EDITED: Why receiving communion wearing dirty shoes okay?

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henrikhank

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Ave Maria!
Why is it OK to wear your dirty shoes when receiving communion/Eucharist. I know that the Coptic Orthodox always take off their shoes before receing communion and I think it’s a good practise.
 
The hairs on our head are numbered…but I don’t know if God keep track of the dirt on our shoes or stains on our clothes. 🙂
 
Christ permitted His Apostles to eat without washing their hands up to their elbows. But I suppose a Church located in a dusty country would find it labour saving on their hoovers.
 
In Latin Catholicism (and in Western culture in general) there is no particular social or religious significance to shoes and where they are worn.

My guess is that Coptic Orthodoxy has incorporated ancient middle eastern social customs into worship customs. But those customs wouldn’t have meaning to Western peoples.
 
SMHW said:
In Latin Catholicism (and in Western culture in general) there is no particular social or religious significance to shoes and where they are worn.

My guess is that Coptic Orthodoxy has incorporated ancient middle eastern social customs into worship customs. But those customs wouldn’t have meaning to Western peoples.
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but here in the west (maybe not all counties) we take off our shoes befoe entering a house so why not do that when we enter the house of the Lord?
 
henrikhank said:
but here in the west (maybe not all counties) we take off our shoes befoe entering a house so why not do that when we enter the house of the Lord?
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Correct me if I’m wrong, but the reason for taking off the shoes is so that you don’t bring dirt into the home. Not really some high level of respect. Just don’t want to get blamed for that stain on the carpet.
 
henrikhank said:
but here in the west (maybe not all counties) we take off our shoes befoe entering a house so why not do that when we enter the house of the Lord?
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Who in the west takes off shoes before entering a house? I have never heard of that.
 
Psalm 24 refers to the man with clean hands and a pure heart. Footwear is not mentioned. It’s not for any of us to judge the worthiness of another.
 
henrikhank said:
but here in the west (maybe not all counties) we take off our shoes befoe entering a house so why not do that when we enter the house of the Lord?
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chuckle

Typically, people only remove their shoes when asked by the host of the residence, and then that is only generally asked by those who have light colored carpets.

If for matters of cleanliness, you should know that your hands are at least as dirty as your shoes at any average moment.

If for matters of respect, in what manner is removing shoes respectful in western culture? It isn’t, and never has been in the roman/barbarian ancestry of this rite.
 
henrikhank said:
in Sweden we do.
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I am afraid that I must inform you, just as we in the United States are often reminded about ourselves, that the UNIVERSE does NOT revolve around only your country.

When in Rome…
 
henrikhank said:
What’s her reason?
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Taking shoes off before entering a house is Asian in culture so Asians from many countries who reside in the west stick to their culture but taking off shoes is not a western culture, apart from only one country apparently - Sweden. However, I have been to Sweden a number of times where I have Swedish friends and I have never experienced my hosts or their guests taking off shoes before entering their home.
 
henrikhank said:
What’s her reason?
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Tradition. In Japan, house floors are usually tatami mats. I can’t speak about modern Japan, I haven’t been back to Japan for a very long time. We remove our shoes at the door, and wear zoris (flip-flops in America) in the house during summer, winter–slippers. Plus, it’s cleaner.
 
I can’t walk barefoot or stocking feet. Due to the various deformities of my feet, I have to wear shoes. I can kind of get around barefoot (e.g., in the shower), but I always always have shoes on in my house when I am moving. I never walk in just socks–too slippery. My right foot is numb on the bottom so I can’t feel the ground, and it’s very unnerving.

So when I go to houses where I am asked to remove my shoes, I tell them that I can wait in the car if they prefer. When I explain my reasons, they always say, “Oh, don’t worry about it. C’mon in!”

I’m not interested in being friends with people who stop me from coming into their houses just because I have to wear shoes.

