receiving a blessing at communion

  • Thread starter Thread starter littlerose1
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Our pastor says that yes, it’s kind of pointless to get up and just get a blessing since you’ll get one in a minute or 3, but on the other hand, it leaves less for the busy-bodies to wonder about why you aren’t going up. I’m in RCIA right now, and most weeks I go up and yes, they do have the host in their hand, but that’s because they aren’t looking to who’s next in line. Both the priests in our parish know me well at this point. It’s really no big deal. And if someone is watching who gets blessings not communion? Not my problem that they are focused too much on the lives of others to focus themselves on why they’re there.

Same as I don’t bother with wondering if people notice that sometimes I only bow not genuflect or that I don’t always kneel. If someone was to ask me why I don’t (knee issues), I’d be happy to share, but I sure can’t stop them from judging if they’re going to.
 
Phemie said:
One of our former pastors didn’t do that at all, not even for infants. One mother got practically apoplectic because she had to ask and even then he did it reluctantly because he didn’t want to cause a scene.

The one we have now has asked the parents not to rush the children away because he wants to bless them. He could just as easily do that when he’s at the back of the church as they’re leaving. He’s good about some rules but couldn’t care less about others which is why we still don’t kneel at the consecration, GIRM notwithstanding, (he said he doesn’t care about that) and kids can have multiple godmothers.
Click to expand...
Matthew 19:13

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

Matthew 19:14

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Matthew 19:15

When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

i guess then when the handing down of what Christ said and done with traditions to Peter,those verses and chapters seem to have got lost then, eh?

now Jesus did it.so the priest can do it.get over it and be joyful. Jesus is all forgiving.
 
Oh and when I do end up in a line with an EMHC, they usually say something like “May the Lord bless you and keep you”. Where the priest will either make the sign of the cross in front of me and say a blessing or make the sign of the cross on my forehead (depends on which priest…the latter is never at my home parish, but was at my inlaws’ parish)
 
God is there for ‘Everyone’. Not just Catholics! We are not the chosen!

Gods love is universal. A blessing is from god.
 
littlerose1 said:
Hey all,

so I’m home from college on break and slipped up in my struggle for chastity this week. I couldn’t make it to confession today due to a snowstorm. when I go to mass tomorrow with my family, I will be expected to go forward to receive but I know I should not. My chaplain at school gives blessings to those who go forward with arms crossed, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen that done at my parish – very rarely, if at all. the priest knows me, and I’m worried I’ll get to the front of the line and he’ll already have the host in his hand. also what should I do if there’s an EM in the line I’m in? Thanks in advance,

Littlerose
Click to expand...
Eat a sandwich within the hour before Holy Communion and then say, “Oops, I didn’t fast before Holy Communion. You guys go on ahead.” :o
 
JLM28 said:
Where are you getting your facts for these quotes:
Click to expand...
Holy Mother Church 🙂

see below…
Phemie said:
Since Rome is ‘studying the question’, it’s obvious that they weren’t the ones who started it.

Spiritual Communion has been a teaching for centuries. John Paul II, in his encyclical “Ecclesia de Eucharistia, **ON THE EUCHARIST IN ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHURCH” **says this:
Click to expand...
Thanks Phemie 🙂
 
RedSparklyShoes said:
Our pastor says that yes, it’s kind of pointless to get up and just get a blessing since you’ll get one in a minute or 3, but on the other hand, it leaves less for the busy-bodies to wonder about why you aren’t going up. I’m in RCIA right now, and most weeks I go up and yes, they do have the host in their hand, but that’s because they aren’t looking to who’s next in line. Both the priests in our parish know me well at this point. It’s really no big deal. And if someone is watching who gets blessings not communion? Not my problem that they are focused too much on the lives of others to focus themselves on why they’re there.

Same as I don’t bother with wondering if people notice that sometimes I only bow not genuflect or that I don’t always kneel. If someone was to ask me why I don’t (knee issues), I’d be happy to share, but I sure can’t stop them from judging if they’re going to.
Click to expand...
Welcome to the Church ! Great post 👍

You know, it doesn’t matter what community, be it a Baptist, Jewish, Catholic one, etc., there will always be a handful of nosy people lol. Pray for them and kill 'em with kindness 🙂
 
One shouldnt be concerned about others while taking Holy Communion etc.
 
