EME

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EvelynEVF said:
Even before I was Catholic, I would greet the priest or deacon after Mass and ask for a blessing for some particular reason. I still do this. It is of great benefit, and I cringe a little bit to think that people could conflate something that grace-laden with something a layperson could confer. In the same line, my maternal blessing of my own children is a serious thing, and I don’t want them getting it confused with an EMHC signing them with the cross just because they are in line with me.

One reason I have declined to minister the Body of Christ at Mass is that kids in my parish expect a blessing and I won’t do it. It was very awkward and I asked permission to never have to repeat the experience. No such problem if I bear the chalice.
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Unfortunately, this ilicit practice has been the cause of a lot of misunderstanding among the clergy and the faithful. Your post certainly makes that point.
 
Assume that you are an EMHC and someone comes up to you for a “blessing”.

You have read the Vatican document that prohibits this, yet there are witnesses all around, including the priest who is OK with this abuse.

What would you do, right then and there?
 
I would say “God Bless You” and “can you come find me after Mass?” Then I’d explain to him that he just got my personal blessing and the whole rest of the situation… Plus find out his name , welcome to the church etc etc
 
Lepanto said:
Assume that you are an EMHC and someone comes up to you for a “blessing”.

You have read the Vatican document that prohibits this, yet there are witnesses all around, including the priest who is OK with this abuse.

What would you do, right then and there?
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What whould you do?
 
I would probably say “God bless you” without making any priestly gesture, then look expectantly at the next person in line.

It is issues like this that made me decline any invitation to serve as EMHC at parish Masses. I only serve in this capacity at nursing homes (where residents might never receive the Eucharist if it weren’t for EMHCs).
 
Lepanto said:
Assume that you are an EMHC and someone comes up to you for a “blessing”.

You have read the Vatican document that prohibits this, yet there are witnesses all around, including the priest who is OK with this abuse.

What would you do, right then and there?
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Make the Sign of the Cross and say, “God bless you,” but do not give the Eucharist. Then move on to the next communicant
 
tweetymom said:
Really? I am not
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I don’t understand what your “religion” entry means. When you say “born again little-c catholic”, you are distinguishing yourself from a “Catholic”, right? Who is it who calls you a “Protestant”, yourself or others? If you’re not a practicing Catholic (and I don’t know if you are or aren’t), why are you an EMHC?
 
Lepanto said:
Assume that you are an EMHC and someone comes up to you for a “blessing”.

You have read the Vatican document that prohibits this, yet there are witnesses all around, including the priest who is OK with this abuse.

What would you do, right then and there?
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An insubordinate EMHC should not serve, the Bishop is in charge and his instruction on the subject should be followed.
 
japhy said:
I don’t understand what your “religion” entry means. When you say “born again little-c catholic”, you are distinguishing yourself from a “Catholic”, right? Who is it who calls you a “Protestant”, yourself or others? If you’re not a practicing Catholic (and I don’t know if you are or aren’t), why are you an EMHC?
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I am a practicing Catholic and I am a EMHC> I put it there for a reason
 
I’m an EMHC and I would be astonished if anyone came to me for anything other than to receive Communion!

I had never heard of this practice until I read about it here on CAF. I’ve attended Mass in many countries in Europe but have never seen it done - not that I would be paying that much attention to what others were doing anyway at Communion time. 🙂

So, I wonder, how common is the practice outside the US? Or even inside the US?

Hypothetically, I think I’d just say Beannacht Dé ort [literally, God’s blessing on you] a not uncommon greeting in the Irish language.
 
Sailor_Kenshin said:
Make the Sign of the Cross and say, “God bless you,” but do not give the Eucharist. Then move on to the next communicant
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I would not make the Sign of the Cross or any other gesture. This would confuse the roles of the ordained vs. the laity. In particular I would not make the Sign of the Cross OVER another person; that is a gesture that belongs to the ordained (priest or deacon).
 
PhilotheaZ said:
I would not make the Sign of the Cross or any other gesture. This would confuse the roles of the ordained vs. the laity. In particular I would not make the Sign of the Cross OVER another person; that is a gesture that belongs to the ordained (priest or deacon).
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I give all in my family the sign of the cross everytime they leave. My great grandkids know I pray for them everyday and that I send them the sign of the cross with a blessing and they always tell me Nana I felt your blessing last nite.
 
tweetymom said:
Since I am an EMHC I give them a blessing as directed by our Priest,
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Neither you nor your priest have the right to give something that is not yours to givre. With all due respect, both of your are stepping over the boundary line.

What I would do is nod my head and continue distributing Holy Communion. That is what the priests down here are doing, in light of the observations made by the Holy See. One priest went so far as to cover this at the tail end of his homily and explani that he is not at all in favor of adding anything to the Mass since neither he nor the EMHCs have any authority to do that.
 
benedictgal said:
Neither you nor your priest have the right to give something that is not yours to givre. With all due respect, both of your are stepping over the boundary line.

What I would do is nod my head and continue distributing Holy Communion. That is what the priests down here are doing, in light of the observations made by the Holy See. One priest went so far as to cover this at the tail end of his homily and explani that he is not at all in favor of adding anything to the Mass since neither he nor the EMHCs have any authority to do that.
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Ablessing is certainally mine to give, sorry if you disagree. Our Priest always says at the end of the Homily for those not Catholics etc. come for a blessing.
 
tweetymom said:
I give all in my family the sign of the cross everytime they leave. My great grandkids know I pray for them everyday and that I send them the sign of the cross with a blessing and they always tell me Nana I felt your blessing last nite.
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A parent can bless her children, but a lay person has no authority to bless fellow parishioners.
 
Lepanto said:
Assume that you are an EMHC and someone comes up to you for a “blessing”.

You have read the Vatican document that prohibits this, yet there are witnesses all around, including the priest who is OK with this abuse.

What would you do, right then and there?
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As laity are not permitted to confer a blessing during the Mass, I simply say “Receive the Lord Jesus in your heart” without making any sort of gesture whatsoever. That asks them to make a spiritual communion (which is what they should be doing anyway), is clearly not a blessing of any kind, and seems to be an appropriately pastoral response as it doesn’t ignore the person standing in front of me.

Usually it’s not an issue because our priest and deacon distribute the Body of Christ and the EMHCs almost always only distribute the Precious Blood. You can’t easily trace a sign of the cross on someone’s forehead with a chalice in one hand and a purificator in the other, so no one ever comes up to us expecting a blessing 🙂
 
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