Question about communion...

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BlestOne

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We have this couple at our parish that always go up together to receive the precious blood. The EMHC offers it to the one who is there in line first, but rather than give it back to the EMHC, turns to the spouse and offers it to them… I don’t recall either of them being EMHC’s but he is a lector…

To me this is completely out of place and should not be done even if both are EMHC’s… because they are not operating in that capacity at that time.

Has anyone else seen this done? and is it right?
 
BlestOne said:
We have this couple at our parish that always go up together to receive the precious blood. The EMHC offers it to the one who is there in line first, but rather than give it back to the EMHC, turns to the spouse and offers it to them… I don’t recall either of them being EMHC’s but he is a lector…

To me this is completely out of place and should not be done even if both are EMHC’s… because they are not operating in that capacity at that time.

Has anyone else seen this done? and is it right?
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If the spouse also serves as Eucharistic Minister at other masses then there is no problem with this, as they are commissioned.
 
BlestOne said:
We have this couple at our parish that always go up together to receive the precious blood. The EMHC offers it to the one who is there in line first, but rather than give it back to the EMHC, turns to the spouse and offers it to them… I don’t recall either of them being EMHC’s but he is a lector…

To me this is completely out of place and should not be done even if both are EMHC’s… because they are not operating in that capacity at that time.

Has anyone else seen this done? and is it right?
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No, and no. It is completely inappropriate. But it is also not your place to tell them so, unless they are in some way under your authority (ie: if you are running a Catechism class, and they attend your class).

Mention it to the priest, in case he hasn’t noticed this behaviour (most likely he has, though), and ask him to say something to them.
 
BlestOne said:
We have this couple at our parish that always go up together to receive the precious blood. The EMHC offers it to the one who is there in line first, but rather than give it back to the EMHC, turns to the spouse and offers it to them… I don’t recall either of them being EMHC’s but he is a lector…

To me this is completely out of place and should not be done even if both are EMHC’s… because they are not operating in that capacity at that time.

Has anyone else seen this done? and is it right?
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It sounds wrong and it is wrong.
 
BlestOne said:
We have this couple at our parish that always go up together to receive the precious blood. The EMHC offers it to the one who is there in line first, but rather than give it back to the EMHC, turns to the spouse and offers it to them… I don’t recall either of them being EMHC’s but he is a lector…

To me this is completely out of place and should not be done even if both are EMHC’s… because they are not operating in that capacity at that time.

Has anyone else seen this done? and is it right?
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It is incorrect and the pastor should put a stop to it.
 
I think it’s a Marriage Encounter thing. The reason I say this is because a couple came to promote ME at one our parishes back home and during communion, they did the same thing. The following weekend, another ME couple came for the same promotion and they repeated the similar action during communion. Incidentally, when the couples received the Body of Christ, they stood side-by-side in front of the priest so that they could receive together. It was a little off-putting and somewhat distracting.

It’s one of those idiosyncracies that creeps up into the Mass that shouldn’t happen. I can understand that they want to express their commitment to each other, but, the moment of Holy Comunion is not the moment for that. It’s about Jesus coming into our bodies, hearts and souls individually.
 
benedictgal said:
I think it’s a Marriage Encounter thing. The reason I say this is because a couple came to promote ME at one our parishes back home and during communion, they did the same thing. The following weekend, another ME couple came for the same promotion and they repeated the similar action during communion. Incidentally, when the couples received the Body of Christ, they stood side-by-side in front of the priest so that they could receive together. It was a little off-putting and somewhat distracting.

It’s one of those idiosyncracies that creeps up into the Mass that shouldn’t happen. I can understand that they want to express their commitment to each other, but, the moment of Holy Comunion is not the moment for that. It’s about Jesus coming into our bodies, hearts and souls individually.
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Come to think of it… I think they do stand side by side at communion too… hmmm I always thought marriage encounter was supposed to be more orthodox than that…
 
benedictgal said:
I think it’s a Marriage Encounter thing. The reason I say this is because a couple came to promote ME at one our parishes back home and during communion, they did the same thing. .
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I don’t think that is true. My wife and I are heavily involved in ME and I’ve never see that done, either on our weekend retreats or ME conventions.
 
