Is Eastern Communion Better? Or RC?

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OrdinaryMelkite

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Hi, folks!!!

Some of you may know me. I’ve been posting mostly in other forums but thought I would post here so I could discuss EC matters.

MardukM (Thanks, BTW) encouraged me to start a thread here. I’ve been posting/ discussing all over the place elsewhere, but I’ve neglected MY “people.” 😛

The following grew out of a conversation i was having with my mother today. She is a devout RC who recommitted herself to the Faith after many years away from it (mostly trying to raise a family). I’m a fairly recent convert to EC from New Age/Pagan/Panentheistic ideas. My “parish” accepts for the most part the Teachings of Rome and looks forward to the reunification of the Western and Eastern Churches. Through the prayers of the Mother Of God…:signofcross::gopray::highprayer:
We consider ourselves ECers in COMMUNION with Rome.

Anyway, the conversation turned to the difference between Our Communion and the RC Communion. I mentioned that Melkites dip The Bread (Body) into the Chalice with the Wine (Blood) and that the wine-soaked bread is then given to the Supplicator without his/her lips touching the Chalice.

My mother thought about this for a moment and then said,
“You know, that way is actually BETTER than Roman Mass! More Hygienic! You don’t have to wipe the Chalice after drinking the wine with a cloth and everything. Also, it is with normal bread, which rises like Christ rose from the Dead. Not a Flat Wafer.”

I was surprised(to say the least) at this comment of my mother’s but said nothing. Later, thinking about it, I decided she is right for the reasons she stated. It IS more Hygienic. And the Bread also DOES imitate Christ rising from the Dead.

Plus, it presents the Body And Blood as ONE. A more “holistic,” more “unified” approach. More “direct communication” between me and Christ as he comes into My Being.

I personally consider this approach to be more Mystical as well, since it emphasizes a DIRECT kind of experience with the Christ and his Infinite Glory and Love.

In a more subjective way, I don’t QUITE think I would be so emotional Receiving the Host at RC Community than I would do at EC Melkite Communion. Last Sunday I literally felt myself in the presence of the Lord of All—that I was in direct Communion with my Lord and Savior; me, a worthless sinner. I felt his love enveloping me and protecting me like soft sheets. 🙂

I’ve said this here before, but I just think the West could use more of the SIMPLICITY as well the MYSTICISM of the various Eastern Rites. Partucularly if ReUnification (May God’s will be Done!!!) were to happen. It would truly be an awesome sight to see the Two Lungs Of The Church working side by side in unison, each complementing the other.👍

What do you guys think?

Which is the better (or more “direct”) of the Two Rites?
Or even more “Hygienic?”😛

Discussion is welcome. 😃
 
To expand briefly on the previous post--------

The Head Father at our Church says that is what the Eastern Catholic Church is all about-------“direct Mystical Communion with the Divine.”

I cannot think of a more illustrative example of this than our Communion within the Liturgy.👍
 
Do you really think that starting threads like this help build up the Body of Christ ?
 
Seamus_L said:
Do you really think that starting threads like this help build up the Body of Christ ?
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I’m making it clear that that is MY opinion. I was simply relaying a conversation I had with my DEVOUt RC mother and stating my opinion regarding my interpretation of those remarks.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I not putting a value judgement of “Eeck, that inferior, nasty RC rite!” Not at all. I was simply offering my OPINION of how the EC (specifically Melkite rite) was more Mystical and direct in getting me closer to God-----from MY point of view. My remarks should not be construed as advocating getting rid of the RC rite altogether-----NOT at all.

The RC Communion is Wonderful. And it will endure for centuries to come.
The thing is, I am allowed to celebrate it as part of my EC Melkite faith. And I occassionally do on days outside of Sundays when I go to Church (as I’ll be doing in a little while).
It’s just NOT QUITE totally to my “sensibility,” you know what I mean??? that is a subjective opinion, of course. I know of at least one RCer who feels sort of the opposite when he attends our Melkite services. Does notm mean he “hates” Ec services-----just that he prefers the RC services. Same goes for me.

