Commuion cross blessing?

[TrueLight]

Oh dear. We’ve been going up for a blessing each time, mostly because I have my children and I didn’t want them to feel uncomfortable staying in the seat. The youth director at the parish told me that we could go up for a blessing, and the priest tells me thank you each time I go up, haha. So…I guess its ok for me to keep going? Now I feel bad, like maybe we should just stay seated.

You’re speaking of two different issues here: leaving your children alone and getting a blessing.

There is nothing wrong with taking your children with you, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if they can just watch as the adults receive communion and look forward to their first communion? There is no reason to give a blessing.

 

[ataylorfam]

You’re speaking of two different issues here: leaving your children alone and getting a blessing.

There is nothing wrong with taking your children with you, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if they can just watch as the adults receive communion and look forward to their first communion? There is no reason to give a blessing.

Sorry, I think the way I phrased it previously caused confusion. No, I don’t want to leave my kids alone in the seat, and I wouldn’t if I were receiving communion - which I am not since I haven’t done RCIA yet. =o) BUT, my daughter is 8 years old, and I worried that she would feel uncomfortable staying behind and not going up, like self conscious or something, so we go up since we were told by the youth director that we were welcome to do that. I guess now I am just confused, because we were told by someone there that it was ok, and we spoke with the priest directly after mass and he didn’t say it was an issue, but now I am reading here that it isn’t acceptable to go up for a blessing at the time of communion. So, I’m just confused. Especially since I have also seen parents go up carrying their babies, and the baby is given a blessing by the priest before the parent receives communion. One big thing that drew me to the Catholic faith was that I was so tired of searching for answers among thousands of different “denominations”. I wanted the church with the authority of Christ. Now I’m just feeling disheartened because so much of what I see on the forum is disunity and fighting over so many things.

I don’t mind not going up. I just would like to have a clear answer.

 

[thistle]

Sorry, I think the way I phrased it previously caused confusion. No, I don’t want to leave my kids alone in the seat, and I wouldn’t if I were receiving communion - which I am not since I haven’t done RCIA yet. =o) BUT, my daughter is 8 years old, and I worried that she would feel uncomfortable staying behind and not going up, like self conscious or something, so we go up since we were told by the youth director that we were welcome to do that. I guess now I am just confused, because we were told by someone there that it was ok, and we spoke with the priest directly after mass and he didn’t say it was an issue, but now I am reading here that it isn’t acceptable to go up for a blessing at the time of communion. So, I’m just confused. Especially since I have also seen parents go up carrying their babies, and the baby is given a blessing by the priest before the parent receives communion. One big thing that drew me to the Catholic faith was that I was so tired of searching for answers among thousands of different “denominations”. I wanted the church with the authority of Christ. Now I’m just feeling disheartened because so much of what I see on the forum is disunity and fighting over so many things.

I don’t mind not going up. I just would like to have a clear answer.

The clear answer is that Non-Catholics and Catholics in a state of mortal sin must remain seated and not go up for a blessing.

 

[codefro]

The clear answer is that Non-Catholics and Catholics in a state of mortal sin must remain seated and not go up for a blessing.

Actually C/A addressed this issue and explained that at this point it is allowed for the individual to decide to go up for a blessing or not.

 

[thistle]

Actually C/A addressed this issue and explained that at this point it is allowed for the individual to decide to go up for a blessing or not.

That is not true.

This Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disciple of the Sacraments acknowledges receipt of your kind letter of 13 August, 2008 and would like to thank you for your interest and suggestions. This matter is presently under the attentive study of the Congregation.

For the present, therefore, this Dicastery wishes to limit itself to the following observations:
The liturgical blessing of the Holy Mass is properly given to each and to all at the conclusion of the Mass, just a few moments subsequent to the distribution of Holy Communion.
Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings. These blessings, rather, are the competence of the priest (cf. Ecclesia de Mysterio, Notitiae 34 (15 Aug. 1997), art. 6, § 2; can. 1169, § 2; and Roman Ritual De Benedictionibus (1985), n. 18).
Furthermore, the laying on of a hand or hands – which has its own sacramental significance, inappropriate here – by those distributing Holy Communion, in substitution for its reception, is to be explicitly discouraged.
The Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio, n. 84, “forbids any pastor, for whatever reason to pretext even of a pastoral nature, to perform ceremonies of any kind for divorced people who remarry.” To be feared is that any form of blessing in substitution for communion would give the impression that the divorced and remarried have been returned, in some sense, to the status of Catholics in good standing.
In a similar way, for others who are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in accord with the norm of law,** the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing. This would include non-Catholics and those envisaged in can. 915**** (i.e., those under the penalty of excommunication or interdict, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin).**

 

[ataylorfam]

See!

I think I am just going to ask the priest at this particular parish and have him tell me what to do.

 

[Chuck1]

Well I went to mass today and received a blessing and the preist actually said come up and have a blessing to be more apart of it ect

 

[paperwight66]

Good for you, Chuck. You are really getting more relaxed and feeling more at home now, aren’t you!

 

[asd72]

Well I went to mass today and received a blessing and the preist actually said come up and have a blessing to be more apart of it ect

I think it’s good to take yr Priests advice.

 

[Chuck1]

Yh I suppose but this is taken from my other thread : I am but I still have a dilemma that is this : I still going to my old baptist church and they don’t know I have been going to a new catholic church and I don’t want to tell them yet , the baptist church is a bit smaller and everyone knows everyone and they all like me and the sermons are okay but I go out to Sunday school for teens which I enjoy and then you have tea and food after the service and at the catholic church they are a few young people I’ve seen and it’s more traditional and more time in prayer thus feeling more spiritually connected but I havnt meet any regulars and I don’t see anyone going for coffee afterwards and not many say hi apart from make the sign of peace bit and its the only Church I can get to but i also believe what the church teaches ect so I don’t know what to do ?

