This is actually beyond the Catechism. The Catechism is a teaching mechanism, but, it is not meant ot legislate. What the OP witnessed falls under Canon Law and the authoritative, regulatory documents of the Church.
My point is, someone pointed out a piece of the Catechism or Canon Law or whatever that prohibits what the neighbour is doing and it might be helpful to show that to the neighbour when confronting her about this practice.
Hi James,
Find out if your parish is having Mass today. If they are, then go. Speak to the priest aftewards. This is quite serious and it needs to be addressed ASAP.Well, I took your advice and walked down to her house to speak with her about this, as it really was bothering me a lot after reading what you all had to say. I figure it’s always best to be direct, even though I did not think it would go that well.
She answered the door and I started some small talk and then I said, “Look, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about my faith recently, and I remember that you told me that you take Holy Hosts home with you to use when you feel the need…” And she immediately cut me off and got snippy with me and said, “The Holy Eucharist is given to me, no one can tell me what to do with it. No one owns the Holy Eucharist. That’s ridiculous!” And I said that if she truly believed that the Holy Host was indeed Our Risen Savior incarnate, that I would think some more respect would be due because you cannot keep Him in a ceramic jar or take him home in your purse or pack him in a lunchbox. She said I should do what my conscience tells me to do, and let her do what hers tells her to do. Then she said she had received many graces upon using the Holy Host in moments of crisis. She said that the other day she woke up with a sore throat and thought she was coming down with something, but was planning to visit her brother, so she took two Holy Hosts and was almost instantly cured! I said, “You know, I bet that if you have an urgent situation like that, you could call Father and he would send a minister out to offer you communion, or you could join a prayer circle…” And she basically shut me down and said that again, she goes by experience and her conscience and that The Church cannot tell her how to be with Our Lord and that she treats the Holy Hosts with reverence.
Then I got a little mad and I told her that The Holy Eucharists are not Pringles and are not supposed to be kept at home to snack upon, but that maybe she could purchase some unconsecrated hosts if she likes to eat them like chips. That was probably going too far because she said it was none of my business and that Our Lord knows exactly what is in her heart and that she had to go.
So, I guess I will call the parish office tomorrow. I’m not sure what they can do - they probably can’t confiscate her hoard of Holy Hosts, can they?
I’m sorry your neighbour reacted so badly. I don’t know what they can do about the Hosts she already has but they could prevent her from receiving Communion in the hand to stop her from continuing. Although what she is doing is very grave so the priest may have to take more drastic action than that because there is clearly something wrong if she can’t see what is wrong with what she is doing!Well, I took your advice and walked down to her house to speak with her about this, as it really was bothering me a lot after reading what you all had to say. I figure it’s always best to be direct, even though I did not think it would go that well.
She answered the door and I started some small talk and then I said, “Look, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about my faith recently, and I remember that you told me that you take Holy Hosts home with you to use when you feel the need…” And she immediately cut me off and got snippy with me and said, “The Holy Eucharist is given to me, no one can tell me what to do with it. No one owns the Holy Eucharist. That’s ridiculous!” And I said that if she truly believed that the Holy Host was indeed Our Risen Savior incarnate, that I would think some more respect would be due because you cannot keep Him in a ceramic jar or take him home in your purse or pack him in a lunchbox. She said I should do what my conscience tells me to do, and let her do what hers tells her to do. Then she said she had received many graces upon using the Holy Host in moments of crisis. She said that the other day she woke up with a sore throat and thought she was coming down with something, but was planning to visit her brother, so she took two Holy Hosts and was almost instantly cured! I said, “You know, I bet that if you have an urgent situation like that, you could call Father and he would send a minister out to offer you communion, or you could join a prayer circle…” And she basically shut me down and said that again, she goes by experience and her conscience and that The Church cannot tell her how to be with Our Lord and that she treats the Holy Hosts with reverence.
Then I got a little mad and I told her that The Holy Eucharists are not Pringles and are not supposed to be kept at home to snack upon, but that maybe she could purchase some unconsecrated hosts if she likes to eat them like chips. That was probably going too far because she said it was none of my business and that Our Lord knows exactly what is in her heart and that she had to go.
So, I guess I will call the parish office tomorrow. I’m not sure what they can do - they probably can’t confiscate her hoard of Holy Hosts, can they?
Yes, she was in grave error.
God bless you for taking this step. I don’t know what the Church can do, but it is mercifully in the proper hands now. PeaceWell, I took your advice and walked down to her house to speak with her about this, as it really was bothering me a lot after reading what you all had to say. I figure it’s always best to be direct, even though I did not think it would go that well.
So, I guess I will call the parish office tomorrow. I’m not sure what they can do - they probably can’t confiscate her hoard of Holy Hosts, can they?
As others have said talk to your Priest because this is a very very serious matter that can’t be ignored. Deo gratias that you posted this it must of been God’s will that this came to light and that you could go and warn this lady of the seriousness of what she is doing. Sadly she didn’t heed your advice so be sure to talk to your Priest and remember to pray that the Lord will melt her hardened heart.Well, I took your advice and walked down to her house to speak with her about this, as it really was bothering me a lot after reading what you all had to say. I figure it’s always best to be direct, even though I did not think it would go that well.
