Kneeling for Communion- Trouble

[beafedor]

That’s awesome!

“I have a mustard seed and I’m not afraid to use it”
copyright Benedict XVI

 

[ChristisRisen32]

“I have a mustard seed and I’m not afraid to use it”
copyright Benedict XVI

:harp:

 

[Annabelle_Marie]

Please look at some of my earlier posts. I said I don’t mind how someon receives communion. If it’s in the hand, I don’t care. As long as someone is reverent. Just because I said to Paxvobis his posture was reverent, didn’t mean I was excluding other postures.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary,
Tony

I understand what you mean…I’m just saying to be very careful that it doesn’t come across in the wrong way. Maybe examine very carefully on how you are coming across to your parents…you may have some non-verbal communication that might put them on the defense. All you can do a careful examination to make sure that you are not contributing to it. But I wouldn’t change the kneeling and receiving on the tongue if that is what you are called to do.

 

[ChristisRisen32]

I understand what you mean…I’m just saying to be very careful that it doesn’t come across in the wrong way. Maybe examine very carefully on how you are coming across to your parents…you may have some non-verbal communication that might put them on the defense. All you can do a careful examination to make sure that you are not contributing to it. But I wouldn’t change the kneeling and receiving on the tongue if that is what you are called to do.

I understand. Thanks!

 

[Cat]

They are MOCKING him, and LAUGHING at him for receiving Christ on his knees, and you think that’s ok? Because THEY are embarrassed, the one who is trying to be devout has to stop?

Insanity.

:clapping:

Exactly Shin, you get it.

~Liza

Y’all need to read Post #32, please.

No, I don’t think it’s OK for his parents to make fun of him. For gosh sakes, I’m not as nasty as some you apparently think I am.

But I am an experienced mom. I know that sometimes, teens misinterpret things that their parents do and say.

In Post #32, I make it clear that it sounds to me like the OP is not rationalizing.

Read Post #32.

And I would caution all of you who are adults to please remember that we’re speaking with a teenager here. It seems that this teenager has some admirable traits, and a true faith in Jesus and the Church.

But the fact remains–this is a teenager, who is still under the authority of his/her parents. The teenager is NOT mature yet, and for us to assume that he/she IS mature is foolish of us.

I consider teenagers almost adults, but not quite. We should not be speaking with the OP as an “equal”, and we should not be assuming that the OP is a young saint like St. Anthony of Padua (although we hope that this the case!). There is always a lot more to the story, and we are only hearing a part of it.

And if we try in any way to undermine the authority of the parents of this teenager or to make them seem superfluous, we are doing a very wrong thing. GOD has chosen these parents for this teenager, and God knows what He is doing.

There are times when Christians must disobey their parents, or walk away from their parents. But again, we should NOT be assuming that this is one of those times, or that this teenager is on the fast track to sainthood and should be encouraged, like the saints of old, to ignore the wishes of parents. This is NOW, not then. There are many evil forces attempting to break up Christian families–Heaven forbid we be part of this. It is God’s will for families to be strong.

As I mentioned in Post #32, it seems that the parents are OK with their teenager kneeling. They may make fun, but they haven’t forbidden it, and they said it is the choice of the teenager. So the problem is solved. The teenager is not disobeying parents to kneel for Holy Communion, and that’s good.

I hope that MY comments are helping the OP to think things over and examine his/her heart and be totally honest, and also to try to find a way to be at peace with his/her parents and siblings.

 

[lizaanne]

No, I don’t think you’re deliberately disobeying them. I did put question marks after my statement about rationalizing, because I wasn’t quite sure if that was the case or not.

If they said it’s your choice, then kneel. Keep kneeling, and probably they will eventually stop making fun of you. Some parents are like that–they just don’t know how to deal with things they don’t understand, so they keep picking at it.

You just keep doing the right thing and being quiet and respectful about it, and they will have nothing to make fun of.

Missed this post Cat - it is much better advice.

~Liza

 

[Cat]

Missed this post Cat - it is much better advice.

~Liza

Thank you, although I believe that telling a young person still living at home to obey their parents (unless they demand a sinful act) is good advice.

 

[PodunkMommy]

They said it was my choice. Yet I’m still getting comments. So the messages are inconsistent…

Since you already asked them, and they said it was your choice, do what you think is most reverent. They will probably continue to give you mixed messages all your life.

 

[PodunkMommy]

What I mean about the mixed messages is that sometimes parents who give you mixed messages as a child, will continue to give you them as an adult.

I know it is hard but you must try to not think about what other people think about how you receive. When I “came back to the faith” I started to receive on the tongue and I couldn’t go back to receiving in the hands. But even to this day, there is maybe one other person in my parish who receives on the tongue. Sometimes I get such strange looks and I start to feel uncomfortable but I must remember that this is the Lord.

Maybe you need to talk to an orthodox priest. If there is not one in your parish, you can see if you can go to another parish to find one.

It is just a thought.

Blessings.

 

[lizaanne]

Maybe you need to talk to an orthodox priest. If there is not one in your parish, you can see if you can go to another parish to find one.

It is just a thought.

Blessings.

His priest is fine with kneeling to receive. That was clearly stated by the OP.

~Liza

 

[PodunkMommy]

His priest is fine with kneeling to receive. That was clearly stated by the OP.

~Liza

Ah, I see that. I have a poor memory and obviously by the time I read the other posts, I forgot what the original post said. This is not unusual for me unfortunately.

Blessings.

 

[TheMc]

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

Don’t stop. That is crazy what your family is doing. Keep following the example of the holy father, and the tradition of the church.

Keep it up, and persevere through this!