You may not be able to take communion, but you can get a blessing. Just get in the line for communion but cross your arms over your chest and you can get a blessing. My husband is in RCIA and that is what he does along with my daughter who is also coming into the church at Easter.
Sorry, bad advice. This is against Church discipline, refer to this post by the Moderator:
Please don’t take offence at my comments. I know this practice is quite common, it happens in my parish. However, the only people who should join the communion procession are those who are going up to receive communion. People should not go up for a blessing. Unfortunately, I’ve seen EMHCs give a blessing and as lay folks they can’t bless.
I used to do that, but then I stopped because I felt bad for confusing the Priest. He held up the Body of Christ and I was just there with my mouth closed and arms crossed, and he was wondering why I wasn’t taking the Body. Then I mumbled “Blessing” and he was like “Oh yes, of course”
So sorry that you feel that way. My husband is converting and loves it just as much as I do even though he also can not receive communion.
I think, aside from its richness (which I agree is abundantly present in Mass), the reason why your husband loves it as much as he does is because of you.
I know how you feel, and also struggle to reach out to my Parish community. I’m a convert who is very shy, but going to mass is always a revelation, even when I can’t recieve communion. I hope to join something soon, I just don’t know yet. I’m the only Catholic I know around me too!
Marian, it doesn’t have to be a family member. I think what lacks in a lot of parishes is people show up for Mass and leave as soon as its over (sometimes before its over). You are familiar with the faces but thats everything there is to your relationship with your fellow parishioners. Last week I visited an Eastern Catholic parish. Before the beginning of Divine Liturgy the Subdeacon greeted me and quickly briefed me on the Divine Liturgy, he gave me a book to follow. After Divine Liturgy one of the people there asked me to join them for coffee at the church basement. And afterward the Subdeacon introduced me to the priest. Such warm reception does help build a sense of belonging to a parish. Other people decry this practice as somewhat a Protestant innovation, but truth of the matter is fellowship helps a lot in worship. Some Protestants usually mix fellowship with worship, but for us Catholics it can happen before and after Mass. Perhaps your parish already has coffee and pastries at the function hall after Mass and you just need to be there to meet people?
The blessing instead of Communion thing I’ve noticed only happens in North America as far as Roman Catholics are concerned. I come from the Philippines and have been around South East Asia and have never seen this practice until I came here to Canada. Although with travel as it is today, I won’t be surprised if this practice gets adopted elsewhere. I’m not sure in Europe though or other parts of the world. I’m speaking from my perspective here.
I just attended a Coffee and Donut/Meet and Greet at a local church, what a joke! I sat there for a half an hour and not one person said a word to me. Yes I smiled and tried to act friendly. I insist it’s a Catholic thing to be anti-social before and after Mass but all glad-handed and huggy during!
I guess you really need a person who’s willing to go table to table and talk to people. My experience at the Ukrainian parish was unique in so many ways. It also helped that there were only like 20 people at Divine Liturgy and everyone knows I was new, even the priest. I did notice the priest motion to the subdeacon as he entered that there was someone new there.
We had the experience of not knowing many people in the beginning…we didn’t care. We loved to go to Mass and then we just kept going. But we are decided to make an effort at coffee and doughnuts and sit with people we didn’t know, gone to scripture study, go to Wed night Mass, and now RCIA. So now we get…“oh yeh…I’ve seen you in church” We do not socialize during Mass…but I think people see how we love it and that we aren’t going away.
Where’s the glad handed and huggy part in mass…the sign of peace hand shaking…ah.