Please keep in mind that the “Eucharist” is more than the Blessed Sacrament. It’s the celebration of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ to His Father. So many seem not to understand just how important it is to be at Mass – to be suffused with the grace stemming from the Sacrifice and not simply to receive Holy Communion.
EMsHC are definitely not an “integral” part of the OF Mass. By definition they are extraordinary, although their overuse is quite common. Ideally they wouldn’t be used at all.
It’s not up to me or you. It’s up to the Church and it does not teach that its adherents are “saved” (or lost) during their temporal time here on Earth as that would be usurping God’s final judgement of our souls. The Catholic teaching is that we are redeemed – the road to Heaven has been opened by the Blood of Christ, but it’s still up to us whether or not we choose to take the high road and how successful we are in doing so.
There is a church that my family and I go to sometimes. There you must receive the Holy Eucharist on the tongue. They also use those little metal plates to make sure the Eucharist doesn’t fall on the floor. This is a sign of great respect that we don’t see often in other churches anymore.
I don’t think that the “Communion givers” hate you, it is just that they probably don’t give the Eucharist to many people on the tongue or they don’t know how.
I think I agree with your point that humans attempting to define how we are saved does usurp God’s final judgment. Whether Evangelical Christians are correct that we say a prayer that will lead to our direct conversion or in the Catholic whether we attempt to make our life of conversion only to complete it in purgatory or some other way is up to God and his divine authority. All I hope for is that I will have a conversion of heart and be humble and willing to repent my sins not only at one time for their forgiveness (which for Catholics is at baptism) but all the time and be given the will to know what mortal sins I may have committed so that I can repent these too and not be afraid to ask for forgiveness of these sins. I also hope to continue to forgive people and improve how I forgive people and be more charitable as I can be a glutton, a scrooge, and even envious. I can forgive people I know, even my enemy, but may commit the sin of wrath for some group half way around the world. It’s so frustrating how easy it is to sin. Just a water given to a thirsty man can be adequate to get to heaven or an acknowledgement of one’s sins at time of death or the second prior to death.
First, if our souls make it to Purgatory, they’ll spend eternity in Heaven. Purgatory is not part of our “conversion.” Lost souls go directly to Hell. All that said, the notion of being “saved” here on Earth is a foreign, man-made tradition in the eyes of Catholicism, Orthodoxy and parts of Protestantism.
Salvation is strictly through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ to His Father for our sins. However, following Jesus Christ in our temporal lives will necessarily result in good works. So no, our good works do not get us to heaven, but the total absence of them is a product of not following Jesus Christ and the consequences that come with that.
While their sign value is appreciated, those communion patens do more harm than good in practice in my experience.
Why do you think that it does more harm than good?
Trying to learn something new everyday. Thanks for the heads up. I was thinking that people in purgatory started their conversion journey here - it was unfinished and they weren’t lost souls (thankfully) as they’re going to spend an eternity in heaven - praise the Lord.
I agree with this too. Thanks for taking the time to reply. I am glad that following God can lead to good works. I am glad that it can get us to do the right things for our neighbor. Thanks for your help - it’s so appreciated.
From observation. An adult holding a paten (or better yet a folded corporal) right under someone’s chin is one thing. A kid trying to maneuver a communion paten at the end of a long stick is something entirely different. They’re largely for show.
But the fact is they did not, particularly in the early church.
You are wrong. First not all kids are ignorant about the Blessed Sacrament. Not by a long shot.
Again, simply not true. Do you have any proof to share? What you describe may have been true in limited cases, but I can think of plenty where it is not. Also, from a purely logical standpoint why is it OK for a priest to hold the Blessed Sacrament (keep in mind that the hands of Eastern Catholic and Orthodox priests are not anointed) and/or for a layperson to hold it when using a cloth? What is the function of the cloth? It simply makes no sense.