People keep saying over and over that the lay people cannot confer a blessing as the priest.
Forgive me if I am wrong, but I always thought the difference was that when a EM asked for a blessing, it was just that, a request to God to bless the person, done under the guidance and instructions of the priest.
Whereas the priest blessing was more than just a suggestion.
Anyone can be confused over an issue, but is it really a widespread issue that people think a blessing by a lay person is the same as a blessing by a priest?
I think the issue is that the confusion between the two
does occur whether we like it or not. I have a friend who was on the opposite end of “blessing”. She was a cradle catholic who was not confirmed until she was in her thirties. She also had some trying times in her life that had left her with post traumatic stress syndrome.
At the time I’m speaking, the Vatican was not engaged in issueing any controls over the EMHC ministries. EMHC’s existed but no one was paying too much attention, not taking it all that seriously, you know about 15 years ago.
She had an argument with a lady who was in charge of the EMHC at her parish. She went to Mass one day and received the Host from the priest, but when she got to the EMHC with the Precious Blood, the EMHC covered the cup with her hand and shook her head. My friend thought the cup was empty so sat down. Next day same thing. Next day same thing. Even though it was a different EMHC every day. Finally at my suggestion she started to watch and realized that the cup was not empty for the person behind her. She realized suddenly what was happening- that the EMHC’s were refusing to give
herthe cup. She was horribly upset. She said it was like she was ex communicated by the laity but not the priest. In her mind the EMHC’s represented the laity. I told her to go to her priest and complain. She did, he looked into it, and the EMHC leader commented that she had no idea what my friend was “talking about but you know Father, she has always been unstable.” Finally I went to Mass with her and sure enough I received the cup and she did not. I went to the priest with her. He said he would look into it. It continued, my friend lost her temper with the woman, they had a big argument in the vestibule. Easter Sunday came and went. No problem at all but then the Bishop was there you see and my friend recieved the cup with no problem. The day after Easter Sunday, she went to daily Mass. I went with her. I have never been so shocked in all my life. When all the regulars came in- all EMHC’s and their friends and family- came in they looked at us, whispered and went and sat down on theo other side of the Church. We literally were the only people on the St. Joseph side. Everyone went to the Mary side. Then the other priest, not the Pastor, but the asst Pastor came to the homily. He was by the way in charge of the EMHC ministry at this parish. His entire homily was reading the riot act at my friend. Even though he did not use her name, his face was red, his voice raised, and looking at her, he talked about how satan used people to attack the holy lay ministers of a parish, to accuse them of wrong doing, that the evil one was attempting to defeat the work of Christ in the EMHC ministry. That enemies of the EMHC’s would lie and slander but they would not win for evil cannot win out over good.
Everyone was staring at us. My friend was in tears. We got up and left before the end of the homily. I tried to stay with my friend but I had to pick up my kids at the preschool. While I was gone, she overdosed.
She lived through her attempt which was sinful admittedly but in her words she could not live with “being excommunicated and going to hell.” Through many effortst on the part of those at another parish I took her to, she came to realize what had happened. But it took years because it had been so traumatic. She suffered for a long time from scruples and even today every once in a while, when she has to go up and receive the cup from a EMHC, her nerve fails her and she just can’t do it.
She received counseling and spiritual direction and is much much better.
Years later she heard that the EMHC had been excommunicated for other outrageous acts.
so…for those who take the Eucharist very, very seriously the poor actions of EMHC can have devestating effects. The EMHC’s do not have the extensive theological training of priests, they cannot hear confessions, and are incredibly human human beings prone to bad judgement not rained in control of their own desires. It is only my opinion, but lay people with no strong theological background should ever be in charge of distributing something so spiritually charged, so emotionally charged as the Real Presence. Never.
