EMHCs: what do you do when people approach you in the communion line for blessings?

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PhyllisA said:
Also, if children are able to come up with their arms crossed and receive a blessing {as my son was taught in a Catholic Grade school & i was taught when teaching Sunday school for 12 years}, why wouldn’t adults be able to do the same?

Phyllis @};-
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That’s the problem with liturgical abuses that are left uncorrected. They become institutionalized and they spawn new abuses.
 
Matariel said:
Laity have no authority to bless in public liturgy. Only priests and bishops (and during Eucharistic benediction, deacons) people and places in public liturgy.

Geez. Next thing you know the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion will be trying to say the Consecration!
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It seems that traditonalists are given to exaggeration ;).
Sont get me wrong, I believe there is a right way and wrong way to conduct the liturgy, and I have changed my opinion on the concept of going up for blessing if I am normally unable to recieve. But I don’t think the Consecration is in any danger.
 
PhyllisA said:
Is this not similar to “blessing our children” on the forehead as we were always taught? :confused: :hmmm:

Also, if children are able to come up with their arms crossed and receive a blessing {as my son was taught in a Catholic Grade school & i was taught when teaching Sunday school for 12 years}, why wouldn’t adults be able to do the same?

Phyllis @};-
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The big difference here is that you are doing this within the context of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. During the Mass, the only one who is to impart any sort of blessing is the celebrant.

With regard to your second statement, the line is for the receptoin of Holy Communion. After the Fraction Rite, the priest holds up the Body of Christ and says, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, happy are those who are called to His supper.” We are called to come and eat His Body and drink His Blood, not come up for a blessing.

I know that I have used this example throughout, but, let’s say that I invite you to my house for Thanksgiving dinner. You are not going to show up and just watch me eat. I would expect you to share in the meal. Of course, if you have heard that I’m a bad cook, that’s another story, and it’s also for another thread. 😃 But, I hope you caught my drift.

What amazes me is that teachers in both the parochial and CCD level are not instructing the kids in the value of making a spiritual communion. Everyone is going to receive the blessing at the end of Mass. A spiritual commuion allows someone who cannot yet receiver (or is unable to receive Our Lord) to spend some quiet time, kneeling in prayer while everyone else is receiving Holy Communion. The person at the pew asks Jesus to come into his heart spiritually. The saints have long-advocated this practice and it is part of the tradition of the Church.
 
benedictgal said:
He was only speaking to clergy imparting such a blessing, not the laity. The document, on the collaboration of the faithful in the sacred ministry of the priest was written precisely because there were widespread abuses and confusion as to what the laity can and cannot do, to the point that the Holy See had to intervene. Several Congregations participated in the writing of this document, including the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Therefore, this document does oversee liturgical aspects as well.
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I look forward to hearing the response to your letter regarding what the EMHC are supposed to do when approached by people not receiving Holy Communion. Until that time, I will follow the directive of my pastor and bishop.
 
Lepanto said:
That’s the problem with liturgical abuses that are left uncorrected. They become institutionalized and they spawn new abuses.
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I feel a little insulted here. I agree with CWBetts, i don’t think we’re doing out of disrespect of the priest or God. I know we’re not giving a full blessing like that of a Priest. But, i do believe that we should be able to @ least show a sign of faith to a person, espeically if they show signs that they’d like to receive a blessing.
It seems that traditonalists are given to exaggeration .
Sont get me wrong, I believe there is a right way and wrong way to conduct the liturgy, and I have changed my opinion on the concept of going up for blessing if I am normally unable to recieve. But I don’t think the Consecration is in any danger.
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Pardon me for saying … It’s kinda like the Beginning Experience program in our Diocease, there were so many people just wanting to do away with a priest and do a prayer service because of the shortage of Priests. 😦 I was saddened and suggested we try our hardest to find a priest, and sure enough, we found one and he likes it so well he’d like to continue.

Phyllis @};-
 
zab said:
I look forward to hearing the response to your letter regarding what the EMHC are supposed to do when approached by people not receiving Holy Communion. Until that time, I will follow the directive of my pastor and bishop.
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The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments already gave me a verbal response and that was response was that we were not allowed to impart any kind of blessing. In fact, the cleric gave me the same citation that I have been posting all along. But, since verbal commentary doesn’t work, that is why the request was made in writing. Nothing is going to change the response. No is still no.

