Non-Catholics and Holy Communion

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auttiesvet

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I was away from the Roman Catholic Church for years and my children were raised in the Episcopal Church. My grown daughter has issues with my faith especially where it concerns the Eucharist. (She now is going to a Unitarian church). She feels like Catholicism is exclusive because she and other non-Catholics cannot receive. She also feels like our repetitious prayers such as the Divine Mercy chaplet and the rosary are like “chanting” and “cultist”. want to explain these to her in a way she can perhaps understand and accept my faith. Thank you for any suggestions for communicating this to a not particularly religious person.
 
auttiesvet said:
She feels like Catholicism is exclusive because she and other non-Catholics cannot receive.
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Why would she want to receive communion when she doesn’t believe in the Real Presence, especially since to take communion in a Catholic Church is to agree with all of our beliefs? When Jesus was at the Last Supper, did he invite the unbelieving Pharisees to eat His flesh and drink His blood?
 
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I’d show her the video below. I’m not a huge Fr. Mike fan (mostly his mixed marriage video), but this isn’t bad.

I do see where she is coming from though too. I’m from an open communion community as well, and there by telling someone they’re not welcome to communion is much the same as telling them they aren’t welcome there.

I would compare her feelings to that of Easter dinner. I’m one of 2 non-Catholics in my extended family of 13 people and it would be like my MIL having everyone over for dinner…everyone is welcome, but then at dinner time they tell us to stay in the living room until they’re done.

DISCLAIMER: I’m not saying who’s right, wrong or indifferent…just explaining where the root of OP’s daughter’s belief may be at.

 
auttiesvet said:
She feels like Catholicism is exclusive because she and other non-Catholics cannot receive.
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The Catholic Church is not alone in closed Communion. My sister is Lutheran and told me that their communion is closed to Lutherans.
 
Yes, some Lutheran churches (WELS, LCMS) are closed (close) while some are open (ELCA).
 
My husband and I say the exact same thing every morning as I leave for work “love you, good bye”. We repeat “love you” often every day. Most people would be tickled to have such cultist chanting every day.
 
Thank you! I think this may help her get it. Good explanation.
 
Well, I don’t think your analogy stands as a good example actually. No one is saying you are not welcome to join us, but rather that you need to believe what we believe in order to receive the Eucharist. As someone else said, why would someone want to receive if they do not believe what Catholics believe?
 
Well…as someone from an open-communion community…to me it makes perfect sense and is a great example to explain where “they’re” coming from.

They (we) don’t necessarily see it as Catholics vs. non-Catholics, but rather we’re all in the same Christian family and when they’re (we’re) told they’re (we’re) not welcome to communion it’s like saying they’re (we’re) not welcome in your house to your table.

Like I said, I’m not arguing one way or another…just trying to give the perspective of someone who comes from an open communion community. What’s done with that is up to you.
 
I can understand your comments and I see how your analogy would describe their feelings. Unfortunately, it’s an analogy that only represents the view from the “non-catholic” perspective and gives the impression that the Catholic Church is truly not welcoming to outsiders. So for many non-Catholics, they never move past their own feelings of rejection and rarely bother to look at the reasons behind why they can’t receive.
 
Wow I never thought of it that way before. That is a very good example.
 
When talking with non-Catholics about receiving Holy Communion in the Catholic Church, I think we need to go in depth with the preparations we as Catholics do to receive. Talk about the 2 years of teaching for the children and RCIA for adults coming into the Church. Talk about preparing ourselves with going to Confession before if we are in mortal sin. Go into detail with making a profession of faith before receiving Holy Communion for the first time and what that means as a Catholic. (Both children and adults do it.) Talk about who we are saying yes to when we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Talk about what we are agreeing to when we receive Holy Communion.

The day we receive Holy Communion for the first time is the second most important day in our life, the first being the day we were baptised. It is not a “less than a minute talk” but at least 10 minimum.

End with “For a Catholic, it is not just to walk up there and receive, the preparations are just as important as receiving Holy Communion. It is never about “Me and God” in the Catholic Church but “Me, God and the whole Catholic Church.”.”
 
auttiesvet said:
She feels like Catholicism is exclusive because she and other non-Catholics cannot receive
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tell her that Communion is derived from the Latin words com- “with, together” + unus "oneness, union. That when you take communion in the Catholic Church you are publicly declaring before God and all present that you believe everything that the Catholic Church teaches.

When she believes all that the Catholic Church teaches then she will be in union with the Church and welcome to receive the Eucharist. Otherwise she would be publicly lying before God and all present. Surely she wouldn’t want to lie to God and all present, would she?
 
auttiesvet said:
She feels like Catholicism is exclusive because she and other non-Catholics cannot receive.
Click to expand...
Well, by definition if people are being excluded it’s exclusive. Ask her why this is a problem. I would point out that we believe as St Paul says one who received unworthily eats and drinks judgement on themselves. So it’s really an act of charity.

Also I would bolister that point with the following. It is not Catholics versus everyone else. Catholics themselves are supposed to refrain from communion if they need confession or violated the fast. So it really isn’t Catholics are in others are out. It’s people who are properly disposed are in, and others aren’t. Well, that just makes sense.
 
vsedriver said:
tell her that Communion is derived from the Latin words com- “with, together” + unus "oneness, union. That when you take communion in the Catholic Church you are publicly declaring before God and all present that you believe everything that the Catholic Church teaches.

When she believes all that the Catholic Church teaches then she will be in union with the Church and welcome to receive the Eucharist. Otherwise she would be publicly lying before God and all present. Surely she wouldn’t want to lie to God and all present, would she?
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From the other non-Catholic and liturgical perspective , however, this sounds very difficult to understand. If you invite people to your home, you don’t not feed them. But then I come from an open table community. All are welcome.

Perhaps, as I have said here before, you (your church community I mean) might consider something similar to what the LDS church does about their Temple rituals. They just don’t let people in. One has to be a ‘worthy’ member of the church to attend. Non-Mormons know that it’s private and member-based. I think it must be difficult when there are weddings and family members cannot attend the Temple ceremony, but the rules are pretty well-defined. (Of course Mormons have Sunday morning worship services where all are welcome.)

It is two very different understandings of what ‘communion’ means. Of course, each denomination or individual parish has the right to decide what their practice is.
 
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