No one in difficult person's communion line?

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Sounds grim I don’t think anyone has come out of this situation looking good.
 
She must be a remarkable character for some people to avoid her even to receive Holy Communion. It is often said, we can be very gifted and active in the church, but flawed in character. Perhaps it is a good lesson for everybody.

No, I have not seen such occurance. Personally I would still receive from her regardless of my animosity towards her if I am in her line. I would not change line just to avoid her but for people to do that, they must have a very strong reason to do so.
 
Just so sad all around.
Since when do you have to besties with someone to take Eucharist from them?
I mean, isn’t it about Jesus? And not about the EM or the communicant?
 
I am pretty sure the preist wouldn’t do this. Stopping Mass to lecture the people would escalate the situation not de-escalate it. Not to mention causing a larger scandal than what the laity caused.

Plus…the laity in the pews aren’t as meek as you think. The preist starts lecturing them, they are going to tell the preist exactly what they think not only about the EMHC but how the preist is dealing with the situation.
 
In a lot of parishes there is a lot of politics surrounding the EMHC. Once you let politics in, you can’t blame the laity for participating.

If I were running the church (hahaha), I would limit the EMHC to male high school and college students who were former alter servers or considering the preisthood and the older males of the parish. That would solve 99% of the problems.
 
But, as the OP said, couldn’t approaching that person bring to mind their rudeness and therefore distract you from Christ?
We are all sinners. It is not my place to judge her. People that change lines are being petty. We are there to receive Our Lord, not to vote in a popularity contest.
 
I think in this case it may be best to terminate her ministry.
 
By no means did I say that. However, if the person administering communion to my portion of the Church distracted me from my reception of Christ, whether that be from eccentric hair or tattoos or because of memories I have of her mistreating myself or others, I would not receive from her in order that I can best receive Christ and his graces.
 
By no means did I say that. However, if the person administering communion to my portion of the Church distracted me from my reception of Christ, whether that be from eccentric hair or tattoos or because of memories I have of her mistreating myself or others, I would not receive from her in order that I can best receive Christ and his graces.
Perhaps say a prayer for that person as one approaches would be a kinder thing to do.

No person is going to distract me from receiving Christ. If someone distracts me, that would be on me and not on them.
 
I don’t think anyone disagrees there is room for spiritual growth for those who crossed over. We are just saying it was not wrong of them to do so.

People avoid certain EMHC all the time for a lot of different reasons. The difference here was it happen as a large group. Honestly, I think there was a bit of follow-the-leader here. Either people didn’t want to move back over again or decided since they were there might as well stay.

We are not required to put ourselves in a possible occasion of sin. Avoidance is a valid option.
 
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I read some of the follow up comments here. Odd…where is the Church Pastor and Pastoral Associate in all this? I know folks who tend to have a “righteous” attitude towards their ministry work that results in “bad vibes” emanating all around them. Normally, I sense that there is a line over which the Church Pastoral staff will step in and council the person involved. Once our Pastoral Associate took aside an individual and really “dressed him down” regarding a situation she witnessed with a particular ministry group.

So…in the main as it impacts the larger congregation, I tend to go with limiting the questionable person’s engagement. Yet, if there is a pastoral way to council the individual and refocus them productively, I’d try that approach first.

P.S. I am taking your critique of the individual at face value in this post.
 
I have to agree. I had enough drama growing up to last a lifetime. Having to deal with an oger, or having to avoid one, is a trial one way or the other. It is a problem only prayer can resolve.

In the end, we all deal with these types of issues according to our own means. What might appear sanctimonious to one person, might feel entirely different to someone else. It’s like the three blind mice that grab the elephant.

There is a Catholic remedy on how to deal with our enemies. If we all could remember and practice these, I include myself in this, these problems would end as quickly as they start.
 
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Correction doesn’t have to be a lecture. Simply stopping to direct a few parishioners back into the EMHC’s line will send a powerful message. As for priests not doing that sort of thing, I remember reading about Saint John Paul II stopping the distribution of communion at a large Mass where he was presiding to chastise people for trying to cut into his line - so I wouldn’t say that a strong-minded priest wouldn’t so it.

As for the notion that the laity aren’t “meek”, no one says they have to be. But if they want to address this situation, there are correct ways to do it, and this is not one of them.

These people could stand a reminder of the virtues or forgiveness and humility.
 
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casslean:
I’m afraid the people in the wrong here were the ones who “crossed over”
No way – at least not those that crossed-over with the intent of keeping their minds peacefully clear just before receiving Holy Communion.
I understand both sides of this, but lean toward @casslean’s side.

I wonder if the following Scripture passage is applicable:
Matthew 5:23-24
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Of course there are differences between this passage and the OP, but the common point is that our spiritual life requires both love of God and love of neighbor, and the two cannot be separated.
 
I don’t think anyone disagrees there is room for spiritual growth for those who crossed over.
That is equivalent to saying it is a venial sin. It is a small imperfection that one should try to outgrow.
We are just saying it was not wrong of them to do so.
I disagree. What they did is understandable. That’s what I tell my kids when they keep a fight or an argument going. Understandable but not good. There is a better way.
 
You have a lot of harsh words for those who switched lines, any for the EMHC who inspired the action?
 
Better a venial sin than a mortal one.

The cross of anger is larger for some than others.

This may just be a situation where people have to discuss it with their confessor. I doubt many people in the line took a long time to think about it.
 
We have one person’s opinion of the EMHC.
We do not know things happened the way they did, and there is no way to verify.

That said, if what is stated about the EMHC is actually true, I cannot understand why it has not been taken care of by the Pastor, or series of pastors as the case may be.

Ultimately though, I do agree with Casslean also, we are supposed to show we are Christians by our Love.
It doesn’t sound like there is a whole lot of that at this particular parish and that is very sad.
 
… we are supposed to show we are Christians by our Love. It doesn’t sound like there is a whole lot of that at this particular parish and that is very sad.
I’ll flip sides here and say that we can safely assume that there is a lot of love in the parish. There is always room for improvement, and this applies to every parish ever.

And I have no doubt that it will get better. May the Holy Spirit guide us all toward greater holiness.
 
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