Crossed Arms in Holy Communion line

[BSHoop96]

I am familiar with the argument from silence in the GIRM. Were one to include something that obviously ought to be in the GIRM, then such an argument might hold. But there are many things that are not included.

For example, when the issue of holding hands during the Lord’s Prayer comes, this argument is always used. People who object to it state that one should clasp their hands or bow in prayer. Yet that posture too is not listed. The Girm does not state that one should hold the hands to the side. Is that forbidden? The GIRM does not list that as an option.

Actually that was never started by the magisterium either. People keep incorporating things that were not in the Mass. Again, the GIRM cannot list everything. How did they know these things would be added? People should not be inserting things into the Mass. Where will it stop?

So to the topic of those not able to receive communion. What should they do? **Stay in the pew and make an act of spiritual communion? **That too is not in the GIRM. So those who suggest that as an option are just as guilty of taking an action not in the GIRM. How many communion lines? Three? That is not in the GIRM.

Actually that’s a great option. My priest also said praying for unity among all Christians or some such intention would be good.

I know this sounds ridiculous, but that is the natural result of the argument from silence of the GIRM. The rule about excluding things not in the GIRM should only apply to where the GIRM structures the Mass carefully and any such omission is obvious.

The order of communion reception and how the procession is to occur is scarcely touched, save for the way music is incorporated.
**That is why I think jmcrae has the best idea. If Rome defers to the celebrant for such matters, so should we. **

FYI_

usccb.org/liturgy/current/revmissalisromanien.shtml

Which is exactly what I did. I asked my priest because I felt unsure about it. That’s when he gave me the info which I put in Post #70. He said he would speak more of it in RCIA. I didn’t mention this in the post because we are talking about blessings in the communion line but I asked him about the hand holding & it was the same.

 

[Lepanto]

I think it would be good to go and read Matthew 23 and understand what the weightier matters of faith are.

Jesus’ longest conversation in the entire gospel is His “Bread of Life Discourse” (John 6). This, and the constant teaching of the Church clearly demonstrate that are no matters weightier than the Eucharist. That’s why the highest form of prayer is the Mass along with the attendant distribution of communion, after all, not the distribution of blessings which can be done any time, even outside of Mass.

And if there were, we’d be any one of thousands of denominations of Protestants.

 

[pnewton]

Actually that’s a great option. My priest also said praying for unity among all Christians or some such intention would be good.

I agree. It is a great option. Yet it is not in the GIRM. Thus, if one believes they should never do anything not in the GIRM (good luck with that), then this should be excluded. I think such a strict reading is waaaayyy too overboard and have no problem with spiritual communion or receiving a blessing. For those who say “Nay” to this topic, I would ask them to explain any rule that would eliminate a blessing, but not spiritual communion.

 

[pnewton]

Jesus’ longest conversation in the entire gospel is His “Bread of Life Discourse” (John 6). This, and the constant teaching of the Church clearly demonstrate that are no matters weightier than the Eucharist.

But of course, but that is really not the question here, is it. Far better to receive the Eucharist than any blessing. It is for those who can not receive that this question arises. Also, the length of John chapter 6 does nothing to diminish or eliminate the message of the gospel given in Matthew. They simple are not on the same topic.

 

[jmcrae]

Which is exactly what I did. I asked my priest because I felt unsure about it. That’s when he gave me the info which I put in Post #70. He said he would speak more of it in RCIA. I didn’t mention this in the post because we are talking about blessings in the communion line but I asked him about the hand holding & it was the same.

And this is a case where you are deferring to your own pastor, and following his wishes. It is the priest who is in charge of the parish.

When it comes to things that are not written down, it is your priest who has the authority. He can choose whichever course of action makes the most sense to him, and ask the people of his own parish to follow suit.

If a priest invites non-Catholics and children who have not yet received their First Holy Communion to come forward to receive a blessing, do you honestly expect these small children and non-Catholics to go off on a fact-finding mission to determine whether he is giving them good advice, or not?

I really can’t see how it could possibly be a sin for them to accept his invitation in good faith, under the assumption that he knows his job, what he is and is not allowed to do.

 

[pnewton]

When it comes to things that are not written down, it is your priest who has the authority. He can choose whichever course of action makes the most sense to him, and ask the people of his own parish to follow suit.

We all should take heart and exercise tolerance with each other when we realize that even priests and bishops do not always see eye to eye on this and other issues.

 

[Jesus_N_Cherie]

I have to apologize. If indeed, it is against the teachings of the ROMAN Catholic Church to go up to recieve a blessing from the Priest when he is holding Jesus in his hands, I will not do it any longer.

I apologize because I was in an argumentative mood last night dealing with people on the forum who were arguing against the Catholic Faith.
If I offended anyone, I am truly sorry.
God bless you all.