(I hope you and others do. Otherwise I have an uphill climb here. Be easy on me, now folks.:))

Ultimately, my point was that the Western Church could benefit from incorporating or at least considering our Beautiful, Simple, Mystical ceremonies and ways of doing things.
Likewise with the Eastern traditions. The power, grandeur, and intellectual history of the RC rite AFTER Schism would do us ECers a lot of good as well.

So speculation about these things IS contributing to the Body of Christ. And my mother would, without hesitation, defend and die for Holy Mother Church’s teachings. As would I. AND my EC faith as well.

That is all I’m saying. 👍
 
Ok, I can take that.

I guess this will be an uphill climb. Oh, well…😦

Well. I have to go to Church now. I already stated my reasons above and that I did not mean “any offense.” Just wanted to engender discussion.
By the way, my Head Priest is also a RC priest and I have no problem attending RC services with him in it.
 
Let me pu it THIS way, then…

Is the RC Church better off knowing and being exposed to the EC wayn of celebrating and likewise is the EC better off learning from the RC (Western Way).

I’m off to Church. See you guys later.
 
Well, the Latin Rite too has rubrics for distribution via intinction.

:twocents: And I, for one, wish they would be made use of more frequently. :twocents:

“Pieces of eight!”,
tee
 
tee_eff_em said:
Well, the Latin Rite too has rubrics for distribution via intinction.

:twocents: And I, for one, wish they would be made use of more frequently. :twocents:

“Pieces of eight!”,
tee
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I agree.🙂
 
On the one hand, it is the Latins who explicitly gave us (i.e., formalized) the beautiful doctrine of concommitance.

On the other hand, it is the Eastern and Oriental Churches who affirm that doctrine more explicitly in our communion practices.

Blessings
 
mardukm said:
On the one hand, it is the Latins who explicitly gave us (i.e., formalized) the beautiful doctrine of concommitance.

On the other hand, it is the Eastern and Oriental Churches who affirm that doctrine more explicitly in our communion practices.

Blessings
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I think that is the best answer ('compromise") I have read in this thread so far. Thanks, MardukM.👍
 
I wouldn’t say either is “better” as they are both Our Lord. I am a Roman Catholic and at my parish we receive the unleavened bread dipped in wine.
 
OrdinaryMelkite said:
It’s just NOT QUITE totally to my “sensibility,” you know what I mean??? that is a subjective opinion, of course. I know of at least one RCer who feels sort of the opposite when he attends our Melkite services. Does notm mean he “hates” Ec services-----just that he prefers the RC services. Same goes for me.

(I hope you and others do. Otherwise I have an uphill climb here. Be easy on me, now folks.:))

Ultimately, my point was that the Western Church could benefit from incorporating or at least considering our Beautiful, Simple, Mystical ceremonies and ways of doing things.
Likewise with the Eastern traditions. The power, grandeur, and intellectual history of the RC rite AFTER Schism would do us ECers a lot of good as well.

So speculation about these things IS contributing to the Body of Christ. And my mother would, without hesitation, defend and die for Holy Mother Church’s teachings. As would I. AND my EC faith as well.

That is all I’m saying. 👍
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I prefer to do it the way Jesus told us to do it. He used unleavened bread. He broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, then he took the cup and passed that around too.
 
rben20 said:
I wouldn’t say either is “better” as they are both Our Lord. I am a Roman Catholic and at my parish we receive the unleavened bread dipped in wine.
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Like us at the Melkite Church.
 
From what I’ve read, there are differing reasons why leavened and unleavened are used in the different Rites of our Church. Both have very good reasoning behind them and of course each would apply aptly to the culture of each Rite.

The Roman Church always had distributed the Precious Body and Precious Blood together until it became a necessity to combat a heresy where people were led to believe that Jesus will only be fully received if both Sacred Species are received. Thus the Cup was withheld from the laity to reinforce Church teching that Christ is complete and whole in each of the Sacred Species, from the smallest crumb to the tiniest drop.

