Partaking of communion? protocol

[LilyM]

I don’t believe what the Catholic church believes because I don’t choose to become a Catholic. I don’t call myself a Baptist, because that is just the church where I belong and attend, fellowship with other believers of God. I am a Child of God… I Believe that Jesus died for my sins. I rather not become caught up in the denominational dogma of this world. I take the participation of communion to heart and I don’t take it lightly.
Here is an article that I found interesting.

talkingdonkey.wordpress.com/2005/02/24/closed-communion/

I guess there has been a damage in my ever wanting to attend mass…for example, when I went to visit my sister and I wanted to go to church, her husband (my brother-in-law) stated immediately, you can’t take communion. He is a Catholic, therefore, the first words out of his mouth were “you can’t take communion”. Not, we would love for you to attend mass with us, or that would be great!..No, that wasn’t done. So, please understand my feelings on this matter. I’ve enjoyed the information here and as the Bible states : 2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividng the word of truth.

I will continue to read, learn and study to show my self approved and at the end of my journey, it is my hope and prayer that my Father will say to me “Well done my daughter, Well Done”.

Be Blessed

I know it seems strange to you - but let me put it this way. Let’s say you have a beloved relative who has severe allergies to loads of different types of food. That relative expresses their intention to have dinner with you.

You immediately think of all the food you have available at your house and realise that EVERY SINGLE bit of food you have to offer them contains something they are allergic to.

ALL the food you have would not simply make them ill, such is the nature of their allergies that it would potentially KILL them! All this flashes through your mind in a split second, with all the accompanying anxiety and urgent concern for your relative.

I ask you, honestly, would the first words out of your mouth be ‘I’d love for you to have dinner with us’??? Of course not!

That’s how seriously we take the Eucharist. Not only non-Catholics, but Catholics too, must be at a high state of preparation and understanding. Free of serious sin, well-instructed in the sacrament, we need to have fasted from food for an hour before the service (some people think this is too little, so important is it that we are PHYSICALLY prepared as well as spiritually!).

Paul talks about actuall physical illness and even death that falls upon those who receive without proper discernment. Even more serious are the spiritual consequences - SPIRITUAL sickness or death of the soul, eternal damnation!

I hope this will help you understand the reaction a little better? Maybe not the most tactful-sounding, but I can assure you his motive was genuine concern for your wellbeing.

 

[dthurmond]

lol

Now That Was A Good One!

 

[LilyM]

Do you see the point though? I hope so, even though I exaggerated a little for dramatic effect of course, but Eucharist is an incredibly serious matter for us.

 

[dthurmond]

I know it seems strange to you - but let me put it this way. Let’s say you have a beloved relative who has severe allergies to loads of different types of food. That relative expresses their intention to have dinner with you.

You immediately think of all the food you have available at your house and realise that EVERY SINGLE bit of food you have to offer them contains something they are allergic to.

ALL the food you have would not simply make them ill, such is the nature of their allergies that it would potentially KILL them! All this flashes through your mind in a split second, with all the accompanying anxiety and urgent concern for your relative.

I ask you, honestly, would the first words out of your mouth be ‘I’d love for you to have dinner with us’??? Of course not!

That’s how seriously we take the Eucharist. Not only non-Catholics, but Catholics too, must be at a high state of preparation and understanding. Free of serious sin, well-instructed in the sacrament, we need to have fasted from food for an hour before the service (some people think this is too little, so important is it that we are PHYSICALLY prepared as well as spiritually!).

Paul talks about actuall physical illness and even death that falls upon those who receive without proper discernment. Even more serious are the spiritual consequences - SPIRITUAL sickness or death of the soul, eternal damnation!

I hope this will help you understand the reaction a little better? Maybe not the most tactful-sounding, but I can assure you his motive was genuine concern for your wellbeing.

LOL, I liked the allergy analogy!

What you have said, based on your beliefs I understand. It helps me understand my brother-in-laws reaction.

Thank you.

 

[dthurmond]

Do you see the point though? I hope so, even though I exaggerated a little for dramatic effect of course, but Eucharist is an incredibly serious matter for us.

I understand what you’re saying. I’m not offended at all. Thank you. I just will continue to study and read more in this journey called life.

Thank you.

 

[Greg27]

A person belonging to the Catholic denomination would be welcomed into the Baptist Church with open arms and no one would ever say to that individual that they could not partake in the communion. The Minister in the Baptist church goes through the prayers prior to our eating and drinking of communion. Isn’t it about the personal relationship between the person and God? What denomination has the right to cast judgement upon anyone when all have sinned and fall short? One can not say that everyone in the Catholic Church is right and perfect and takes communion in a right and perfect manner. Isn’t it that each individual has to constantly work on bettering themselves to walk as God would want us to? Therefore, why would the Catholic Church not want to embrace those from other denominations as a show of Faith? Or is this just one of the rules of the Catholic Church?

I guess, I don’t see it changing any time soon, so I’ll continue to walk the best way that I can on this earth. Knowing that I am a Child of God, I won’t trouble anyone by attending Catholic Mass where I would want to take communion, because I wouldn’t be welcome to do so.

In Christ

I myself have had some trouble with this teaching, as in a way it does seem to create a divide between the ‘worthy’ and the ‘unworthy.’ But, the reception of the Eucharist is a fairly grave matter for Catholics as we believe in taking it we are taking the Lord himself (under the visible species of wine and bread) so it is not a simple matter of just taking it, whatever your sin, for a serious Catholic.

Catholics of course who can’t take holy communion can still go forward and receive a blessing and attend mass (unless formally excommunicated, but that is reserved for fairly serious things like murder and then used only rarely) and to my knowledge can still have access to other sacraments like confession and so on.

It is also a way a symbol for unity which is a fairly valuable thing in this highly fractured world of ours.

It is a matter for each Catholic to discern whether it is proper to recieve communion or not according to conscience.