Brendan said:
I don’t think that is true. My wife and I are heavily involved in ME and I’ve never see that done, either on our weekend retreats or ME conventions.
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Brendan, I’ve seen this a lot from other ME folk. I’m glad your group is orthodox but some of the others seem to go beyond. Our Retrouvaille group wasn’t all that orthodox either. Was a dissappointment to me.
Dianne
 
This practice is specifically prohibited in Redemptionis Sacramentum:

[94.] It is not licit for the faithful “to take . . . by themselves . . . and, still less, to hand . . . from one to another” the sacred host or the sacred chalice.[181] Moreover, in this regard, the abuse is to be set aside whereby spouses administer Holy Communion to each other at a Nuptial Mass.
 
My parents used to do this, as did a lot of other married couples at the Parish we used to attend in Colorado. 🤷 I always thought it was a bit odd.
I would like to know where it started.
 
Brendan said:
I don’t think that is true. My wife and I are heavily involved in ME and I’ve never see that done, either on our weekend retreats or ME conventions.
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Brendan, you are truly one of the truly wise and orthodox couples because I have seen this practice by the couples from my neck of the woods. Let me clarify this so as to avoid an already unintended blanket statement., There are quite a few who have done this, especially when they receive both species.
 
benedictgal said:
Brendan, you are truly one of the truly wise and orthodox couples because I have seen this practice by the couples from my neck of the woods. Let me clarify this so as to avoid an already unintended blanket statement., There are quite a few who have done this, especially when they receive both species.
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I’ll back benedictgal on this. It might not be at every ME but it’s been by a few here.

It’s wrong, and from the sound of it over the past year, starting to creep in much like Our Father hand holding. It needs to be stopped. Now. It gives the impression, to my mind, that ME couples somehow have their own rites. It also is not unifying to the rest of the congregation, just irritating (sort of “Our marriage is better than yours”).

I’d tell your priest, BlestOne.
 
OutinChgoburbs said:
I’d tell your priest, BlestOne.
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Do you think he hasn’t noticed? I mean, it is a small parish… they can’t be more than 10 steps away from him when they are receiving the precious blood…

I guess he is busy with communion… maybe he hasn’t seen.
 
BlestOne said:
Do you think he hasn’t noticed? I mean, it is a small parish… they can’t be more than 10 steps away from him when they are receiving the precious blood…

I guess he is busy with communion… maybe he hasn’t seen.
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Also in addition to him not necessarly knowing this is happening. It is possible that he has not read RS and may need to be shown the document forbidding this action.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
Also in addition to him not necessarly knowing this is happening. It is possible that he has not read RS and may need to be shown the document forbidding this action.
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Br. Rich,
Would one consider it impolite to take a copy of RS with to talk to him? Wouldn’t it seem like I am trying to tell him he is incompetent, which I don’t believe in the least.
 
BlestOne said:
Br. Rich,
Would one consider it impolite to take a copy of RS with to talk to him? Wouldn’t it seem like I am trying to tell him he is incompetent, which I don’t believe in the least.
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You could say I’m not sure if you are aware of this but there is a couple who keeps doing this, (XYZ) which is strictly forbidden in RS Paragraph (abc). I not sure how to prevent this from happening when I’m an EMHC, will you speak with them and ask them to stop attempting to do this. I’m affraid that there is going to be an accident with the Precious Blood because of this someday.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
You could say I’m not sure if you are aware of this but there is a couple who keeps doing this, (XYZ) which is strictly forbidden in RS Paragraph (abc). I not sure how to prevent this from happening when I’m an EMHC, will you speak with them and ask them to stop attempting to do this. I’m affraid that there is going to be an accident with the Precious Blood because of this someday.
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Awesome answer… one hitch… I am a female and although I know the Church allows women EMHC’s, I think it is something that should be reserved for men only, so I am not an EMHC. I fear approaching him with something that is none of my business.
 
BlestOne said:
Awesome answer… one hitch… I am a female and although I know the Church allows women EMHC’s, I think it is something that should be reserved for men only, so I am not an EMHC. I fear approaching him with something that is none of my business.
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Leave out the red parts. It IS your business.
Br.Rich_SFO said:
You could say I’m not sure if you are aware of this but there is a couple who keeps doing this, (XYZ) which is strictly forbidden in RS Paragraph (abc). I not sure how to prevent this from happening when I’m an EMHC, will you speak with them and ask them to stop attempting to do this. I’m affraid that there is going to be an accident with the Precious Blood because of this someday.
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OutinChgoburbs said:
Leave out the red parts. It IS your business.
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Thanks OutinChgoBurbs… I feel it is my business, but I am worried that the perception will be that I am trying to tell a priest how to do his job… After I posted about this couple the husbands picture was on the front page of our local paper about the mayor asking for his resignation… now I am wondering if he will even be staying here in town… good chance he might move.
 
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