Not sure if I should say something...Eucharist

[LongingSoul]

This often puts the EMHC is a hard position, so many parishes have let this Blessing happen that it is expected by parents and the children. To weed out this practice will take years.
The question is should (if it even can be) this be changed?
As a EMCH I must say serving in this way is one of my greatest joys, to present the Soul and Divinity to the people has moved me to tears, and seeing the children in the arms of the parents shows (I hope) that the parents are bringing there children up in the church. The last thing I want to do is have a parent feel that the children are not welcome.
M

It is certainly a hard position to be in. How awful it would be to deny someone a gesture who has presented themselves with that expectation.

In looking around the net for some reference to the practice, I found this from an answer to a private letter to the CDW…

*"1. The liturgical blessing of the Holy Mass is properly given to each and to all at the conclusion of the Mass, just a few moments subsequent to the distribution of Holy Communion.

"2. Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings. These blessings, rather, are the competence of the priest (cf. Ecclesia de Mysterio, Notitiae 34 (15 Aug. 1997), art. 6, § 2; Canon 1169, § 2; and Roman Ritual De Benedictionibus (1985), n. 18).

"3. Furthermore, the laying on of a hand or hands — which has its own sacramental significance, inappropriate here — by those distributing Holy Communion, in substitution for its reception, is to be explicitly discouraged.

"4. The Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio n. 84, ‘forbids any pastor, for whatever reason or pretext even of a pastoral nature, to perform ceremonies of any kind for divorced people who remarry’. To be feared is that any form of blessing in substitution for communion would give the impression that the divorced and remarried have been returned, in some sense, to the status of Catholics in good standing.

“5. In a similar way, for others who are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in accord with the norm of law, the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing. This would include non-Catholics and those envisaged in can. 915 (i.e., those under the penalty of excommunication or interdict, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin).”*

ewtn.com/library/liturgy/zlitur263.htm

It would now really need to be the Priest who educated people at each Mass to make any change away from the practice inoffensive.

 

[BrownEyes123]

As a long time teacher there MAY be other ways to see this. There is a good chance that his laughter and foolishness was brought about by anxiety at finding himself in this position. He should have known better! But, I have, very rarely ,found myself at the rail with my hands in a non-receptive position. So it can happen through inattention. This may have been, in part, the immature reaction to a situation that he did not plan. His clowning afterwards, however wrong, may have been a way of “saving face” in front of friends.

Having said that, I would definitely contact the priest and the scout leader. He needs to be educated on the true importance of the sacrament and its central importance in our faith. He must be made to understand that this was clearly wrong. Perhaps his parents did hear about it or saw a portion of it and have already scolded him.

The Eucharistic minister may not have known the child or since many churches have recently celebrated First Communion. He may not know all of the children who are now able to receive. Someone can correct me on this, but it is my understanding that unless the minister KNEW that the boy MUST NOT receive, he could not deny him the sacrament.

You are probably correct! I don’t think he expected for that to happen. He probably didn’t know what to do, and at that time only (besides the EMHC) 2nd graders were on either side of him. I do not think the EMHC knew him. The Parish consists of 6 churches and many of the scouts were attending a mass they don’t normally attend due to the scouting event after in the parish hall.

 

[asia53]

…and by the way, in our parish, most all of the little kids go up with their parents at Communion and receive a blessing–even though they haven’t made their 1st Communion yet. This is true in most of the parishes where I’ve attended, so the person who said that young kids aren’t given blessings during communion hasn’t been in many catholic churches lately! In most Catholic churches today, just the opposite is true–and I think it’s kind of sweet!

Not in my Archdiocese. Our Archbishop wrote a letter, asking children, and adults not to get in the Communion line, if they aren’t receiving. Everyone is blessed at the end of Mass.

I can’t comment on “In most Catholic churches”. I’ve traveled my Archdiocese, a couple of the surrounding states, I’ve not seen EMHCs’ or the priests giving blessings in the Communion line.

 

[ProVobis]

In the first place there is no such thing as a Lay Eucharist Minister. The priest at your Mass is the Eucharistic Minister. The lay distributors are EMHC’s (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion) and they are not Eucharistic Ministers.

Secondly, nobody is supposed to go up for a blessing during Mass. The Communion line is to receive Communion only so the misbehaving boy should not have been up there. Everybody gets a blessing at the end of the Mass.

I agree with you. But the common herd mentality hardly keeps anyone in the pews during communion. At least from my POV.

 

[chefmomster2]

You are probably correct! I don’t think he expected for that to happen. He probably didn’t know what to do, and at that time only (besides the EMHC) 2nd graders were on either side of him. I do not think the EMHC knew him. The Parish consists of 6 churches and many of the scouts were attending a mass they don’t normally attend due to the scouting event after in the parish hall.

I remember once when I was about 7 years old we went to see my uncle at the Carmelite monastery. While we were there he said mass for us. When it came to communion, he got to me and tried to give me communion. I freaked out! I sat back in my pew and started crying. We talked later and he understood what happened. That was almost 50 years ago and I remember it so clearly!

