L
lostshep
Guest
Hello,
This particular issue has troubled me mentally for decades and I’d like to hear some others’ perspectives on it.
I was brought up in a fairly strict Traditional Catholic family, where we only attended the Latin Mass.
I remember being taught strict Catechism as a child, and I remember hearing things such as ‘It is a sin / disrespect to touch the Eucharist unless you’re a Priest.’ I heard this sort of thing from priests. I remember one priest saying it was sinful to attend the Novus Ordo.
As i’ve gotten older (currently i’m in my mid/late 20’s) i mostly attend the English Mass. This is due to my living situations and somewhat nomadic lifestyle, but also partially due to the fact that I personally think that there should be no split between the Church, we all should be together, and we should respect different cultures/languages and not try to say that one Order is ‘better’ than the other. We are all (hopefully) here for the sacrifice of the Mass…
Anyway, I am still haunted by the feeling that it is sinful to receive the Eucharist in my hands, even though I attend Masses where 99% of the people do. This (amongst other issues), stopped me from going to Communion many many times over the years. and when I did go, I received it on the tongue… but I felt like I was different… and it made me feel like I was ‘holier than though’ or something, because I was doing something the others weren’t.
About 18 months ago, I decided i’d receive communion in the hands when I was attending these Masses. In many ways I felt relieved, like I had finally followed my own moral judgement instead of following a fearful moral stance that was enforced upon me as a child. (When in Rome do as The Romans do…
… but at the same time I still feel like i’m ‘sinning’… because of what i’d been told as a child. But how can I be sinning, when everybody else is taking it on their hands.
When I was about 12 years old, I actually had asked an old and wise Monsignor about this issue, as it had even been bugging me back then… because in my youth sometimes I would have to attend the English Mass because of sport on Sundays not enabling me to attend the Latin Mass (which we had to travel for). He, being from The Novus Ordo himself, told me that it was ok, and maybe I should do both… sometimes in the hands, sometimes on the tongue. I never did because of my strict Traditional upbringing. It took me 15 years before I did follow his advice… and I still would feel guilty if I did so in front of my Mother who is very Traditional.
The Pope allowed this, so why do some Traditionalists claim a higher moral ground… on this issue?
This particular issue has troubled me mentally for decades and I’d like to hear some others’ perspectives on it.
I was brought up in a fairly strict Traditional Catholic family, where we only attended the Latin Mass.
I remember being taught strict Catechism as a child, and I remember hearing things such as ‘It is a sin / disrespect to touch the Eucharist unless you’re a Priest.’ I heard this sort of thing from priests. I remember one priest saying it was sinful to attend the Novus Ordo.
As i’ve gotten older (currently i’m in my mid/late 20’s) i mostly attend the English Mass. This is due to my living situations and somewhat nomadic lifestyle, but also partially due to the fact that I personally think that there should be no split between the Church, we all should be together, and we should respect different cultures/languages and not try to say that one Order is ‘better’ than the other. We are all (hopefully) here for the sacrifice of the Mass…
Anyway, I am still haunted by the feeling that it is sinful to receive the Eucharist in my hands, even though I attend Masses where 99% of the people do. This (amongst other issues), stopped me from going to Communion many many times over the years. and when I did go, I received it on the tongue… but I felt like I was different… and it made me feel like I was ‘holier than though’ or something, because I was doing something the others weren’t.
About 18 months ago, I decided i’d receive communion in the hands when I was attending these Masses. In many ways I felt relieved, like I had finally followed my own moral judgement instead of following a fearful moral stance that was enforced upon me as a child. (When in Rome do as The Romans do…
… but at the same time I still feel like i’m ‘sinning’… because of what i’d been told as a child. But how can I be sinning, when everybody else is taking it on their hands.When I was about 12 years old, I actually had asked an old and wise Monsignor about this issue, as it had even been bugging me back then… because in my youth sometimes I would have to attend the English Mass because of sport on Sundays not enabling me to attend the Latin Mass (which we had to travel for). He, being from The Novus Ordo himself, told me that it was ok, and maybe I should do both… sometimes in the hands, sometimes on the tongue. I never did because of my strict Traditional upbringing. It took me 15 years before I did follow his advice… and I still would feel guilty if I did so in front of my Mother who is very Traditional.
The Pope allowed this, so why do some Traditionalists claim a higher moral ground… on this issue?