Communion in the Hand--Loss of Grace?

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I hope this is where I can ask a simple question. I teach a 6th grade Faith Formation class for the last 21 years and one of my students ask me a question I coud not answer. He said that he heard on EWTN that if you received Communion in your hand that you LOST 25% of the grace. WOW! Never heard tht before. Can someone answer this as to what he may have heard. Thanks Renee Murdoch
 
Hmmm, well…I’m not even sure how to begin to mathematically wonder about that statement.

My thought process:
  1. Well, God’s grace is infinite, thus, 75% of infinity is still infinity. Ok, no prob.
  2. But…I guess God could give a finite amount of grace and take some of it away.
  3. I thought we were either in a state of grace or we weren’t…all or nothing
  4. …hmmm…well…I really should lay off all this multi-dimensional physics and calculus…it’s a three day weekend.
Thus, I got nowhere. 😛 Sorry

Eamon
 
OK, well, the more I think about it, it could be that they are quantifying something that technically isn’t quantifiable for the purpose of showing the importance of reverence toward God. That would be my guess, but I don’t actually know.

Eamon
 
It sounds a lot like the priest who told the children in one of our parochial school classes that unless the placed their hands together pointing up and folded right thumb over left God would not hear their prayers. In other words that poor child has been fed a huge chunk of baloney.
 
Renee Murdoch:
I hope this is where I can ask a simple question. I teach a 6th grade Faith Formation class for the last 21 years and one of my students ask me a question I coud not answer. He said that he heard on EWTN that if you received Communion in your hand that you LOST 25% of the grace. WOW! Never heard tht before. Can someone answer this as to what he may have heard. Thanks Renee Murdoch
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Hmmmm…

I think we will all agree that this statement (probably mis-quoted) is in error. Trying to quantify grace is like trying to empty the ocean with a bucket.

What is really disturbing that people would try to use “scare tactics” to enforce a particular attitude on another (you better take communion on your tongue, or God won’t bless you as much). That attitude is scary.

What matters is that we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus and that he becomes both our spiritual nourishment and our physical food. Transferring the Eucharist to a communicant’s tongue or to their hand is immaterial.
 
Renee Murdoch:
I hope this is where I can ask a simple question. I teach a 6th grade Faith Formation class for the last 21 years and one of my students ask me a question I coud not answer. He said that he heard on EWTN that if you received Communion in your hand that you LOST 25% of the grace. WOW! Never heard tht before. Can someone answer this as to what he may have heard. Thanks Renee Murdoch
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Renee, that 6th grader was yanking your chain or heard it wrong.
Search the EWTN website and you will see that statement no where.

Now I would throw it back to the USCCB that receiving in the hand is the norm.
Why would the Bishops want us to lose 25% of our grace if this is true?
 
I laughed.

How can you not?

“He said that he heard on EWTN that if you received Communion in your hand that you LOST 25% of the grace. WOW!”

I wonder how one gets the percentage of grace lost due to receiving in the hand. That’d be interesting to find out.
 
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bengeorge:
Is it possible that the 6th grader heard wrong?
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I teach 6th-graders. I have it on very good authority from them on a daily basis that they do not make mistakes. I am also told that adults, OTOH, frequently are clueless.

😃

– Mark L. Chance.
 
Hello

I am going to be as kind and charitable as I can.

I have taught Religion in Catholic School (among other subjects) and all other flavors of Religion. It is our duty to know the Faith and also to know who the teacher is and who the students are.

If you do not know how to answer such a simple question, …well…you should.

Don’t get your answer here. Go to the Pastor, or if necessary, to your Bishop.
Why would anyone here have the proper answer for you???
 
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robertaf:
Hello

I am going to be as kind and charitable as I can.

I have taught Religion in Catholic School (among other subjects) and all other flavors of Religion. It is our duty to know the Faith and also to know who the teacher is and who the students are.

If you do not know how to answer such a simple question, …well…you should.

Don’t get your answer here. Go to the Pastor, or if necessary, to your Bishop.
Why would anyone here have the proper answer for you???
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Roberta, I think the OP was feeling out the question before going to anyone in her parish.
If she came here and everyone said, “Oh yeah, that’s right.” She could go to the DRE and see what he/she thought.
If, as happened, everyone said, “Oh that’s just silly.” Then she would know that it was not near to valid and just to tell the child that this is not correct.
I think it was a validation that the idea was incorrect in an attempt not to look foolish to the people in her parish.

Most Catechists that I know are volunteers. They are not professionals.
Some had poor instructions as children. They are learning with the children.
 
netmil(name removed by moderator):
Roberta, I think the OP was feeling out the question before going to anyone in her parish.
If she came here and everyone said, “Oh yeah, that’s right.” She could go to the DRE and see what he/she thought.
If, as happened, everyone said, “Oh that’s just silly.” Then she would know that it was not near to valid and just to tell the child that this is not correct.
I think it was a validation that the idea was incorrect in an attempt not to look foolish to the people in her parish.