The bishop is limited in his authority. He cannot grant EMHCs the faculty to bless anyone or anything because that runs contrary to what was already emphatically stated in the document from the Congregation for Clergy.
 
PhyllisA said:
I feel a little insulted here. I agree with CWBetts, i don’t think we’re doing out of disrespect of the priest or God. I know we’re not giving a full blessing like that of a Priest. But, i do believe that we should be able to @ least show a sign of faith to a person, espeically if they show signs that they’d like to receive a blessing.

Pardon me for saying … It’s kinda like the Beginning Experience program in our Diocease, there were so many people just wanting to do away with a priest and do a prayer service because of the shortage of Priests. 😦 I was saddened and suggested we try our hardest to find a priest, and sure enough, we found one and he likes it so well he’d like to continue.

Phyllis @};-
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Phyllis, it is certainly not my intent, or the intent of anyone else here in these threads to insult you or anyone else. The big problem is that the “sign of faith” that you are seeking to give is not yours, nor mine, to give. That blessing comes to everyone at the end of Mass. That is the one thing that everyone can receive, Catholic or non-Catholic.

The problem is that not enough catechesis is being done regarding the reason why we form a line. We do not form a line to receive something. We line up to receive Someone. Those who are properly disposed (free of mortal sin and are in communion wth the Church) are invited to come forward to receive Our Lord. Remember the invitation: “Happy are those who are called to His supper.” Not all are called to partake of the Body and Blood of Jesus. Those who cannot should be invited, instead, to make a spiritual communion asking Jesus to come into their hearts.

But, as for you and I imparting a blessing, that is not for us to do. The documents clearly state this.
 
benedictgal said:
. . .

Blessings are reserved only to the celebrant. Not even the deacon can impart a blessing during the Mass. This is reserved to the celebrant. Therefore, if a deacon, who is an ordained member of the clergy cannot do it, why would we think that as EMHCs we would be allowed to engage in such activity? . . .
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What then of the practice of having laity distribute ashes on Ash Wednesday and bless throats on Saint Blaise Day?
 
benedictgal said:
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments already gave me a verbal response and that was response was that we were not allowed to impart any kind of blessing. In fact, the cleric gave me the same citation that I have been posting all along. But, since verbal commentary doesn’t work, that is why the request was made in writing. Nothing is going to change the response. No is still no.

The bishop is limited in his authority. He cannot grant EMHCs the faculty to bless anyone or anything because that runs contrary to what was already emphatically stated in the document from the Congregation for Clergy.
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If you do not accept the verbal response of Cardinal Arinze that was available on YouTube for everyone to hear, why should anyone accept a verbal response that was given only to you?
 
Joe_Kelley said:
What then of the practice of having laity distribute ashes on Ash Wednesday and bless throats on Saint Blaise Day?
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When you distribute an ash, you are not imparting a blessing. In fact, you are either telling the faithful to “Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel” or reminding them that “You are dust and to dust you shall return.” That is not a blessing. It is an admonishment and a reminder.

The laity are not supposed to bless throats on St. Blase’s feast day, or any other day, for that matter, because they do not have the faculty to do so.
 
zab said:
If you do not accept the verbal response of Cardinal Arinze that was available on YouTube for everyone to hear, why should anyone accept a verbal response that was given only to you?
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Zab, you are comparing apples to limes. Cardinal Arinze, first of all, addressed the issue of either Protestants or Catholics (who are unable to receive Holy Communion) coming up for this blessing. Second, he did not say that the laity could do this. Bringing this issue up only serves to muddy the waters beecause he is referring to the clergy engaging in this practice, not the laity. Let’s make that perfectly clear.