Can anyone help me out ? Thanks chuck

 

[JM3]

I think I am just going to ask the priest at this particular parish and have him tell me what to do.

Yes.

 

[asia53]

Now I’m just feeling disheartened because so much of what I see on the forum is disunity and fighting over so many things.

I don’t mind not going up. I just would like to have a clear answer.

Please don’t let it bother you. We’re human, and unfortunately, sinners.

We don’t go up for blessing here, because our Archbishop asked us not to. (God bless you, Archbishop Chaput.) He wrote a letter, and it was published in our Catholic Register. So priests here won’t give a blessing in the Communion line. Archbishops and Bishops can do that, make minor rulings for their diocese.

If you were told to go up for a blessing at Communion, then keep doing that. It doesn’t seem to be an issue wherever you are attending Mass.

God bless you and your daughter!

 

[Chuck1]

The preist who said to come up for a blessing was a preist from another church and our preist doesn’t say that but I did see a kid do that the other day so should I just go up to the regular preist and receive a blessing although he didn’t actually say that ?

 

[paperwight66]

I think you should ask him. I also think you should ask about being put in touch with people your own age, as I gather from another thread of yours that you are feeling isolated. And you were also going to ask about RCIA.

The thing is, Charlie dear, if you don’t mind my saying so, you are going to have to be more pro-active, not hover about uncertainly hoping that someone is going to take you by the hand. It’s a growing process for you, and will be worth it.

 

[PJM]

Hi since I can’t receive commuion I sit in my seat but in other church’s people cross themselfs to be blessed , today there was two stand in preists I saw a boy cross himself and he got blessed but the usual preist doesn’t say you can come up for a blessing and the other preists from another church didnt say it but people knew anyway ?
Can anyone help me out ? Thanks

This is not a defined practice. Some priest being very rigid of what is specified, are unwilling to expand what they have been taught as correct. Others, who tend to place a greater signifiance on community and unity; permit it. It’s simply the call of the pastor and the presiding priest.

It boils down to the call of the priest; and both are acceptable or at least not signifiant enough to be made an issue. [IMO]

The blessing while a nice jesture; is not is any way necessary and at the end of Mass ALL are Blessed and have the same opportunity for the graces imparted by it.

So go with what your priest permits. IF it a major concern, make an appointment and discuss it privately with him. This is not an ideal topic for an RCIA discussion.

God Bless you,

Pat

 

[paperwight66]

This is not a defined practice. Some priest being very rigid of what is specified, are unwilling to expand what they have been taught as correct. Others, who tend to place a greater signifiance on community and unity; permit it. It’s simply the call of the pastor and the presiding priest.

It boils down to the call of the priest; and both are acceptable or at least not signifiant enough to be made an issue. [IMO]

The blessing while a nice jesture; is not is any way necessary and at the end of Mass ALL are Blessed and have the same opportunity for the graces imparted by it.

So go with what your priest permits. IF it a major concern, make an appointment and discuss it privately with him. This is not an ideal topic for an RCIA discussion.

God Bless you,

Pat

I agree 100% with all you wrote, apart from the last bit about not being an ideal topic for an RCIA discussion.

Why not?

 

[PJM]

=Chuck1;8503286]Yh I suppose but this is taken from my other thread : I am but I still have a dilemma that is this : I still going to my old baptist church and they don’t know I have been going to a new catholic church and I don’t want to tell them yet , the baptist church is a bit smaller and everyone knows everyone and they all like me and the sermons are okay but I go out to Sunday school for teens which I enjoy and then you have tea and food after the service and at the catholic church they are a few young people I’ve seen and it’s more traditional and more time in prayer thus feeling more spiritually connected but I havnt meet any regulars and I don’t see anyone going for coffee afterwards and not many say hi apart from make the sign of peace bit and its the only Church I can get to but i also believe what the church teaches ect so I don’t know what to do ?

Can anyone help me out ? Thanks chuck

Hi Chuck,

Your concern is the most common “complaint” I hear on a s0omewhat regular basis.

There is a “Culture Shock” for anyone comming from a Protestant background. The reason for this is both simple and also PROFOUND.

Non-Catholic faiths rely heavely on relationships and feelings. For example the Nature of God is seldom discussed beyond His Mercy and Love with certainly is true and signifiant. But God MUST also be Fair and Just; and MUST judge us based on both what we do and what we should, but fail to do.

The “fellowship” issue becomes a priamry reason to remain in that particular community. There faith practice is BOTH about worship of God and community.

We Catholics have a Traditional Mass that goes back about 1900 YEARS. Yes there have been some minor [and some NOT to minor changes], but the Mass has as its focus Divine Worship! [Some post Vatican II folks are trying to make it more in line with what is experienced outside of the Traditional CC]

Eucharist Is Jesus Himself; so it HAS TO BE the focus of our Worship. In fact Eucharist is from God [the Father] of God [the Son] and BY God [The Holy Spirit]. Holy Communion too has a triune aspect: 1st. it is a Sacrifice Sacrament 2nd. It is a Communion [to be consumed and to be united with God in the most intimate and personal relationship possible for God and for us. 3td. It is a Worship Sacramnet.

With all this going on; felloewship MUST take a secondary position. We have MANY different events outside of the Mass itself.

As for the coffee and doughnuts. GREAT. Why not introduce yourself and YOU invite them over for C and D? Also check with the Director of Religious education and see if there is a youth activity [quite common] that you can perticipate in.

May God continue to bless and lead you!

Pat

 

[Chuck1]

Thanks for all your help guys and gals