How to receive from the priest when ushers make it impossible!?

[EasterJoy]

Yes, I agree that there must be a way. I’m sorry for having pushed through with the point instead of waiting for after class, when I would have more time to weigh my language. I really don’t want anyone to think that women are some filthy, despicable group of people who must be kept away from the blessed sacrament at all costs - but it is imperative that the symbolic language of the Blessed Sacrament be preserved, including that derived from the people handling it.

By their holiness these great daughters of the Church (as well as her own beloved Mother) would, I suspect, prefer the Lord’s chosen symbolism be preserved. To be clear, it is my opinion that if Our Lady were to be attending Mass in our age, and a dire need for an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion were to manifest, she would only accept the role if no suitable male were available (ie baptised, in the state of grace, and sufficiently catechised to know what they’d be doing). This opinion is mine only, and absolutely open to correction, but right now I’m convinced that this is the case.

I wish I could edit my post to remove the evidence of hasty writing, and instead point to your much better explanation here.

Thanks. I thought that was the way you meant it. It is not that serving at the altar is an honor somehow reserved for men, but that the priestly duty is one for which certain men are specifically made and called.

I am sure Our Lady would not have felt pushed out, if she and the Holy Women had not been the only ones there with St. John at the foot of the cross. Just so, I think many EMsHC, male and female, would happily retire to the pews when their prayers are answered with a plentitude of ordinary ministers!!

What was necessary for her to do, though, that she always did, and without calling attention to herself in the process. For who was more full of the Holy Spirit than she? Who understood the message of the Gospel better, and lived it more fully? Who was more intimate with the Way, the Truth, and the Life than she? Yet she waited with those first sons that Our Lord gave her as priests until Pentecost should come, and left the office of leading the Church by word to them, left the homilies to them, even though their charism did not remove their many faults. She, in the meantime, was even then, life, sweetness, and hope to the whole Church. There is no dishonor in imitating her, rather than the Apostles! When those who are called to it do it, they will be rewarded in a like way.

 

[Layman]

[Sarcasm] Golly, however did we manage without EMCs in the past? Those poor priests must have been wrecked after distributing all that Communion by themselves. And the faithful, havijng their Sunday lunch delayed by, oh, ten minutes, while he did it? How infuriating for them.

Went to an N.O. funeral Mass this past week. Had the lot:

• A child singing a sentimental song;
• A relative of the deceased orating about the deceased, between sobs;
• Priest and EMCs dashing off the sanctuary to distribute communion, like we were going to skedaddle if they didnt hurry up.

If, as I’ve read, you get the clergy you deserve, maybe you get the Mass you deserve too?

I won’t tell you what happened at the deceased’s burial service.

Painful.

Yet, quite in keeping with the peculiar ‘Jesus loves us, we’re as good as saved, anything goes’ attitude post-Vatican II.

I recommend those who read this to find a traditional Latin Mass near you, or sponsor a priest to say one if you can can’t. I have to say, I’m edging towards going to the SSPX if I can’t. Having attended TLMs and singing in a choir at same, the qualitiative difference between them and the average N.O. is striking.

 

[theistgal]

To be clear, it is my opinion that if Our Lady were to be attending Mass in our age, and a dire need for an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion were to manifest, she would only accept the role if no suitable male were available (ie baptised, in the state of grace, and sufficiently catechised to know what they’d be doing). This opinion is mine only, and absolutely open to correction, but right now I’m convinced that this is the case.

I dunno - wasn’t Our Lady actually the very first human being - male or female - to hold the Body of Christ in her hands?

 

[EasterJoy]

Toribus,

I agree with you all the way.

In our Diocese, an EMHC can only serve for a two year period. All EMHC’s must have a certificate from the Bishop before being accepted to distribute Communion. We also have a training session for all new ministers.

In many cases, it is not a matter of us wanting to be an EMHC as much as it is of being called by our Priests. With the shortage of priests now a days, this calling is of necessity rather than convenience - at least in the churches I am familiar with. We have over 1600 families in our church. We average 45 new converts coming into our church each Easter. We have 5 Masses each Sunday and a Mass each morning during the week. We have 3 priests and two deacons. And, I might add, they are kept very busy. Our confession lines are large.

I guess what it boils down to is that we have to do what we have to do to bring Salvation to those who are seeking it. If the priests need help from lay people, then so be it. We should do what we can to keep our churches filled and faith alive. Of course this is not to say that we should act in ways not in approved by the Holy See - but we be should be aware of the church’s authority and act accordingly. We want to build up our church and I feel sure our Pope and Bishops are considering all avenues, within reason, to do so, without violating the principles as handed down to us from Jesus.

God bless you,

There is not just a shortage of priests.

It could change in a generation or two, but there is no way we are going to live to see our Church with enough priests to offer the Precious Blood at every mass with ordinary ministers, or to take communion to all of the sick and shut-ins who are in need. Not within our lifetimes. In the early Church, Holy Communion by the deacons was taken to those absent from Mass due to illness. In our age, too, becoming a deacon takes more work and personal sacrifice than in ages past.

Among those of you who are married men, how many of you have examined yourselves as to whether you could offer *yourselves *as candidates for the diaconate? How many of you have done anything to offer yourselves as a solution to this problem? If you have examined yourselves and are convinced that you are not called, how many of you have kept on the lookout for other men in your acquaintance who might be, and encouraged them to consider it? Few men considering whether they have a vocation feel encouraged to pursue it if not a single other person ever tells them they would be suitable candidates.

Our own archdiocese is in the enviable position of having a rapidly growing number of high quality candidates to the priesthood entering the seminary (thanks be to God!), but having to find the money to educate them all! Candidates to the diaconate have almost always had to pay their own way through school, which is a considerable sacrifice that many cannot afford. This is not likely to change soon, because bishops are having a hard enough time paying the priests’ way through.

How many of us have made contributions or done fundraising so that candidates to the priesthood and diaconate might get the schooling they need?

We need to do a lot more than tossle the hair of the best altar boys and tell them they need to become priests. That is great, prayer is of course the most necessary, but there is a lot of work to be done before EMsHC are going to be a thing of the past.

Until then…well, when St. John found himself at the foot of the Cross surrounded only by holy women, I don’t think his first impulse was to blame them.

 

[Layman]

I don’t see what the big problem is about offering the TLM, anyway, lack of priests or no. It’s not like having to learn to strip down and re-assemble an engine block. And you’ve got cue-cards and an MC to prompt you if need be.

Here’s a few notions:

• Many priests leave the Church post-Vat. II;
• Fewer vocations;
• Currently greater enthusiasm from the faithful and seminarians for the old rite;
• Therefore more trad. priests;
• There will be fewer priests in the future generally and they will therefore statisically be more likely to say the old Mass;
• The faithful will have to travel farther to hear Mass;
• Will fans of the OF travel 75 miles to hear one, if that happens?

Your local OF Mass not ‘doing it’ for you? Ask around and search on the 'net for a TLM. Search on phrases like “Latin Mass Society” and “FSSP”. Or ask your current priest if he knows of any. That’s how I found out.

 

[mrearly2]

Best thing to do is find a church where they have the True–not the New–Mass and you shouldn’t have that sort of trouble.