Kneeling for Communion- Trouble

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ChristisRisen32

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Okay so I’m getting very frustrated at the moment. I’m a teenager living at home with my family and we go to Mass every week. My parents are both Catholic, but not heavily spiritual. My dad is very knowledgeable about the Church and knows doctrine backwards and forwards, but he lacks a lot of the piety that I seek. My sister went to Catholic school, and likes being Catholic, but not really that active in her faith. Recently, I’ve decided that in order to maximize my reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist, I will kneel and receive it on the tongue. However, I’m getting frustrated. I get many stares at Mass from the EMHCs because NO ONE else does it. Additionally, my own family has made rude remarks about this. My sister said that it was “embarrassing” to do this because it holds up the line a little longer. My dad and her started laughing at me after Mass today saying that I’m making so many people perplexed by my weird “posture” and that I might as well “entirely prostrate on the ground to make a scene”. What should I do about this? Should I just stop kneeling for communion? I’ve talked to our associate pastor before Mass the first time I did it and he said it was fine. I know I’m allowed by the Church but I don’t like all this backlash I’m getting from my family and the stares from the laity.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
Tony
 
How do you feel about it? There are two schools of thought here. One is to do what you feel is right regardless of what other people think as long as what you are doing is right. The other is about causing others to sin, does your gesture help others become closer to Christ? It seems people are disturbed by it to the point that they lose charity. I think if you can catechize people about it and keep on doing it, it would be great.
 
You should not feel frustrated about this. The Church not only alows this but is making it clearer to the Church. However, one way to help this situation is to make sure you always recieve from Father as many EMHCs are not trained or familiar with this. Also I would go to the end of the line. You can focus not only on the idea of the last being first but also on the passion of our Lord who endure many stares and taunts.
I think it is a great thing you are doing but you must be sure that you are doing it for the right reasons and not for any “point” you wish to make to your parish or your family.
 
ConstantineTG said:
How do you feel about it? There are two schools of thought here. One is to do what you feel is right regardless of what other people think as long as what you are doing is right. The other is about causing others to sin, does your gesture help others become closer to Christ? It seems people are disturbed by it to the point that they lose charity. I think if you can catechize people about it and keep on doing it, it would be great.
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Yeah, I mean, I have no problem with other people not kneeling to receive. I feel that for me personally to show the most reverence to Our Lord, would be to kneel. If someone asked me about it, I would definitely just say “Because I believe the Eucharist is God, and He makes me fall to my knees in adoration.” I think this is the right thing…I don’t want other people to sin though…
 
Catholicpotato said:
You should not feel frustrated about this. The Church not only alows this but is making it clearer to the Church. However, one way to help this situation is to make sure you always recieve from Father as many EMHCs are not trained or familiar with this. Also I would go to the end of the line. You can focus not only on the idea of the last being first but also on the passion of our Lord who endure many stares and taunts.
I think it is a great thing you are doing but you must be sure that you are doing it for the right reasons and not for any “point” you wish to make to your parish or your family.
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Thank you for the reply. Here’s the pickle I’m in though. My parents force us to sit in the same spot at Mass everytime. That section of the church is always an EMHC. Whenever I go without my family, I sit in the pews that will lead to Father. Also, I’ve tried waiting at the end of the line but again, my parents don’t like that. I don’t know why. I’m not doing this to make a point at all. Like I said, I have no issue with other ways to receive communion, I just don’t prefer those ways for me, personally. 🙂
 
ChristisRisen32 said:
Thank you for the reply. Here’s the pickle I’m in though. My parents force us to sit in the same spot at Mass everytime. That section of the church is always an EMHC. Whenever I go without my family, I sit in the pews that will lead to Father. Also, I’ve tried waiting at the end of the line but again, my parents don’t like that. I don’t know why. I’m not doing this to make a point at all. Like I said, I have no issue with other ways to receive communion, I just don’t prefer those ways for me, personally. 🙂
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I see two options here:
  1. Obtain a thick skin. You gotta laugh at yourself. I do it all the time! looks in a mirror :rotfl:
  2. The EMHC’s themselves are laypeople, not clergy. They more then likely have never seen that posture before. Maybe one of them’s impressed you hold such a reverence for the Eucharist. Sometimes you need to remember the benefit of the doubt.
 
