Is it proper to go up for a blessing when not receiving Communion?

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Brendan said:
That one is easy.

Every Sacrament has a minister.

In Baptism, the minister is the one who is pouring the water using the Trinitarian form.

In Reconcilliation, the minister is the validly ordained priest with faculties.

In Marriage, the minsiters are the couple themselves.

In Ordination, the minster is the validly ordained bishop.

In each case, the minsiter of the Sacrament is the one who confects ( or brings into being) the Sacrament.

In the Eucharist, the only possible minister is a validly ordained priest. No one else may confect the Sacrament, so no one else is a Minister of the Eucharist.

However, the Eucharist is not just confected, but it is also Communicated ( brought to the community).

That is a different ministry from the confection. That is the role of the Minister of Holy Communion.

A bishop, priest or deacon does this as an Ordinary part of thier particular ministry. A layperson may do this in an Extraordinary fashion.

As a little tidbit of info, there IS such a person as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. That would be a laicized priest. They still retain valid orders, and thus may confect the Eucharist, but may do so only in grave (Extraordinary) circumstances.

So if someone claimes to be an EME, they are, in fact, claiming to be a laicized priest 😉
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Makes sense to me!
 
It has become a custom in our parish that, when someone comes to Communion with arms crossed (usually, but not always, a child), the priest, deacon or extraordinary minister, holds out their hand over them or places their hand on their head or makes the sign of the cross over them as a blessing. The next person comes up and receives Communion and things continue in that way.

Is this proper?

We recently gained a new pastor who wanted to do away with the blessings but, oddly enough, only at the daily children’s Mass for the parish school. No change for Saturday night or Sunday.

It upset a lot of folks. What’s liturgically correct?
 
Lay people (extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion) may not confer blessings within the context of the Mass.
 
Perhaps he wishes to speed up Communion distribution at daily Mass?
We also have daily children’s Mass with our parish school and the children too young to receive Communion stay in their pews.
Extraordinary ministers in our parish, as lay people, do not do any blessings during Communion.
 
robben29 said:
It has become a custom in our parish that, when someone comes to Communion with arms crossed (usually, but not always, a child), the priest, deacon or extraordinary minister, holds out their hand over them or places their hand on their head or makes the sign of the cross over them as a blessing. The next person comes up and receives Communion and things continue in that way.

Is this proper?

We recently gained a new pastor who wanted to do away with the blessings but, oddly enough, only at the daily children’s Mass for the parish school. No change for Saturday night or Sunday.

It upset a lot of folks. What’s liturgically correct?
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***I am a Eucharistic Minister (more properly, an Extrodinary Minister of Holy Communion) at me local parish.

I am a layman, so I cannot* give anyone a blessing.

When someone approaches me who is too young to receive communion or who indicates that they do not want to receive by crossing their arms across their chest, I recite the prayer “May God bless you.”

I am asking the Almighty to give this person a blessing, since I cannot.

It would be inappropriate for me to say “God bless you” or to extend my hand over the person or to touch the person.

This may not be definitive, but it ts the practice of at least one Eucharistic Minister.

I hope this helps answer your question.**
 
robben29 said:
It has become a custom in our parish that, when someone comes to Communion with arms crossed (usually, but not always, a child), the priest, deacon or extraordinary minister, holds out their hand over them or places their hand on their head or makes the sign of the cross over them as a blessing. The next person comes up and receives Communion and things continue in that way.

Is this proper?

We recently gained a new pastor who wanted to do away with the blessings but, oddly enough, only at the daily children’s Mass for the parish school. No change for Saturday night or Sunday.

It upset a lot of folks. What’s liturgically correct?
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No, this extra blessing is not permitted during the liturgy.
 
**When someone approaches me who is too young to receive communion or who indicates that they do not want to receive by crossing their arms across their chest, I recite the prayer “May God bless you.”

I am asking the Almighty to give this person a blessing, since I cannot.

It would be inappropriate for me to say “God bless you” or to extend my hand over the person or to touch the person.**

“May God bless you” and it’s shorter form “God bless you” are both subjunctive mood, and are equivalents.

Compare this with “Good bye”, which is short for “[May] God be with you.”

Even the liturgical greeting “The Lord be with you” is subjunctive, “may” being understood.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
No, this extra blessing is not permitted during the liturgy.
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Is there any documentation that I can present to back up this answer? I’ve been looking through the GIRM and haven’t found anything definitive.
 
Cluny said:
“May God bless you” and it’s shorter form “God bless you” are both subjunctive mood, and are equivalents.

Compare this with “Good bye”, which is short for “[May] God be with you.”