 

[Lepanto]

Far better to receive the Eucharist than any blessing.

I agree! That’s one of the things I have been arguing ad nauseum!

 

[BSHoop96]

I agree. It is a great option. Yet it is not in the GIRM. Thus, if one believes they should never do anything not in the GIRM (good luck with that), then this should be excluded. I think such a strict reading is waaaayyy too overboard and have no problem with spiritual communion or receiving a blessing. For those who say “Nay” to this topic, I would ask them to explain any rule that would eliminate a blessing, but not spiritual communion.

What do you think Catholics do when they don’t go up to receive for some reason. Sit in their pews and twiddle their thumbs? No, they pray. Saying that praying is not in the GIRM is just ridiculous. You are trying to compare applies and oranges.

And this is a case where you are deferring to your own pastor, and following his wishes. It is the priest who is in charge of the parish.

When it comes to things that are not written down, it is your priest who has the authority. He can choose whichever course of action makes the most sense to him, and ask the people of his own parish to follow suit.

If a priest invites non-Catholics and children who have not yet received their First Holy Communion to come forward to receive a blessing, do you honestly expect these small children and non-Catholics to go off on a fact-finding mission to determine whether he is giving them good advice, or not?

Just curious, have you been at a Mass where this has happened? Or do you assume because the priest blesses someone in the receiving line that he thinks it’s perfectly okay.

I really can’t see how it could possibly be a sin for them to accept his invitation in good faith, under the assumption that he knows his job, what he is and is not allowed to do.

No one EVER said it was a sin.

I really don’t see why this is such a problem for you to understand. These things have sprung up over the years but were not started by the magisterium of the Church. It is a Communion line not a blessing line. We all get blessed at the end of Mass.

 

[mullenpm]

Posters in this forum are continuously saying that the Priest “invites” them into the Communion line to get a blessing. How and when does he do this inviting?

Certainly, not while he is distributing Holy Communion. Does he stop people before Mass and invite them to enter the Communion line and cross their arms.

How does he know who will not be taking Holy Communion?

 

[geraldffff]

Posters in this forum are continuously saying that the Priest “invites” them into the Communion line to get a blessing. How and when does he do this inviting?

Certainly, not while he is distributing Holy Communion. Does he stop people before Mass and invite them to enter the Communion line and cross their arms.

How does he know who will not be taking Holy Communion?

I wonder is some posters are not just playing the provocateur in an attempt to make people think.

 

[HoosierGal]

Posters in this forum are continuously saying that the Priest “invites” them into the Communion line to get a blessing. How and when does he do this inviting?

Certainly, not while he is distributing Holy Communion. Does he stop people before Mass and invite them to enter the Communion line and cross their arms.

How does he know who will not be taking Holy Communion?

Our priests will tell anyone who asks that they are welcome to come up for a blessing during communion. People that I know who have asked are people bringing a non-Catholic friend or family member to Mass, people who are divorced and remarried but want to go to Mass and people thinking of joining the Church but not in RCIA yet. These people are also encouraged to do what it takes to get themselves to the point where they can receive communion, such as seek annulment, join RCIA.

 

[a_cermak]

The priests at the special occasion masses I’ve attended have made this statement at the start of Communion, prior to the Communion music starting and just prior to when people start queueing up to receive.

What I find fascinating is that this practice has spread so quickly from one diocese to another, such that it is now widely practiced, despite not having been officially promulgated by Rome or even the US Conf of Bishops. Perhaps because, as earlier stated, it fulfills a pastoral need in some circumstances.

I do know one woman, a former Catholic (now Lutheran) who left the Catholic Church because her and her husband felt awkward never going up for Communion when they felt the whole rest of the Church did. The reason they couldn’t go is that they had an irregular marriage. It wasn’t the lack of Communion that drove them out, it was the feeling of being ostracized and the fear that people were wondering what kind of sinners were they. Perhaps if they had had this option, they might have stayed in the Catholic Church.

 

[paperwight]

Frequent invitations are given by our clergy, too, for all those very good reasons, particularly at funerals and weddings, or during Easter week when sometimes we have visitors from the other Christian churches in the area who are in covenant with us.
I think sometimes it’s difficult for ‘cradle Catholics’ to appreciate just how foreign and un-Christian the Catholic church is seen to be, and how important it is to ‘turn up’ the warmth and welcome we show to others. It’s one way to foster the likelihood of eventual Christian unity, in my opinion.

 

[ethelzguy]

And this is a case where you are deferring to your own pastor, and following his wishes. It is the priest who is in charge of the parish.

When it comes to things that are not written down, it is your priest who has the authority. He can choose whichever course of action makes the most sense to him, and ask the people of his own parish to follow suit.