Honor your mother and father.

You will do no wrong by obeying this Commandment, and you will honor the Lord by obeying your parents.

You will also display a good testimony to others in the parish by obeying your parents.

And you will display a good testimony to your parents by your obedience. They will see Jesus in your act of obedience, and the Holy Spirit will be able to use your humility and submissive heart to convict your parents of their sins and their need for a deeper commitment to the Lord and the Church.

When you are a grownup and on your own, then you will be free to receive the Lord kneeling. Look forward to that day!

But you are still living under your parents’ roof and receiving your food, shelter, etc. from their hands, aren’t you? Then recognize your humble place as a dependent child and honor your parents by submitting to their wishes and obeying them.

This will help YOU to remain humble and to learn how to be submissive to authority, including God’s authority. If you are not willing to obey your parents when they ask you to do something that is not sinful, then how can you be willing to obey God when He asks you to do something that is difficult or painful?

Practice obedience to God by obeying your parents. God gave you your parents. Trust Him and obey His commandment, which is to honor your parents. Do not try to rationalize disobedience to your parents. They have every right to tell you how to act, and you should obey, as long as they are not demanding that you commit a sin.

If your parents were asking you to commit a sinful act, then you must obey God rather than your parents.

But your parents are NOT asking you to do something sinful by asking you to receive Holy Communion standing. This is allowed in most places in the U.S. It is not sinful to receive the Lord Jesus standing (and in the hand).

God tells us in the Scriptures (Ephesians 6: 1-3) to obey our parents while we are still children. As much as you “feel” like an adult, you are not an adult as long as you are still living in your parents’ house and eating food that they pay for. So these verses in Ephesians apply to YOU.

Honor your parents while you live with them, and at the same time, learn how to kneel “in your heart” while receiving Holy Communion standing. This will be a useful skill to you, as there is no guarantee that in the future, you will be able to kneel. If you become ill or disabled, you may not be able to kneel. If you are a soldier or in some other profession where you are not able to receive the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion under ideal circumstances, you may not be able to kneel. If you learn now, while you are young, how to worship God in spirit no matter what your physical circumstances are, you will have learned an invaluable lesson that will help you all your life.
 
My parents are both Catholic, but not heavily spiritual. My dad is very knowledgeable about the Church and knows doctrine backwards and forwards, but he lacks a lot of the piety that I seek. My sister went to Catholic school, and likes being Catholic, but not really that active in her faith.
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So your dad lacks piety, your sister isn’t active, and your parents are not heavily spiritual. Maybe their response to your devotion is a reflection of your response/judgment of theirs?

The priest has supported you, the lay ministers (and others in line) will become accustom to you, and you may look at what might be a bit of a plank in your eye when judging the splinter in your family’s.
 
In such case your confessor is the judge. Next time you go to confession ask him about it, explaining clearly your motives; answer his questions, and follow what he says.

The Greek word used in

Jhn 6:53 Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

esthio is devour, as the animals eat. The emphasis is to expect to be fed, not the reverence. Jesus expects the pure heart, not the outside form.

This is just because of the principle: audiatur et altera pars, listen to the other side. You must listen to your confessor.
 
Wow!! I would be thrilled if all my children received kneeling on the tongue!!

My parents still make fun of me to this day for being “too religious”. I approach the Eucharist just as if I were approaching the altar of Heaven. 🙂

I’ve been there, done that and it really depends on the family dynamics as well.

Blessings.
 
Cat said:
Honor your mother and father.

You will do no wrong by obeying this Commandment, and you will honor the Lord by obeying your parents.

You will also display a good testimony to others in the parish by obeying your parents.

