Pyx Blessing

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Dodge_pursuit

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(I know this has come up but the only thread I found was very old…)

I serve as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. I own several pyx (pyxes? pyxia?). Each time I purchased one, I have asked a priest to bless it and they have been happy to do so, sometimes giving me a wonderful blessing at the same time.

Anyhow, today following confession, I asked the priest if he would bless a new pyx for me.

“I can but it isn’t necessary,” he said. “As soon as the Lord goes in it, it’s blessed.”

Now, I won’t begin to ponder the many known (and unknown) effects of the Blessed Sacrament being on, in or near people and objects! More than we deserve or comprehend, no doubt.

It’s just that I was surprised at the priest’s statement and I don’t want to do anything improperly. This was not at my parish, so I don’t really know this priest and I didn’t want to appear disrespectful and question his statement. Perhaps I should just bring the pyx to a priest at my parish, tell him what happened and let him advise me.

Was this priest a little off-base?

Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s not the end of the world or something; I can use another pyx tomorrow. I just like to do everything correctly where the Blessed Sacrament is concerned. ❤️
 
It sounds logical that having the hosts in it would be the ultimate blessing. Sometimes things don’t need an individual blessing. If you are in the crowd the Pope blesses then all your rosaries and medals are blessed too.
 
Dodge_pursuit said:
(I know this has come up but the only thread I found was very old…)

I serve as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. I own several pyx (pyxes? pyxia?). Each time I purchased one, I have asked a priest to bless it and they have been happy to do so, sometimes giving me a wonderful blessing at the same time.

Anyhow, today following confession, I asked the priest if he would bless a new pyx for me.

“I can but it isn’t necessary,” he said. “As soon as the Lord goes in it, it’s blessed.”

Now, I won’t begin to ponder the many known (and unknown) effects of the Blessed Sacrament being on, in or near people and objects! More than we deserve or comprehend, no doubt.

It’s just that I was surprised at the priest’s statement and I don’t want to do anything improperly. This was not at my parish, so I don’t really know this priest and I didn’t want to appear disrespectful and question his statement. Perhaps I should just bring the pyx to a priest at my parish, tell him what happened and let him advise me.

Was this priest a little off-base?

Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s not the end of the world or something; I can use another pyx tomorrow. I just like to do everything correctly where the Blessed Sacrament is concerned. ❤️
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Saying that it isn’t necessary is literally true. It is not strictly-speaking necessary. It is, however, proper.

Saying that as soon as the Lord goes in it, it’s blessed, is not very sound sacramental theology.

Maybe he had some other reason. Perhaps he didn’t have time, or perhaps the ritual book wasn’t readily available. Whatever the reason, just let it go.

Do take the pyx to your own parish priest and ask him to bless it. There’s no need to tell him that another priest said no—no good can come of that and it serves no purpose.

This is the blessing of a pyx that I use.
sanctamissa.org/en/resources/books-1962/rituale-romanum/53-blessings-of-things-designated-for-sacred-purposes.html
You’ll have to scroll down through the page to section #3.
 
FrDavid,

Thank you for the very helpful response. Your advice sounds wise to me.

And thank you for that beautiful link.

Have a blessed Lent, all.
 
I am glad the OP seems to have been satisfactorily answered. If I may ask a related question (I have never been in stable ministry as an EMHC):

Is it common for and EMHC to own one let alone several pyxes? My impression locally is that the pyxes belong to the parish, and the EMsHC make use of them and then return them when they have carried out their ministry?

tee
 
tee_eff_em said:
I am glad the OP seems to have been satisfactorily answered. If I may ask a related question (I have never been in stable ministry as an EMHC):

Is it common for and EMHC to own one let alone several pyxes? My impression locally is that the pyxes belong to the parish, and the EMsHC make use of them and then return them when they have carried out their ministry?]

At my parish, the volunteers have always purchased their own pyxes for this ministry. There are some pyxes that are the parish pyxes to be used for new volunteers to the ministry or in case someone left one at home. These are kept at the parish. I do not believe everyone owning their own is unique to my parish because every volunteer who comes from another parish and ministered to the homebound already have their own pyx.
Click to expand...
 
tee_eff_em said:
I am glad the OP seems to have been satisfactorily answered. If I may ask a related question (I have never been in stable ministry as an EMHC):

Is it common for and EMHC to own one let alone several pyxes? My impression locally is that the pyxes belong to the parish, and the EMsHC make use of them and then return them when they have carried out their ministry?

tee
Click to expand...
It’s my understanding that while one must of course be designated by the church to serve as an EM, you do not need any special authority to purchase a pyx. They are sold at religious goods stores and prices run from around $20 up to more than $100, depending on size, construction, etc.

In my case, I purchased my first, thinking I might be visiting sick parishioners at their homes or bringing communion to a particular person in the hospital, etc. Before long, I found myself leading the communion service at several nursing homes, sometimes with a group of as many as 40 people. I found it problematic to carry and use several small pyx, so wound up purchasing larger ones, out of my own pocket.

Does this answer the question?

Be blessed.
 
I think it may often be true that the pyx owned by the parish tend to be the larger “nursing home” sized, and people who bring the Eucharist to one or two individuals buy their own for that purpose, leaving the larger ones for those in hospital/nursing home ministry to use.
 
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