Conversation at Holy Communion

[Magnum_V8]

You probably think I’m talking about parishoners chatting with each other in the Communion line or something like that. Nope.

We had a visiting priest today. It seemed like he went out of his way to put his own spin on the celebration of Mass. But I won’t get into all of that.

Communion time came up. I put my son in front of me, as usual, so that he could receive a blessing from Father. BTW, my son just turned 7 years old. My son folded his arms so that the priest knew not to offer him the Eucharist. After Father gave him the blessing, my son started walking away and the priest tapped him on the arm and started talking to him in a friendly conversation manner. I always keep my head down, hands folded at my chest and wait for the priest to show me the Blessed Sacrament.

So I’m waiting, getting upset. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to say anything to him. I didn’t want to tell my son to keep walking. I was so confused. So I knelt down on both kneels, hoping to get his attention. After a few seconds he turned back to me and ministered the Sacrament while I was kneeling.

I can imagine that other people probably thought I was trying to show off…as I’m the only one that kneels during the Eucharistic prayer. But, honestly, I just didn’t know how else to get his attention. He should not have done what he did.

I was also desperately worried about the ciborium tipping over and our Lord falling all over the floor… As he was bent over talking to my son, I could see that he was holding the ciborium at a steep angle.

I could feel a few tears welling up on the way back to the pew. Even my mother, who was behind me in the line, mentioned how uncomfortable the entire situation was.

What would you have done in that situation?

 

[LilyM]

You probably think I’m talking about parishoners chatting with each other in the Communion line or something like that. Nope.

We had a visiting priest today. It seemed like he went out of his way to put his own spin on the celebration of Mass. But I won’t get into all of that.

Communion time came up. I put my son in front of me, as usual, so that he could receive a blessing from Father. BTW, my son just turned 7 years old. My son folded his arms so that the priest knew not to offer him the Eucharist. After Father gave him the blessing, my son started walking away and the priest tapped him on the arm and started talking to him in a friendly conversation manner. I always keep my head down, hands folded at my chest and wait for the priest to show me the Blessed Sacrament.

So I’m waiting, getting upset. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to say anything to him. I didn’t want to tell my son to keep walking. I was so confused. So I knelt down on both kneels, hoping to get his attention. After a few seconds he turned back to me and ministered the Sacrament while I was kneeling.

I can imagine that other people probably thought I was trying to show off…as I’m the only one that kneels during the Eucharistic prayer. But, honestly, I just didn’t know how else to get his attention. He should not have done what he did.

I was also desperately worried about the ciborium tipping over and our Lord falling all over the floor… As he was bent over talking to my son, I could see that he was holding the ciborium at a steep angle.

I could feel a few tears welling up on the way back to the pew. Even my mother, who was behind me in the line, mentioned how uncomfortable the entire situation was.

What would you have done in that situation?

I wouldn’t have kneeled, but would simply have said ‘Father, there are people here waiting for Holy Communion - we’ll see you after Mass and talk to you then’ I don’t think there’s anything too disrespectful in saying that.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

I would do my best to not distract Father while he was talking. I would wait patiently until he was done. Then I would not question his behaviour later.

But that’s just me

 

[LilyM]

I would do my best to not distract Father while he was talking. I would wait patiently until he was done. Then I would not question his behaviour later.

But that’s just me

He’s disrespecting both the Blessed Sacrament AND the people who are waiting for Holy Communion. You must NOT allow it to pass unrebuked.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

He’s disrespecting both the Blessed Sacrament AND the people who are waiting for Holy Communion. You must NOT allow it to pass unrebuked.

The priest is the Father, we owe him respect. We have no business telling him to show us more respect in such a situation. If he makes you wait an hour for communion, then maybe you could say something, but be polite.

As for disrespecting the Blessed Sacrament, I just don’t see it in this example.

 

[LilyM]

The priest is the Father, we owe him respect. We have no business telling him to show us more respect in such a situation. If he makes you wait an hour for communion, then maybe you could say something, but be polite.

As for disrespecting the Blessed Sacrament, I just don’t see it in this example.

We owe our priests respect, sure, but we owe Jesus infinitely more respect. And our priests may stand in persona Christi but they sure ain’t Jesus, and at times, like all humans, can act in distinctly unChristlike ways.

For one thing there was the issue the OP raised of Father ignoring the ciborium - in which he was holding Christ’s Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament need I add - to the point where it was in danger of spilling. How is that at least not disrespectful? It’s not a bowl of crackers Father was holding, but the Eucharist, to which He owes the utmost attention and care.

Apart from which, if Jesus were present in bodily form in front of the priest you think Father would blatantly ignore Him and waste time in idle chatter with anyone else instead? If he is a true Christian as he professes to be, I should hope not. So why thus ignore Him really and truly present before us in the Blessed Sacrament?

 

[Matas]

I happened to read this shortly before encountering this thread:

*Is Christ in the Eucharist also to be imitated?

Yes, there are especially two virtues that the Eucharistic Christ wants us to imitate. They are humility and love. When God became man, He humiliated Himself by becoming like one of us who are His creatures. But when He dwells in the Holy Eucharist, He reveals a humility that is beyond human description.