And I would have to stop attending a church that forced me to not be able to walk up to receive Holy Communion because they are trying to enforce some kind of ancient Middle Eastern “cleanliness” symbolism. Times have changed. Vacuum cleaners and mops make it a lot easier to clean up after dusty shoes.

And I’m glad that I don’t live in one of the Asian countries where it is customary to remove shoes 🙂
 
The OP might be interested to know that in some places (and I’m just in the midwest USA!) people consider it insulting or disrespectful to be barefoot. I go without shoes as often as I can, but always slip them back on when leaving the pew because I have been told that it is “Tom Sawyer-ish” and disrespectful to be barefoot in church. So I save the bare feet for when it’s just Jesus and me.
 
henrikhank said:
Ave Maria!
Why is it OK to wear your dirty shoes when receiving communion/Eucharist. I know that the Coptic Orthodox always take off their shoes before receing communion and I think it’s a good practise.
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When Saint Maria Goretti got a new dress and shoes for her first Communion, her brother said, “I could’ve gone with new shoes…” She laughed and said, “Christ will be looking at your face, not your feet.” It is an interesting practice to take your shoes off before receiving the Eucharist, but that’s all it is: An interesting practice. Nothing more. It is better to be clean, especially in this day and age where cleanliness is the norm, but you are permitted to receive the Eucharist with dirty shoes, and it should not stop you from receiving our Lord in the only physical way possible. After all, the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal don’t wear shoes at all normally, meaning their feet are almost always dirty. Does this mean the holy Friars shouldn’t receive the Eucharist and celebrate the Mass?
 
EvelynEVF said:
The OP might be interested to know that in some places (and I’m just in the midwest USA!) people consider it insulting or disrespectful to be barefoot. I go without shoes as often as I can, but always slip them back on when leaving the pew because I have been told that it is “Tom Sawyer-ish” and disrespectful to be barefoot in church. So I save the bare feet for when it’s just Jesus and me.
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In my Midwest parish, the Pastoral Associate for Adult Faith was HORRIFIED :eek: that I had taken off my shoes during a week day Mass. I got a stern lecture after Mass that I was violating ‘public health,’ and that the parish church could get shut down by the county health department! (Alex, I’ll take over reacting for a $1,000.)

Good thing she never saw me go to Communion bare footed.

Might as well heard cats than try to get some of Franciscans ‘properly’ shod. :D:D:D
 
It’s more than just an interesting practice and it has little to do with cleaning the carpets.

The Eastern Churches practice of taking their shoes off is based on Moses ascent of Mt. Sinai to look upon God in the burning bush.

God called out to him from the bush: Moses! Moses! He answered, “Here I am.” God said: Do not come near! Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I am the God of your father, he continued, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. (Exodus 3:4-6)

Moses was the only one to look upon the face of God and live. But he did that with great fear. Even the glow from Moses’ face after having looked upon God was enough to kill other people, and Moses had to veil his own face for the safety of others. And like Moses, we look upon God’s face in the Eucharist, and we live. Not only do we look upon God, but we actually consume God - body, blood, soul and divinity - and live. Like Moses, some of the Eastern Churches have a pious custom of removing their shoes, as they enter holy ground where God is present and prpare to behold God face to face.

Many are not familiar with the forshadowing of our own ability to do this - a wonderful gift - as related in the Old Testament, later in the book of Exodus…

Moses then went up with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel, and they beheld the God of Israel. Under his feet there appeared to be sapphire tilework, as clear as the sky itself. Yet he did not lay a hand on these chosen Israelites. They saw God, and they ate and drank. (Exodus 24:9-11)

This should sound very familiar to Catholics. It is what we do at every Mass! We see God, and we eat and drink. The seventy elders are you and I. It’s the Eucharist. Bam! Right there in Exodus

Sorry, went pretty far afield with that explanation. But there it is. I think that is why many of the Eastern Churches remove their shoes.

-Tim-
 
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