If a priest invites non-Catholics and children who have not yet received their First Holy Communion to come forward to receive a blessing, do you honestly expect these small children and non-Catholics to go off on a fact-finding mission to determine whether he is giving them good advice, or not?

I really can’t see how it could possibly be a sin for them to accept his invitation in good faith, under the assumption that he knows his job, what he is and is not allowed to do.

:tiphat: :clapping:

 

[pnewton]

Saying that praying is not in the GIRM is just ridiculous. You are trying to compare applies and oranges.

I agree it is ridiculous, but not that I am comparing apples and oranges. To date, no one has every explained why this comparison is invalid, or even attempted it and I have used a similar comparison many times.

Now if we were to refer to the prayers of consecration a valid point can be made that every word and movement is in explicit detail, so that would be invalid as a comparison. However, when one reads the GIRM on the distribution of communion, he finds there are almost no details or guidelines. The only logic conclusion is that the priest of bishop is able to determine such matters of prudence for themselves.

 

[BSHoop96]

I do know one woman, a former Catholic (now Lutheran) who left the Catholic Church because her and her husband felt awkward never going up for Communion when they felt the whole rest of the Church did. The reason they couldn’t go is that they had an irregular marriage. It wasn’t the lack of Communion that drove them out, it was the feeling of being ostracized and the fear that people were wondering what kind of sinners were they. Perhaps if they had had this option, they might have stayed in the Catholic Church.

Not to be unkind but you can be a Catholic married to a non-Catholic and still receive communion. At long as any previous marriages were annulled and they had a dispensation to marry. If they did not they should have gone to the priest and he would have started the proper paperwork. Leaving the church because you are worried that people are wondering what kind of sinner your are indicates another problem altogether. As many posters have pointed out there are many valid reasons why one might not be going up for Communion.

 

[BSHoop96]

Posters in this forum are continuously saying that the Priest “invites” them into the Communion line to get a blessing. How and when does he do this inviting?

Certainly, not while he is distributing Holy Communion. Does he stop people before Mass and invite them to enter the Communion line and cross their arms.

How does he know who will not be taking Holy Communion?

I don’t doubt that it may happen but I was curious about that too which is why I asked another poster if he had witnessed it. Sometimes I think they assume. That’s exactly what I did by seeing people in my parish do it. Then I found out that while my priest does not deny anyone a blessing it’s really something that was added spontaneously by the laity and that he would be speaking of it in RCIA. In other words, not making a mountain out of a mole hill, but probably just instructing people as they come in. After he explained that it was a Communion line and not a blessing line we got the idea.

 

[BSHoop96]

Another interesting set of quotes:

The decision as to whether to adopt such a practice depends on the concrete pastoral circumstances involved. As in all similar initiatives, due reflection is required regarding the custom’s pastoral utility and as to any possible consequences that it may provoke in the short or long term, for example, changing the way people perceive the act of receiving Communion.

Herein, lies one of the problems.

I also see no pastoral advantage in using it for children before their first Communion. A child who observes parents and siblings approaching the altar should have a greater sense of hope and desire to be able to participate just as they do.

As we mentioned before, a blessing in this case could even weaken the awareness of the greatness and uniqueness of holy Communion. It can also cause pastoral problems insofar as it is an easy custom to introduce but, once in, very difficult to renege upon, due to parental sensitivity.

All from: Blessings for Non-communicants by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University.

That’s interesting. In the conversation I had with my priest about it he said that it probably came about as a desire to include but that is was important to keep in mind that there is no comparison between receiving a blessing and receiving the body and blood of Christ of Savior and he sometimes wondered if this inclusive practice confuses more than it actually helps.

He sure seems right about the confusion part.

I, for one, am not saying that it is specifically “against the rules”. I am just stating what I was told. That the magisterium of the Church did not introduce it. It’s something that has been added. Sometimes that can be a slippery slope.

Anyway, I think we are beating a dead horse now but I don’t have that smilie.

ps - sorry about the multiple posts. I just got back on and started reading.

 

[jmcrae]

Just curious, have you been at a Mass where this has happened?

Yes - at weddings, funerals, and at ecumenical events where a Mass is taking place, and several Protestants are present - at Christmas and at Easter - priests often invite those who are not disposed to receive Holy Communion to come forward for a blessing, instead.

For 17 years, I was a non-Catholic coming to Mass, because I found it attractive. I was going to daily Mass, and after Mass one day, the regular priest at that parish invited me to come forward for a blessing during Holy Communion - until he made the invitation, I was not even aware of the custom.

I accepted the invitation because it made me feel more included. It didn’t occur to me to doubt that he had the authority to make the invitation.