Most Catechists that I know are volunteers. They are not professionals.
Some had poor instructions as children. They are learning with the children.
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Thank you, you gave me something to think about.
In the Diocese I taught, Catechists had to be certified to teach. We had to go through, at least a two year program.

I had no idea that this is not the case all over.

I do appreciate you reminding me of this.
 
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robertaf:
Thank you, you gave me something to think about.
In the Diocese I taught, Catechists had to be certified to teach. We had to go through, at least a two year program.

I had no idea that this is not the case all over.

I do appreciate you reminding me of this.
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🙂

Actually, our Catechists have to be certified too, but in my old parish they were still teaching that the mass was a meal.

Scary isn’t it? Glad I escaped.
 
Renee Murdoch:
I hope this is where I can ask a simple question. I teach a 6th grade Faith Formation class for the last 21 years and one of my students ask me a question I coud not answer. He said that he heard on EWTN that if you received Communion in your hand that you LOST 25% of the grace. WOW! Never heard tht before. Can someone answer this as to what he may have heard. Thanks Renee Murdoch
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Sounds to me like hearsay from people who want to discredit EWTN. However Communion in the hand was an abuse that was made an indult here in the US while communion on the tongue is still the norm. And from what I hear from the Vatican, they may just soon once again ban communion in the hand as it was done hundereds of years ago.

Ken
 
netmil(name removed by moderator) said:
🙂

Actually, our Catechists have to be certified too, but in my old parish they were still teaching that the mass was a meal.

Scary isn’t it? Glad I escaped.
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Yep, still is scarey for some of us. I’ve seen a video that teaches it’s a meal - right down to comparing it to the family dinner table and passing around big ole slices of bread. It totally trivialized the meaning of the Eucharist in my opinion.
 
netmil(name removed by moderator) said:
🙂

Actually, our Catechists have to be certified too, but in my old parish they were still teaching that the mass was a meal.

Scary isn’t it? Glad I escaped.
Click to expand...

WHAT?

A celebration of the Last Supper, only?
That is pretty much what the Protestants teach.

Where is the Sacrifice and the celebration of the Ressurection in all of this.

How on earth can we take some of Gods freely given Grace away. What are they being taught?

Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
 
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robertaf:
WHAT?

A celebration of the Last Supper, only?
That is pretty much what the Protestants teach.

Where is the Sacrifice and the celebration of the Ressurection in all of this.

How on earth can we take some of Gods freely given Grace away. What are they being taught?

Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
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It’s true!
The new priest there stated to a friend of mine that asked to start saying a public Rosary before mass that repetative prayers are Biblically incorrect so he’s no help.

There is no difference there in the way they teach CCD and the Sunday School at our local Lutheran church. That is sad.
 
netmil(name removed by moderator):
It’s true!
The new priest there stated to a friend of mine that asked to start saying a public Rosary before mass that repetative prayers are Biblically incorrect so he’s no help.

There is no difference there in the way they teach CCD and the Sunday School at our local Lutheran church. That is sad.
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Oh my goodness.

You know, I think much of the problem between you ank me, is where we live and our experiences.

We are very blessed in our area that we have Priests who know we are Catholic, stand firmly on sound Doctrine and obey the rules. That goes for those of us in the Charismatic Renewal.

I had no idea the things you talk about is actually happening in other areas. I do believe I would be just as outraged as you are about some of this nonsense.

We do have a very wonderful Bishop in Sacramento.
 
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robertaf:
Oh my goodness.

You know, I think much of the problem between you ank me, is where we live and our experiences.

We are very blessed in our area that we have Priests who know we are Catholic, stand firmly on sound Doctrine and obey the rules. That goes for those of us in the Charismatic Renewal.

I had no idea the things you talk about is actually happening in other areas. I do believe I would be just as outraged as you are about some of this nonsense.

We do have a very wonderful Bishop in Sacramento.
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Quite right!
In my home parish, back in Cleveland, we had one traditional mass and one that I believe was Charismatic. That was wonderful!

Now, in my area in Detroit. I am being to find out that when people call themselves Charismatics, they are not like you Roberta. They are something else that is not Catholic.

No wonder I’m confused.
 
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robertaf:
Oh my goodness.

You know, I think much of the problem between you ank me, is where we live and our experiences.

We are very blessed in our area that we have Priests who know we are Catholic, stand firmly on sound Doctrine and obey the rules. That goes for those of us in the Charismatic Renewal.

I had no idea the things you talk about is actually happening in other areas. I do believe I would be just as outraged as you are about some of this nonsense.

We do have a very wonderful Bishop in Sacramento.
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That we do.
 
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