She answered the door and I started some small talk and then I said, “Look, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about my faith recently, and I remember that you told me that you take Holy Hosts home with you to use when you feel the need…” And she immediately cut me off and got snippy with me and said, “The Holy Eucharist is given to me, no one can tell me what to do with it. No one owns the Holy Eucharist. That’s ridiculous!” And I said that if she truly believed that the Holy Host was indeed Our Risen Savior incarnate, that I would think some more respect would be due because you cannot keep Him in a ceramic jar or take him home in your purse or pack him in a lunchbox. She said I should do what my conscience tells me to do, and let her do what hers tells her to do. Then she said she had received many graces upon using the Holy Host in moments of crisis. She said that the other day she woke up with a sore throat and thought she was coming down with something, but was planning to visit her brother, so she took two Holy Hosts and was almost instantly cured! I said, “You know, I bet that if you have an urgent situation like that, you could call Father and he would send a minister out to offer you communion, or you could join a prayer circle…” And she basically shut me down and said that again, she goes by experience and her conscience and that The Church cannot tell her how to be with Our Lord and that she treats the Holy Hosts with reverence.
Then I got a little mad and I told her that The Holy Eucharists are not Pringles and are not supposed to be kept at home to snack upon, but that maybe she could purchase some unconsecrated hosts if she likes to eat them like chips. That was probably going too far because she said it was none of my business and that Our Lord knows exactly what is in her heart and that she had to go.
So, I guess I will call the parish office tomorrow. I’m not sure what they can do - they probably can’t confiscate her hoard of Holy Hosts, can they?
Good for you. I am sorry to hear that your neighbor acted the way that she did. Yes call the parish tomorrow and talk to the priest about it. I can’t believe she popped 2 Consecrated Hosts as you would do a couple of aspirin.Well, I took your advice and walked down to her house to speak with her about this, as it really was bothering me a lot after reading what you all had to say. I figure it’s always best to be direct, even though I did not think it would go that well.
She answered the door and I started some small talk and then I said, “Look, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about my faith recently, and I remember that you told me that you take Holy Hosts home with you to use when you feel the need…” And she immediately cut me off and got snippy with me and said, “The Holy Eucharist is given to me, no one can tell me what to do with it. No one owns the Holy Eucharist. That’s ridiculous!” And I said that if she truly believed that the Holy Host was indeed Our Risen Savior incarnate, that I would think some more respect would be due because you cannot keep Him in a ceramic jar or take him home in your purse or pack him in a lunchbox. She said I should do what my conscience tells me to do, and let her do what hers tells her to do. Then she said she had received many graces upon using the Holy Host in moments of crisis. She said that the other day she woke up with a sore throat and thought she was coming down with something, but was planning to visit her brother, so she took two Holy Hosts and was almost instantly cured! I said, “You know, I bet that if you have an urgent situation like that, you could call Father and he would send a minister out to offer you communion, or you could join a prayer circle…” And she basically shut me down and said that again, she goes by experience and her conscience and that The Church cannot tell her how to be with Our Lord and that she treats the Holy Hosts with reverence.
Then I got a little mad and I told her that The Holy Eucharists are not Pringles and are not supposed to be kept at home to snack upon, but that maybe she could purchase some unconsecrated hosts if she likes to eat them like chips. That was probably going too far because she said it was none of my business and that Our Lord knows exactly what is in her heart and that she had to go.
So, I guess I will call the parish office tomorrow. I’m not sure what they can do - they probably can’t confiscate her hoard of Holy Hosts, can they?
I might actually bring that up with a priest I konw, I think he received one of these and didn’t know what it was.
We have one that has been passed down through our family. It was my grandmothers. She brought it with her from Europe when she immigrated back in 1904. It is framed in a small oval frame to keep it safe. My understanding is that they have not been distributed since 1964. There is a great history behind them. Fun reading.
Hi,
No, no, no, no. She didn’t mean any harm but she needs to return these hosts ASAP to her priest.
Someone with authority must be the one to deal with these types of situations from the very beginning. It would have been better if you had not even approached the woman- you should have told the pastor what was going on.Well, I took your advice and walked down to her house to speak with her about this, as it really was bothering me a lot after reading what you all had to say. I figure it’s always best to be direct, even though I did not think it would go that well.
She answered the door and I started some small talk and then I said, “Look, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about my faith recently, and I remember that you told me that you take Holy Hosts home with you to use when you feel the need…” And she immediately cut me off and got snippy with me and said, “The Holy Eucharist is given to me, no one can tell me what to do with it. No one owns the Holy Eucharist. That’s ridiculous!” And I said that if she truly believed that the Holy Host was indeed Our Risen Savior incarnate, that I would think some more respect would be due because you cannot keep Him in a ceramic jar or take him home in your purse or pack him in a lunchbox. She said I should do what my conscience tells me to do, and let her do what hers tells her to do. Then she said she had received many graces upon using the Holy Host in moments of crisis. She said that the other day she woke up with a sore throat and thought she was coming down with something, but was planning to visit her brother, so she took two Holy Hosts and was almost instantly cured! I said, “You know, I bet that if you have an urgent situation like that, you could call Father and he would send a minister out to offer you communion, or you could join a prayer circle…” And she basically shut me down and said that again, she goes by experience and her conscience and that The Church cannot tell her how to be with Our Lord and that she treats the Holy Hosts with reverence.
Then I got a little mad and I told her that The Holy Eucharists are not Pringles and are not supposed to be kept at home to snack upon, but that maybe she could purchase some unconsecrated hosts if she likes to eat them like chips. That was probably going too far because she said it was none of my business and that Our Lord knows exactly what is in her heart and that she had to go.
So, I guess I will call the parish office tomorrow. I’m not sure what they can do - they probably can’t confiscate her hoard of Holy Hosts, can they?