Eucharistic Minister and blessing

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May we remind everyone that ALL present receive a blessing at the end of Mass.

When this subject came up at our parish, this (above) is what our pastor told us.

As EMHCs, we do not give special blessings in the communion line. We’re instructed to say “Receive the Lord Jesus in your heart” should someone approach with their arms folded (actually our bishop’s instructions). It is more in line with a “Spiritual Communion” (Saint Alphonsus, I think?").

Ah, the laity, we’re so under-loved . . .

During Mass, there’s only room to worship one God.
 
tequilamac said:
I’m with you Bud- crazy.
Why stop there? Why not consecrate your own Host and distribute it to yourself? Then you can hear your own confession too. And then we will pin a medal on you and call you a
Protest…😃 😃 I will be happy to call you a protest… except I am in the middle of trying to figure out how to give myself the anointing of the sick. After all, Father might be too busy and I’m part of the royal priesthood anyway so why bother Father if I can do it myself?
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Which crackers do you think are more holy? Ritz or saltines? Maybe wonder bread instead?
I guess then its a question of grape juice or wine as well…

I say flip for it! As far as annointing of the sick goes, why worry? You have an inside track.

I have seen EMHC do this at my parish. Not all of them, but it started with one, then a few others followed suit. I will make a dart to another line to get to a priest if I see a “violator” like this.
I want to do it all the time but dont want to be a spectacle about it. Its hard to guess acurately which way they will work the room. Half the time I am wrong. 😦

I hope no one tries to do that with me or my little one! :eek:

I think in time all this will fade away. Or am I being to optimistic?:confused:
 
:clapping: :clapping: :clapping:
tequilamac said:
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion need to refrain from giving blessings to people during the Sacrament of Communion. It is not their place to perform sacramental acts during the Eucharist. According to several Vatican Documents the only thing a EMHC may do is hand out the Host or the Cup and say the words “The Body of Christ” or “The Blood of Christ”. The y may not say anything else, use anyone’s name nor are they to extend a priestly blessing. It is just no their job. If they feel so inclined, after Mass they may go outside and yell Bless You, but not during the Eucharist. The ministers should have refrained or refused.

[edited - unsubstantiated allegations]

This is why I say it is up to us, the ordinary people in the pews to start letting our support for the priests and the Vatican come to the front. We need to even vote with our feet sometimes when it comes to the matter of EMHC’s overstepping their authority. In other words, go through Father’s line, no matter how long it takes.
Receive under one species only if absolutely necessary. We need to put the magesterium back in control of the magesterium and the priest must be back in the priesthood not the lay ministers.
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:clapping: :yup: :clapping:

Bravo well put and exactly what I think too
 
MrsS.,
So what do we do with our 2 year old when we go to communion?
 
I wish it hadn’t happened, too, but it has, and we are either with Jesus and his Bride the Church–the two have sacramentally become one flesh–or we are against them.

Also, I believe Jesus promised us that we “cannot know the day nor the hour” when the end will come.

I was asked to be an EMHC several years ago, did as I was requested by a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek (who was ordained by the call of Christ’s bishop), and do so now, whenever a priest asks me to help, even if I wished I didn’t have to.

I also prayed fervently that we would no longer have EMHCs: that holy communion would be distributed only by priests and deacons, and today in our parish, we generally have three priests distributing holy communion, so I know others holier than me were praying for the same thing.

Now if only we could convince everyone that three priests distributing Holy Communion would be superabundant to our needs, and that shaving 90 seconds off the duration of the Mass by having a lay EMHC was COUNTER productive…
  • sigh *
Something I ask you to pray with me for.
 
Take a look at this info: (scroll down to the second question)

zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=71485

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted referred to Archbishop Chaput of Denver when instructing EMHC’s in the Diocese of Phoenix to adopt Saint Alphonsus Liguori’s Act of Spiritual Communion for those approaching for a “blessing” in the Communion line.
 
FYI…there are between 30 and 40 Masses said on campus each day of the week.

But, anyway…I have seen extra-ordinary ministers give blessings at every church that I have been to in our Archdiocese. I am not sure if they (the Church) have come out with an actual ruling on this. This is certainly not an “out of the ordinary” act. I’ve seen it done (at least) at five or six different parishes. I’m not saying that it is the correct thing to do…I simply do not know. I just know that it occurs often.
 
H_Opey said:
MrsS.,
So what do we do with our 2 year old when we go to communion?
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continue to take him/her with you. Your example of reverence and quiet and respect for the Lord will leave a lasting impression. At some point (first communion) your child will remember that now his turn has come for that something special.

The key of course is the we.

You are the ones receiving… and that is the only purpose for that line.
 
So I am a little confused… Eucharistic ministers can distribute God (consecrated host) to the people, but cannot say “Blessings of Christ be with you” (or a similar variation). This does not make a lot of sense to me. Please help me understand. Thank you!!
 