Even the liturgical greeting “The Lord be with you” is subjunctive, “may” being understood.
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ACTUALLY, in the latter case with Goodbye you have a correct statement. However, the case with “May God bless you” vs. “God bless i you” is entirely different.

They are not grammatically comparable. One is a statement of fact, which can only be administered with the power of ordination acting in personae Christi… the statement of assurance that God IS blessing you because the priest is acting in his authority.

The other is a request, an entreaty by a lay person that God MIGHT choose to bless someone. It has no bearing on whether or not that blessing is conferred, there is no power of ordination behind it, no power to “bind and loose” heavenly blessings. One who receives such a statement from an extraordinary minister may place their hope that God has heard such a request and blessed them of their own accord, but it is not an assurance.

There is a marked difference between a historically recognized shortening of a phrase such as “Goodbye”, “Howdy”, etc, and a grammatical change imposed by the addition of a word which changes a statement from direct fact to request.
 
robben29 said:
Is there any documentation that I can present to back up this answer? I’ve been looking through the GIRM and haven’t found anything definitive.
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I was under the impression it was approved in US services, though I’m personally against it and don’t go forward for a “blessing”.

My reasons, however, are far different from the idea merely that extraordinary ministers can’t confer blessings. That would be solved by stepping into the line with the priest. I personally think the practice cheapens the sacrament of the Eucharist.
 
robben29 said:
Is there any documentation that I can present to back up this answer? I’ve been looking through the GIRM and haven’t found anything definitive.
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I*** am posting a link that speaks to the use of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at Mass.

It speaks of the formula to be used when distributing the consecrated hosts and Precious Blood but is silent on the subject of blessings.

Again I reiterate that as a layman, I cannot bless anyone, but I can ask God to confer His blessings on others.
usccb.org/liturgy/girm/lit4.shtml
 
Cluny said:
**When someone approaches me who is too young to receive communion or who indicates that they do not want to receive by crossing their arms across their chest, I recite the prayer “May God bless you.”

I am asking the Almighty to give this person a blessing, since I cannot.

It would be inappropriate for me to say “God bless you” or to extend my hand over the person or to touch the person.**

“May God bless you” and it’s shorter form “God bless you” are both subjunctive mood, and are equivalents.

Compare this with “Good bye”, which is short for “[May] God be with you.”

Even the liturgical greeting “The Lord be with you” is subjunctive, “may” being understood.
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Your ministry is to distribute Holy Communion, not bless or mediate blessings! The Liturgical books have specific words for you “The Body of Christ” or “The Blood of Christ” during the distribution of Holy Communion.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
Your ministry is to distribute Holy Communion, not bless or mediate blessings! The Liturgical books have specific words for you “The Body of Christ” or “The Blood of Christ” during the distribution of Holy Communion.
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Same go for the priest and/or deacon?
 
robben29 said:
Same go for the priest and/or deacon?
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That’s MY objection to the practice. Eucharist is the sign of catholic unity! It is what enjoins the faithful who are in a state of grace. I think, personally, that inviting others who simply don’t feel comfortable sitting in their seats to come forward so that they can feel “united” and one with the parish through some form of blessing (which can never measure to the sacrament of the Eucharist) cheapens the action of the sacrament. So when not in a state of grace I sit resolutely in my seat (actually, I kneel, but that’s a different matter) and don’t go forward.

In my humble opinion, I think the time for asking a blessing is from the priest AFTER mass.
 
promethius said:
That’s MY objection to the practice. Eucharist is the sign of catholic unity! It is what enjoins the faithful who are in a state of grace. I think, personally, that inviting others who simply don’t feel comfortable sitting in their seats to come forward so that they can feel “united” and one with the parish through some form of blessing (which can never measure to the sacrament of the Eucharist) cheapens the action of the sacrament. So when not in a state of grace I sit resolutely in my seat (actually, I kneel, but that’s a different matter) and don’t go forward.

In my humble opinion, I think the time for asking a blessing is from the priest AFTER mass.
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I understand but what about under-age children?
 
robben29 said:
I understand but what about under-age children?
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They will receive a blessing, as will the entire assembly, at the conclusion of the Mass at the dismissal about 5 minutes after communion.

THIS is where the people are supposed to get blessed as part of the liturgy.
 
WMM said:
When someone approaches me who is too young to receive communion or who indicates that they do not want to receive by crossing their arms across their chest, I recite the prayer “May God bless you.”
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I know what you’re saying, but many people will understand a “May God bless you” coming from you as a blessing.

Maybe a better thing to say (if you feel compelled to say anything at all) is “Let us pray that God blesses you.”
 
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