Which is more beautiful? To me the beauty lies in receiving Christ himself. Not the way how we receive him. In the Traditional Catholic threads, Communion on the Tongue vs. Communion in the Hand has been debated to death. But a lot of people miss the point here. Its not how we receive Christ, its the fact that we receive Christ that is important. So whether its on your hand, on your tongue or via the golden spoon, its just minor details that is unnecessary to what is actually going on. And that is a person receiving Christ.
 
ConstantineTG said:
So whether its on your hand, on your tongue or via the golden spoon, its just minor details that is unnecessary to what is actually going on. And that is a person receiving Christ.
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👍
“Receive the Body of Christ, taste the fountain of immortality, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.”
 
ConstantineTG said:
From what I’ve read, there are differing reasons why leavened and unleavened are used in the different Rites of our Church. Both have very good reasoning behind them and of course each would apply aptly to the culture of each Rite.

The Roman Church always had distributed the Precious Body and Precious Blood together until it became a necessity to combat a heresy where people were led to believe that Jesus will only be fully received if both Sacred Species are received. Thus the Cup was withheld from the laity to reinforce Church teching that Christ is complete and whole in each of the Sacred Species, from the smallest crumb to the tiniest drop.

Which is more beautiful? To me the beauty lies in receiving Christ himself. Not the way how we receive him. In the Traditional Catholic threads, Communion on the Tongue vs. Communion in the Hand has been debated to death. But a lot of people miss the point here. Its not how we receive Christ, its the fact that we receive Christ that is important. So whether its on your hand, on your tongue or via the golden spoon, its just minor details that is unnecessary to what is actually going on. And that is a person receiving Christ.
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You know, I tend to agree with that.

Personally I find the Ec way more beautiful (ME), but you’re right-the point is one is receiving Christ.
 
For me, the way of receiving Communion is more important. One must always receive it with the greatest of solemn respect.

When I see the Pope give Communion to people who kneel on a kneeler etc. - sorry, but that to me is a beautiful, holy way of receiving Communion. Communion in the hand is allowed, but I believe it should be banned completely. I don’t like watching people receive Communion in the hand, when I’m in a Latin Catholic parish, it is unnecessary and I find it to be bereft of the respect due to Holy Communion. And while your at it, how about letting people know that once they’ve received Communion they are to stay for the end of the Mass, and not just march out.

How about establishing the practice of formal “before and after Communion prayers” during Mass, or just before and after?

We cannot know which kind of bread our Lord used at the Last Supper. Karl Rahner and at least two other Catholic professors who have written on the subject insist that the use of leavened bread was universal in both East and West for several hundred years. The point is that after the Consecration, however, there is no bread or wine on the altar, so that contentious issue becomes moot.

The Latin Catholic Church would do well to heed the Pope’s example with respect to … well, respect.

Alex
 
Alexander_Roman said:
For me, the way of receiving Communion is more important. One must always receive it with the greatest of solemn respect.

When I see the Pope give Communion to people who kneel on a kneeler etc. - sorry, but that to me is a beautiful, holy way of receiving Communion. Communion in the hand is allowed, but I believe it should be banned completely. I don’t like watching people receive Communion in the hand, when I’m in a Latin Catholic parish, it is unnecessary and I find it to be bereft of the respect due to Holy Communion. And while your at it, how about letting people know that once they’ve received Communion they are to stay for the end of the Mass, and not just march out.

How about establishing the practice of formal “before and after Communion prayers” during Mass, or just before and after?

We cannot know which kind of bread our Lord used at the Last Supper. Karl Rahner and at least two other Catholic professors who have written on the subject insist that the use of leavened bread was universal in both East and West for several hundred years. The point is that after the Consecration, however, there is no bread or wine on the altar, so that contentious issue becomes moot.

The Latin Catholic Church would do well to heed the Pope’s example with respect to … well, respect.

Alex
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But what of Eastern Churches that always had received from the hand? Like Chaldeans?

Although I do find their method more respectful since people purify their hands on the incense before receiving our Lord.
 
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