Lion said:
So I am a little confused… Eucharistic ministers can distribute God (consecrated host) to the people, but cannot say “Blessings of Christ be with you” (or a similar variation). This does not make a lot of sense to me. Please help me understand. Thank you!!
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There are guidlines for the liturgy… organized and explicit. Blessings flow downwards. God blesses His people. A father blesses his son. A priest blesses his flock.

A have some difficulty - explaining to myself anyway - any “elevated” status of another lay person, even an EMHC. I think it is wonderful that they can bring the Eucharist to the homebound, and help the priest in that way.

But I also feel that the biggest reason that so many Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence, and/or do not have a highest level of reverence for Him… is because we have allowed so many things to diminish the importance of the priest and the Mass.

First came the abuse… then a bishop called it a norm. Sad.

.
 
MrS said:
There are guidlines for the liturgy… organized and explicit. Blessings flow downwards. God blesses His people. A father blesses his son. A priest blesses his flock.

A have some difficulty - explaining to myself anyway - any “elevated” status of another lay person, even an EMHC. I think it is wonderful that they can bring the Eucharist to the homebound, and help the priest in that way.

But I also feel that the biggest reason that so many Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence, and/or do not have a highest level of reverence for Him… is because we have allowed so many things to diminish the importance of the priest and the Mass.

First came the abuse… then a bishop called it a norm. Sad.

.
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I’m not trying to sound ignorant here, but I ask in Jesus’ name every day to bless my family and loved ones… and even those i don’t love… how does this become different from an EU blessing in Jesus’ name? I’m always grateful for a blessing, because the Lord knows I need them!!! 😉 Am I sounding too protestant? Yikes!!
 
MrS said:
👍

But I also feel that the biggest reason that so many Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence, and/or do not have a highest level of reverence for Him… is because we have allowed so many things to diminish the importance of the priest and the Mass.

.
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I agree 100%… the Real Presence… is it not wonderful to attend a miracle once a week (or more if you attend Mass on other than Sundays)?
 
MrS said:
But I also feel that the biggest reason that so many Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence, and/or do not have a highest level of reverence for Him…

.
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It saddens me greatly too… the casual, I’m just going to go through the motions type of attitude… It is a true miracle that happens at every consecration, no? At one church I go to from time to time i kneel at the consecration (as I was taught) while everyone in the church stands even though there are kneelers…(maybe that is why the kneelers are so comfy) not my place to judge, but it saddens me for the lack of respect for such a wonderful event in our presence with Him… I feel sorry for the priests who cannot get people to understand this… albeit, some priests do not seem to really care how people respond / participate in the Mass, but are simply happy that those people are in attendance as opposed to doing something else… I fear that if ever i had the opportunity i would be a fire and brimstone kinda priest to shake people up and stop being sheep…
 
MrS said:
There are guidlines for the liturgy… organized and explicit. Blessings flow downwards. God blesses His people. A father blesses his son. A priest blesses his flock.
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I’m confused, too–especially by the info given from Colin Donovan. In it, Colin says that laypeople do not have the spiritual authority to confer a blessing. Yet, the quote from the catexhism given near the beginning of this thread clearly enunciates that laypeople do, indeed, have the spiritual authority to confer blessings–but that this authority is regulated by church law particularly when it involves ecclessial action.

Only priests can offer blessings, but the common priesthood is a real priesthood. It isn’t just a concept meant to placate the laity. The ministerial priesthood is configured for a different type of service, but that doesn’t make the universal priesthood any less official or dignified.

Colin’s answer seems to contradict the catechism reference. I don’t hold an STL, but I’m perfectly fine with an answer of, "yes, laypeople, as participants in the one priesthood of Christ can confer blessings, but the Church has the authority to regulate when and in what situations these blessings may be given.

I’m not fine with an answer that diminishes the fullness of the Church’s teaching regarding the priesthood of Christ and the ways in which the lay and ordained members of his body participate in it.

Keith
 
Keith_Strohm said:
I’m confused, too–especially by the info given from Colin Donovan. In it, Colin says that laypeople do not have the spiritual authority to confer a blessing. Yet, the quote from the catexhism given near the beginning of this thread clearly enunciates that laypeople do, indeed, have the spiritual authority to confer blessings–but that this authority is regulated by church law particularly when it involves ecclessial action.

Only priests can offer blessings, but the common priesthood is a real priesthood. It isn’t just a concept meant to placate the laity. The ministerial priesthood is configured for a different type of service, but that doesn’t make the universal priesthood any less official or dignified.

Colin’s answer seems to contradict the catechism reference. I don’t hold an STL, but I’m perfectly fine with an answer of, "yes, laypeople, as participants in the one priesthood of Christ can confer blessings, but the Church has the authority to regulate when and in what situations these blessings may be given.

I’m not fine with an answer that diminishes the fullness of the Church’s teaching regarding the priesthood of Christ and the ways in which the lay and ordained members of his body participate in it.

Keith
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We the laity are members of the common priesthood—but in no way —come close to the ministerial priesthood.
 
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