 

[HB11]

:yup:Yes, years ago though we knew about being in State of Grace and such. Now it seems to me that folks just go up to Receive as if its due to them for showing up to Mass. In fact some go straight out the door afterward. It is bothersome to me but I just pray for them. I wish it could be addressed without people getting all up in arms. We used to just step around someone not going up.
I was at a First Holy Communion last week and they wanted everyone in aisle to go up, it was confusing. A Jewish Grandma who raised all her kids Catholic stayed glued in the seat. She put the kneller(?) up and we stepped around her, we are still agile Praise God so it wasn’t a big deal. I don’t think we will ever go back to COTT. I still do it. I feel funny about CITH. My spouse is fairly new Catholic so only does CITH., its what he learned in RCIA and is used to.I do think the Priest should be told, its young kids so I wouldn’t get too bent out of shape in case you scare them but just let them be corrected kindly. They have to learn reverence and learn the Faith properly. AS for the herd thing, I have a shrp tongue , Lord forgive me, and I have made comments to my hubby about that. Yikes…:

I agree with you. But the common herd mentality hardly keeps anyone in the pews during communion. At least from my POV.

 

[Memaw]

In the first place there is no such thing as a Lay Eucharist Minister. The priest at your Mass is the Eucharistic Minister. The lay distributors are EMHC’s (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion) and they are not Eucharistic Ministers.

Secondly, nobody is supposed to go up for a blessing during Mass. The Communion line is to receive Communion only so the misbehaving boy should not have been up there. Everybody gets a blessing at the end of the Mass.

If that’s really true then somebody needs to inform the priest, because I have heard priest invite others ( those who cannot receive Communion at this time). to come up for a blessing with their arms folded across their chest. I often wondered how that ever got started. I have even seen EMHC give blessings to children. Some even bless them with the Host. I know someone who is co-habituating and came up for a blessing but the EMHC gave her the Host and she took it. I was shocked because she knows better. So many abuses. God Bless, Memaw

 

[Tigg]

Not in my Archdiocese. Our Archbishop wrote a letter, asking children, and adults not to get in the Communion line, if they aren’t receiving. Everyone is blessed at the end of Mass.

I can’t comment on “In most Catholic churches”. I’ve traveled my Archdiocese, a couple of the surrounding states, I’ve not seen EMHCs’ or the priests giving blessings in the Communion line.

**GOD BLESS A/B AQUILA! ** He is truly a champion for God’s cause and how very nice it would be if all the shepherds were inclined to give instructions with such clarity! Funny thing when innovative changes get started…they morph into abuses.

 

[Sunbreak]

…and by the way, in our parish, most all of the little kids go up with their parents at Communion and receive a blessing–even though they haven’t made their 1st Communion yet. This is true in most of the parishes where I’ve attended, so the person who said that young kids aren’t given blessings during communion hasn’t been in many catholic churches lately! In most Catholic churches today, just the opposite is true–and I think it’s kind of sweet!

This doesn’t happen where I live. There are a number of parishes that don’t do blessings at all, which extraordinary ministers aren’t supposed to do anyway. Only the holdover “spirit of Vatican 2” parishes in my area still do this. So, no you can’t say that the opposite is true. A priest, however, will often put his hand on a young child or baby’s head when they come up with a parent, but it’s not an automatic thing.

 

[Tigg]

The Holy Communion line is expressly for the reception of Holy Communion, nothing else.

A blessing is no substitute for the Holy Eucharist.

 

[thistle]

I’ve often wondered about this practice especially when it is an EMHC giving the blessing to someone. It happens at every Mass I ever go to here.

An EMHC is forbidden to give blessings to someone in the Communion line.

Congregation for Divine Worship -

On Giving Blessings During the Communion Rite

What about giving blessings to people who come forward in the Communion line but who are not receiving Communion? Should a priest, deacon or an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion give the person a blessing instead?

What if a person who is not receiving Communion presents himself with arms crossed over the chest, during the regular administration of Communion?

Two men wrote to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW) asking about this practice. Their query asked if there are “particular guidelines or restrictions” concerning the practice of a minister or extraordinary minister giving the person a blessing.

The response from the CDW was in the form of a letter (Protocol No. 930/08/L), dated November 22, 2008, signed by Father Anthony Ward, SM, Under-secretary of the Congregation.

The letter said that “this matter is presently under the attentive study of the Congregation”, so “for the present, this dicastery wishes to limit itself to the following observations”:

QUOTE

1. The liturgical blessing of the Holy Mass is properly given to each and to all at the conclusion of the Mass, just a few moments subsequent to the distribution of Holy Communion.

2.** Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings**. These blessings, rather, are the competence of the priest (cf. Ecclesia de Mysterio, Notitiae 34 (15 Aug. 1997), art. 6, § 2; Canon 1169, § 2; and Roman Ritual De Benedictionibus (1985), n. 18).