Furthermore, the parameters are clearly defined as to what the laity can and cannot do in liturcial celebrations. I have quoted that section from the document issued by the Congregation for Clergy. The fact that the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments signed off on it means that Cardnial Arinze is not likely to reverse himself. In fact, that same document is what the Congregation quoted to me regarding EMHCs and what they can and cannot do. The cleric was very emphatic about this. We cannot impart what we are not authorized to do. A blessing in the context of the Mass is reserved to the celebrant alone, be he priest or bishop, no one else can do this.
 
benedictgal said:
Zab, you are comparing apples to limes. Cardinal Arinze, first of all, addressed the issue of children coming up for this blessing. Second, he did not say that the laity could do this. Bringing this issue up only serves to muddy the waters beecause he is referring to the clergy engaging in this practice, not the laity. Let’s make that perfectly clear. Furthermore, the parameters are clearly defined as to what the laity can and cannot do in liturcial celebrations. I have quoted that section from the document issued by the Congregation for Clergy. The fact that the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments signed off on it means that Cardnial Arinze is not likely to reverse himself. In fact, that same document is what the Congregation quoted to me regarding EMHCs and what they can and cannot do.
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Benedictgal,
Whether or not you agree that people should approach the EMHC in the Communion line is beside the point. It will happen anyway. Visiting Protestants may approach the EMHC, just like they approach the priest. That is why we must know what we are to do when they come before us.
 
zab said:
Benedictgal,
Whether or not you agree that people should approach the EMHC in the Communion line is beside the point. It will happen anyway. Visiting Protestants may approach the EMHC, just like they approach the priest. That is why we must know what we are to do when they come before us.
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We should politely and charitably say that we cannot impart a blessing. We can’t give what we aren’t authorized to give. That is very simple as that.
 
zab said:
It will happen anyway. Visiting Protestants may approach the EMHC, just like they approach the priest. That is why we must know what we are to do when they come before us.
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As the OP, let me just remind all that this is exactly the intent of this thread: what should an EMHC do/say when people approach you for a blessing?

The liceity of communion-line blessings, as I have said earlier, is NOT the issue here, simply because communion lines are meant for communion. The reality, however, is that decades of poor or non-existent catechesis have adulterated the purpose of the communion line. Blessings in the communion line, whether from the priest or an EMHC, are woefully poor consolation prizes in lieu of actually receiving Our Lord. And besides, the priest licitly blesses the entire congregation five minutes later at the dismissal.

Back in “the day” when we had good catechesis, every Catholic over the age of seven knew that if one could not receive communion, one was to make a spiritual communion (from one’s pew), something along the lines of this:

ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/blsac4.htm

So, let’s just all assume (whether you agree with it or not), that communion line blessings are illicit (which they are, as Benedictgal and others have shown). What do you say and do given the reality of the situation?
 
Lepanto said:
As the OP, let me just remind all that this is exactly the intent of this thread: what should an EMHC do/say when people approach you for a blessing?

The liceity of communion-line blessings, as I have said earlier, is NOT the issue here, simply because communion lines are meant for communion. The reality, however, is that decades of poor or non-existent catechesis have adulterated the purpose of the communion line. Blessings in the communion line, whether from the priest or an EMHC, are woefully poor consolation prizes in lieu of actually receiving Our Lord. And besides, the priest licitly blesses the entire congregation five minutes later at the dismissal.

Back in “the day” when we had good catechesis, every Catholic over the age of seven knew that if one could not receive communion, one was to make a spiritual communion, something along the lines of this (from one’s pew):

ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/blsac4.htm

So, let’s just all assume (whether you agree with it or not), that communion line blessings are illicit (which they are, as Benedictgal and others have shown). What do you say and do?
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I apologize for taking your thread off-topic. In response to your original question, you can’t give what you dno’t have. In our case, because we don’t have the authority to impart any sort of blessing within the context of the Mass, we have to say it as charitably, but as honestly as possible that we can’t do this. Charity requires honesty.
 
benedictgal said:
I apologize for taking your thread off-topic. In response to your original question, you can’t give what you dno’t have. In our case, because we don’t have the authority to impart any sort of blessing within the context of the Mass, we have to say it as charitably, but as honestly as possible that we can’t do this. Charity requires honesty.
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Agreed 100%. But what I’m looking for is what an EMHC should actually say and do when put on the spot (maybe 50 times) in a given communion line.
 
Lepanto said:
Agreed 100%. But what I’m looking for is what an EMHC should actually say and do when put on the spot (maybe 50 times) in a given communion line.
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I am sorry, but under the guidelines establsihed by the Holy See, I cannot give you a blessing. But, we invite you to receive the final blessing, which will be given to all of us, at the end of this Mass.
 
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