Thanks for the replies. I’m finding that I’m now uncomfortable recieving a blessing during communion, but my problem is that with it being expected it would appear rude if I didn’t. Also considering that I’m new there and fairly young, I don’t think refusing a blessing would be well received.
I know this is off topic, but my church does not kneels during consecration, instead every one bows; is this something I should be concerned with?
I don’t see why it would be expected for you to get in line to ask for a blessing. For myself, I never did this – early on I was just too timid, but after I discovered it was positively discouraged, I refused on principle. Our deacon (who ran our RCIA class) told me once or twice that I should feel free to do it but he never once remarked on my not doing it.
The important thing to understand is that you receive a blessing at the end of Mass anyway – right before the closing, the priest says “And may almighty God bless you, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Bow your head and cross yourself as he says this – blessing received. This is part of the big objection to communion line blessings: it’s redundant and unnecessary. I made this point in a thread on the topic several months ago and was told that if one blessing is good, more is better – so I’m just “anti-blessings”!
Of course, this is a superstitious understanding of blessings. Holy water is good. It doesn’t follow I should flood my house with it. You don’t need that much holy water. A little bit of it on your fingers as you cross yourself is efficacious enough. Superstition being a bad thing (and a sin when taken to extremes), it should be discouraged, so that sounds to me like a good reason to do away with this habit.
Re: kneeling during the consecration, my understanding is that kneeling during the consecration is normative but that dioceses (or perhaps episcopal conferences – i.e., the groups of dioceses in a large area) have the authority to waive this requirement. (Personally, I don’t like the whole practice of kneeling, then standing and shaking hands like it’s a party, then going back to the kneeling. Quite jarring and discontinuous to my mind. Then again, I don’t have to like the mess, I just have to participate in it.) Anyway, the fact that your parish stands during the consecration is not necessarily an abuse, as it may be the case that the bishop has authorized this. Try checking out other Masses in the area and see if things are done the same way. If so, that’s a good sign that it’s not just an abuse or innovation specific to that parish.