1. Furthermore, the laying on of a hand or hands — which has its own sacramental significance, inappropriate here —** by those distributing Holy Communion, in substitution for its reception, is to be explicitly discouraged.**
2. The Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio n. 84, “forbids any pastor, for whatever reason to pretext even of a pastoral nature, to perform ceremonies of any kind for divorced people who remarry”. To be feared is that any form of blessing in substitution for communion would give the impression that the divorced and remarried have been returned, in some sense, to the status of Catholics in good standing.

5.** In a similar way, for others who are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in accord with the norm of law, the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing.** This would include non-Catholics and those envisaged in can. 915 (i.e., those under the penalty of excommunication or interdict, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin).

UNQUOTE

**The Congregation’s clarification that extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion (always laity), cannot give sacramental blessings within Mass is very helpful; and could be especially useful to pastors in parishes where inappropriate blessings during Communion have become common.
**

Although the CDW letter did not mention young children, we often see little children who have not yet received first Holy Communion accompanying their parents in the Communion line, with their arms crossed over their chests — both as a signal to the minister that they are not receiving Communion, and as an expression of the child’s reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.

This reverent gesture of a young child is laudable and appropriate. But sometimes a minister (or extraordinary minister) interprets the child’s gesture as an implicit request for a special blessing as a sort of “substitute” for Communion. While the intention of blessing the child may be good, it should be made clear to all that the priest’s blessing at the conclusion of Mass includes everyone, and that there should not be separate blessings for any person during the Communion rite.

 

[Mary_Ellen]

This is why, if and when I be come an EMHC I will not minister at mass, because I do not want to be put into the position of someone coming to me expecting a blessing and me refusing them. I wouldn’t mind bringing communion to someone in their home, which should be the primary ministry of the EMHC, but not at Liturgy, not for me.

 

[asia53]

**GOD BLESS A/B AQUILA! ** He is truly a champion for God’s cause and how very nice it would be if all the shepherds were inclined to give instructions with such clarity! Funny thing when innovative changes get started…they morph into abuses.

Archbishop Chaput wrote the letter. Archbishop Aquila has left the letter of instruction in place. God bless them both!

 

[ProVobis]

I can’t comment on “In most Catholic churches”. I’ve traveled my Archdiocese, a couple of the surrounding states, I’ve not seen EMHCs’ or the priests giving blessings in the Communion line.

It may be more prevalent at Spanish Masses where half of those in the congregation do not receive communion. Young kids sit separately from the parents up front where I attend such Mass and most file out and get the blessing from the priest. (They always seem to know which side he’ll be distributing from.) Apparently they teach them this form in the classes they hold for them on Saturday before the Mass.

 

[Starrsmother]

At my current church, the priest always stands in the center of the middle aisle gives out the Eucharist and usually we have 2 Eucharistic ministers–one to each side of him–with chalices of the wine. Thus when a child comes up with his or her parents, or if the parent is holding a baby–the priest blesses the child, then gives Communion to the adult, and then they proceed to receive the wine. Thus, it’s the priest doing the blessing. Again, I don’t speak for everyone or everywhere, but this is also the same way I’ve seen it done in the parishes I’ve attended in Mass,. Maine, Texs and now here in Alaska. I guess I just don’t see what the big deal is.

 

[Memaw]

At my current church, the priest always stands in the center of the middle aisle gives out the Eucharist and usually we have 2 Eucharistic ministers–one to each side of him–with chalices of the wine. Thus when a child comes up with his or her parents, or if the parent is holding a baby–the priest blesses the child, then gives Communion to the adult, and then they proceed to receive the wine. Thus, it’s the priest doing the blessing. Again, I don’t speak for everyone or everywhere, but this is also the same way I’ve seen it done in the parishes I’ve attended in Mass,. Maine, Texs and now here in Alaska. I guess I just don’t see what the big deal is.

The Chalice contains the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord, It is no longer wine. I am afraid the abuses may be the reason why so many Catholics do not have a sincere devotion to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It’s no big deal anymore. God Bless. Memaw

 

[Tigg]

The Chalice contains the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord, It is no longer wine. I am afraid the abuses may be the reason why so many Catholics do not have a sincere devotion to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It’s no big deal anymore. God Bless. Memaw

The really frightening part relates to the loss of faith in the Real Presence!

 

[Memaw]

The really frightening part relates to the loss of faith in the Real Presence!

I agree, Those who do believe just have to pray the more for those who don’t. God Bless, Memaw

 

[dee_burk]

Well, i just completed RCIA and received my first communion. But all during RCIA, the director/deacon, would ask if our class went up for a blessing and all would raise their hands but me (because i listen to Thistle). He would look at me and insist that i could go up and receive a blessing but i would always shake my head no. About the third time he asked i explained to him that the practice is discouraged because it isnt in the GIRM and we get a blessing at the end of Mass. He just shrugged and insisted that in todays time we need all the blessings we can get and doesnt know of any priest that would turn you away. I never did go up and i think it made the first communion that much more special.

 

[ProVobis]

The really frightening part relates to the loss of faith in the Real Presence!

If anything, it may show more respect for the Real Presence. For the most part, anyone can follow what everyone else is doing and simply receive like they’re “supposed” to.