And you will display a good testimony to your parents by your obedience. They will see Jesus in your act of obedience, and the Holy Spirit will be able to use your humility and submissive heart to convict your parents of their sins and their need for a deeper commitment to the Lord and the Church.

When you are a grownup and on your own, then you will be free to receive the Lord kneeling. Look forward to that day!

But you are still living under your parents’ roof and receiving your food, shelter, etc. from their hands, aren’t you? Then recognize your humble place as a dependent child and honor your parents by submitting to their wishes and obeying them.

This will help YOU to remain humble and to learn how to be submissive to authority, including God’s authority. If you are not willing to obey your parents when they ask you to do something that is not sinful, then how can you be willing to obey God when He asks you to do something that is difficult or painful?

Practice obedience to God by obeying your parents. God gave you your parents. Trust Him and obey His commandment, which is to honor your parents. Do not try to rationalize disobedience to your parents. They have every right to tell you how to act, and you should obey, as long as they are not demanding that you commit a sin.

If your parents were asking you to commit a sinful act, then you must obey God rather than your parents.

But your parents are NOT asking you to do something sinful by asking you to receive Holy Communion standing. This is allowed in most places in the U.S. It is not sinful to receive the Lord Jesus standing (and in the hand).

God tells us in the Scriptures (Ephesians 6: 1-3) to obey our parents while we are still children. As much as you “feel” like an adult, you are not an adult as long as you are still living in your parents’ house and eating food that they pay for. So these verses in Ephesians apply to YOU.

Honor your parents while you live with them, and at the same time, learn how to kneel “in your heart” while receiving Holy Communion standing. This will be a useful skill to you, as there is no guarantee that in the future, you will be able to kneel. If you become ill or disabled, you may not be able to kneel. If you are a soldier or in some other profession where you are not able to receive the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion under ideal circumstances, you may not be able to kneel. If you learn now, while you are young, how to worship God in spirit no matter what your physical circumstances are, you will have learned an invaluable lesson that will help you all your life.
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I agree 100% with this post…in this case, obedience is the best piety–and I mean obedience to the God-given authority in the OP’s life–his parents. What is at issue is a personal preference which is causing friction in the family. Humbly surrendering your own preference is a good thing, spiritually–and something you will have to learn to do throughout your Christian life. Start practicing this kind of “mortification” now…learn to be soft-hearted on issues that aren’t doctrinal and save the digging in of your heels for the bigger battles ahead.
 
ChristisRisen32 said:
Okay so I’m getting very frustrated at the moment. I’m a teenager living at home with my family and we go to Mass every week. My parents are both Catholic, but not heavily spiritual. My dad is very knowledgeable about the Church and knows doctrine backwards and forwards, but he lacks a lot of the piety that I seek. My sister went to Catholic school, and likes being Catholic, but not really that active in her faith. Recently, I’ve decided that in order to maximize my reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist, I will kneel and receive it on the tongue. However, I’m getting frustrated. I get many stares at Mass from the EMHCs because NO ONE else does it. Additionally, my own family has made rude remarks about this. My sister said that it was “embarrassing” to do this because it holds up the line a little longer. My dad and her started laughing at me after Mass today saying that I’m making so many people perplexed by my weird “posture” and that I might as well “entirely prostrate on the ground to make a scene”. What should I do about this? Should I just stop kneeling for communion? I’ve talked to our associate pastor before Mass the first time I did it and he said it was fine. I know I’m allowed by the Church but I don’t like all this backlash I’m getting from my family and the stares from the laity.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
Tony
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Keep kneeling, keep receiving on the tongue and don’t listen to the voices of impiety. 🙂 It will be good in developing you a thicker skin in the service of God rather than of human respect. God is first. All else is afterwards.
 
