How to tell Protestant friend that only Catholics receive Eucharist...?

[Lucky7]

So, your friend doesn’t care that this offends you (it does, right?) He is coming to your church and totally disregarding your church’s rules. How rude. If he can’t even respect his friend’s beliefs, then trying to explain them to him is futile.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I’m decently educated on why only Catholics can receive the Eucharist. I still have trouble wrapping my head around it sometimes but for the most part I understand it pretty well. But here’s the situation:

A friend of mine recently began attending daily mass within the last couple months. We are both in college. I have been at the same mass as him maybe twice or three times now but never actually gone with him/sat with him. No reason in particular.

The first time I noticed that he received the Eucharist…we don’t talk much so I never said anything to him.

Within the next couple days the priest and I were talking and something about my friend came up. I mentioned that he’s not Catholic but I’m really excited he’s been attending mass…so now I thought it was safe to assume that the priest knows for sure that my friend is not Catholic…

But then I went to mass recently last week and he received the Eucharist again.

What really gets me is that prior to him attending mass we were talking about the Eucharist and I explained why only Catholics receive. He believes that CC is flawed in many arenas and that this is one of them. So I almost feel like he’s receiving with knowing that the only Catholics receive?

He’s very knowledgeable about Christian history and the Bible. A part of me feels like he’s taking a “I know better than the CC so even though I’m not Catholic I’m just going to receive anyway” approach.

Overall, I feel like I’m in a sticky situation. I’m still pretty confident the priest knows (could be wrong on that one though…). I know. My friend knows.

Should I say something? I just don’t know where to take it from here.

I know that this will be uncomfortable for you, but can you just ask him WHY he is receiving the Eucharist, and does he understand that it is NOT just a symbol regardless of his opinion of it? Then if he just says, “I don’t care, I’m going to do it anyway,” or something similar, you can tell the priest that this person is not only not a Catholic, but that he is being intentionally sacrilegious. Make sure that the priest 1) hears you correctly and 2) responds to let you know that he has heard you and understands. Then, leave it all in God’s hands, for you can do nothing else. You cannot throw yourself in front of your friend in the line to receive, in order to protect Jesus.

If on the very slim chance that your friend might be interested in the Church, do invite him to attend RCIA, even the introductory sessions. It sometimes happens that a convert doesn’t know that the Holy Spirit has already got a plan in motion, and all he has to do is make himself available for the experience.