So Too, God showed the sublimity of His love by becoming man, so that He could suffer and die on the cross out of love for us. Now, He shows His love for us in the Eucharist by allowing Himself to be ignored, desecrated, received by brazen sinners, and brought down on the altar even by priests who may be steeped in sin. *

The quote comes from the following resource:
therealpresence.org/eucharst/pea/exhort.htm

I wouldn’t worry too much about “showing off”, either. If others provoke you in Church, fix your eyes upon the Crucifix, and pray.

 

[Magnum_V8]

I wouldn’t have kneeled, but would simply have said ‘Father, there are people here waiting for Holy Communion - we’ll see you after Mass and talk to you then’ I don’t think there’s anything too disrespectful in saying that.

LilyM,

Seriously, I wish I could have said something like that, and make it sound respectful. I’m somewhat confrontational in situations like that, which I know is a shortcoming of mine.

 

[Sarah245]

We owe our priests respect, sure, but we owe Jesus infinitely more respect. And our priests may stand in persona Christi but they sure ain’t Jesus, and at times, like all humans, can act in distinctly unChristlike ways.

This isn’t right. We should give the same respect to Priests that we would to Jesus. If we think we love Jesus in the Eucharist but do not respect priests, we are fooling ourselves. Sorry if this sounds judgemental. I struggle with the same problem.

 

[LilyM]

This isn’t right. We should give the same respect to Priests that we would to Jesus. If we think we love Jesus in the Eucharist but do not respect priests, we are fooling ourselves. Sorry if this sounds judgemental. I struggle with the same problem.

Respect for a priest doesn’t mean automatic obedience or agreement with everything he does or says. He could be sinning. Or trying to tell you that some sinful act is OK. Or commanding you to sin. We cannot agree or acquiesce in such things. Neither can we possibly treat any priest in precisely the same fashion as we would the infinitely good and perfect God-made-man Jesus.

And it is perfectly possible to respect someone while disagreeing with what they do and expressing your disagreement. Jesus did it constantly with the Pharisees. Of course if you disagree you must take care to do so with the utmost charity - but you certainly are not obliged to remain silent.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

LilyM,

Seriously, I wish I could have said something like that, and make it sound respectful. I’m somewhat confrontational in situations like that, which I know is a shortcoming of mine.

Did you find out what the priest said to your son? I bet it was really important!

 

[Magnum_V8]

Did you find out what the priest said to your son? I bet it was really important!

I heard the priest ask him, “hey, who’s the guy behind you?” I can honestly say I don’t know what was said after that, as my mind totally diverted to confusion, trying to figure out what and why this was happening, then seeing the tipped ciborium, and finally deciding that I needed to get his attention back to ministing the Most Blessed Sacrament.

I asked my son afterwards what the priest was asking him. My son said the priest asked him who I was, then asked him if he was going to help me today back at home. My son understood this as chores around the house and such.

Clearly, neither of these things are important enough to disrupt the ministering of the Sacrament.

But, I’ve done a lot of reflecting on what happened. Certainly, Jesus would not have a problem with anyone of us being genuinely nice to a child. I know the priest was not trying to abuse the Liturgy. However, there is a time and place for what he did, and its not during Communion.

I would have been fine with the priest, after blessing my son, telling him that Jesus loves him very much and is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to nourish him with the Bread of Life. “Who’s the guy behind you” and “are you gonna help him around the house” don’t cut it. Sorry.

 

[Magnum_V8]

I just wanted to add —and at the risk of turning this into another TLM vs. NO debate— that the Novus Ordo has allowed stuff like this to happen because of its very nature. This would never happen at a Tridentine Mass.

Now I’m not saying the Novus Ordo is invalid. But I am saying that it doesn’t promote the holiness of the august sacrifice of the Mass.

 

[LilyM]

I just wanted to add —and at the risk of turning this into another TLM vs. NO debate— that the Novus Ordo has allowed stuff like this to happen because of its very nature. This would never happen at a Tridentine Mass.

Now I’m not saying the Novus Ordo is invalid. But I am saying that it doesn’t promote the holiness of the august sacrifice of the Mass.

Maybe not that particuar thing, but the TLM does have more than enough opportunities for abuse of its own.

For one thing how do you know the priest is saying the words of consecration even, if he’s reciting the Canon silently? Priests in the Middle Ages frequently used to NOT recite them for fear of partaking of the Eucharist in the state of mortal sin, so you never know …

 

[Magnum_V8]

Maybe not that particuar thing, but the TLM does have more than enough opportunities for abuse of its own.

For one thing how do you know the priest is saying the words of consecration even, if he’s reciting the Canon silently? Priests in the Middle Ages frequently used to NOT recite them for fear of partaking of the Eucharist in the state of mortal sin, so you never know …

True enough, but there is a certain amount of bliss in ignorance. Like the old saying: “what you don’t know won’t hurt you.”

But I was speaking of visible abuses; good (name removed by moderator)ut though, LilyM. With either form of Mass, its important to pray for the priests. I need to do more of that.