IrishAm said:
So your dad lacks piety, your sister isn’t active, and your parents are not heavily spiritual. Maybe their response to your devotion is a reflection of your response/judgment of theirs? .
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I don’t talk about religion with them. I don’t think it’s a response to how I perceive their actions.
 
nfreak141 said:
I see two options here:
  1. Obtain a thick skin. You gotta laugh at yourself. I do it all the time! looks in a mirror :rotfl:
  2. The EMHC’s themselves are laypeople, not clergy. They more then likely have never seen that posture before. Maybe one of them’s impressed you hold such a reverence for the Eucharist. Sometimes you need to remember the benefit of the doubt.
Click to expand...
Good point 🙂
 
Cat said:
Honor your mother and father.

You will do no wrong by obeying this Commandment, and you will honor the Lord by obeying your parents.

You will also display a good testimony to others in the parish by obeying your parents.

And you will display a good testimony to your parents by your obedience. They will see Jesus in your act of obedience, and the Holy Spirit will be able to use your humility and submissive heart to convict your parents of their sins and their need for a deeper commitment to the Lord and the Church.

When you are a grownup and on your own, then you will be free to receive the Lord kneeling. Look forward to that day!

But you are still living under your parents’ roof and receiving your food, shelter, etc. from their hands, aren’t you? Then recognize your humble place as a dependent child and honor your parents by submitting to their wishes and obeying them.

This will help YOU to remain humble and to learn how to be submissive to authority, including God’s authority. If you are not willing to obey your parents when they ask you to do something that is not sinful, then how can you be willing to obey God when He asks you to do something that is difficult or painful?

Practice obedience to God by obeying your parents. God gave you your parents. Trust Him and obey His commandment, which is to honor your parents. Do not try to rationalize disobedience to your parents. They have every right to tell you how to act, and you should obey, as long as they are not demanding that you commit a sin.

If your parents were asking you to commit a sinful act, then you must obey God rather than your parents.

But your parents are NOT asking you to do something sinful by asking you to receive Holy Communion standing. This is allowed in most places in the U.S. It is not sinful to receive the Lord Jesus standing (and in the hand).

God tells us in the Scriptures (Ephesians 6: 1-3) to obey our parents while we are still children. As much as you “feel” like an adult, you are not an adult as long as you are still living in your parents’ house and eating food that they pay for. So these verses in Ephesians apply to YOU.

Honor your parents while you live with them, and at the same time, learn how to kneel “in your heart” while receiving Holy Communion standing. This will be a useful skill to you, as there is no guarantee that in the future, you will be able to kneel. If you become ill or disabled, you may not be able to kneel. If you are a soldier or in some other profession where you are not able to receive the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion under ideal circumstances, you may not be able to kneel. If you learn now, while you are young, how to worship God in spirit no matter what your physical circumstances are, you will have learned an invaluable lesson that will help you all your life.
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Thanks for the reply 🙂 The thing is, I am obedient to my parents. Extremely obedient. But in this case they never said couldn’t kneel. They’re just making fun of me for doing so.
 
I agree your in a tough situation and your parents should not be making fun of you because faith is a very personal thing. However, have you ever stopped to consider that your parents are loosing their faith in “real presence” and thats why they dont kneel. When they see you do so they react the way they do because they wished they had your type of believing faith. Also, not in your case but sometimes its impossible for people to do so because of health reasons or time reasons- for example in most cases if your in the choir you dont have time to kneel because before you know it you have to sing. Think about things from all peoples points of view not only your own.
 
I am impressed by your faith and your obediance to your parents and the Church. I wish that more of the teens in our youth program had your understanding. It is also worth noting that simple conversation can go a long way. If you are not emotional and can express yourself in a logical manner I think it could help with your family.

“This is something that really helps me in my faith and I feel that I should be doing. I recognize that it is embarassing. Most things are that go against the crowd. You raised me to be strong enough to follow what I think is right and I believe this is the right things for me to do. I am not judging you or anyone elses actions and fully support and respect any Church approved way to recieve our Lord.”

Maybe not word for word but something like this would probably take the heat off of you from your parents without them feeling defensive.
 
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