a long, long way to go.
 
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