RedSparklyShoes said:
Our pastor says that yes, it’s kind of pointless to get up and just get a blessing since you’ll get one in a minute or 3, but on the other hand, it leaves less for the busy-bodies to wonder about why you aren’t going up. I’m in RCIA right now, and most weeks I go up and yes, they do have the host in their hand, but that’s because they aren’t looking to who’s next in line. Both the priests in our parish know me well at this point. It’s really no big deal. And if someone is watching who gets blessings not communion? Not my problem that they are focused too much on the lives of others to focus themselves on why they’re there.

Same as I don’t bother with wondering if people notice that sometimes I only bow not genuflect or that I don’t always kneel. If someone was to ask me why I don’t (knee issues), I’d be happy to share, but I sure can’t stop them from judging if they’re going to.
Click to expand...
Good points! I recently read an article that advocated no ushers to direct traffic at Communion. Just go up when there’s a hole in the crowd. Sounds like chaos, but it would solve the problem of being left alone in the pew while the rest of the row goes up simultaneously. We recently visited a parish where the offertory was accomplished this way - people randomly and individually got out of their seats and placed the envelope in the main basket in front of the altar - that way no one could keep track of who gave and who didn’t.
 
Tigg said:
Good points! I recently read an article that advocated no ushers to direct traffic at Communion. Just go up when there’s a hole in the crowd. Sounds like chaos, but it would solve the problem of being left alone in the pew while the rest of the row goes up simultaneously.
Click to expand...
I’ve never been in a parish where ushers directed traffic at Communion but the row by row thing is pretty much automatic in Canadian parishes.

That said, I grew up in a time when it was rare for most of the congregation to go to Communion – people often didn’t go to Communion unless they’d been to confession the day before so, since they only went to confession once a month, they received that first Sunday after confessing and stayed in their pews for the next 3 Sundays. People not going to Communion was the norm rather than the exception.

That’s why I find it so difficult to understand the mindset of those who say they go for a blessing in order not to disrupt the line. :confused::confused::confused: What is so difficult about stepping out of the pew, letting those going to Communion out and then stepping back into the pew?? I mean, do we all go to the concession stand or the bathroom at the movies if someone in our row gets up to do that??

I think we’ve grown into such a gimme people that we can’t stand to be denied anything so we get in line to get ‘something’ even if the ‘something’ we get is nowhere near as excellent as the ‘Someone’ others are receiving.
 
Phemie said:
That said, I grew up in a time when it was rare for most of the congregation to go to Communion – people often didn’t go to Communion unless they’d been to confession the day before so, since they only went to confession once a month, they received that first Sunday after confessing and stayed in their pews for the next 3 Sundays. People not going to Communion was the norm rather than the exception.
Click to expand...
I do remember a time when Confession was the norm and we automatically went every other Saturday night. Remember night-time confessions? We did our penance just waiting in the long lines! 😃 Actually, it’s frightening to me that I know many many people who, without fail, go to Sunday communion yet haven’t been to Confession in years.
I think we’ve grown into such a gimme people that we can’t stand to be denied anything so we get in line to get ‘something’ even if the ‘something’ we get is nowhere near as excellent as the **‘Someone’ **others are receiving
Click to expand...
I totally agree with this - it fits into the “instant gratification” mindset of society today, or the “I” syndrome.
 
Priest don’t preach about Confession, so people think they can ignore it. I haven’t heard a priest recommend during a homily that people go to Confession at least once a month for about 10 years. I maybe have heard one reference to the sacrament since then.
 
Our priest does mention it and it is the church bulletin every week.
 
ajecphotos said:
Isnt it dated 2009?

As i stated before, my local priest is a Canon lawyer for the church and never does anything that states shouldnt be done!
Click to expand...
Nowhere does it state that the priest cannot pray the Mass with a bird on his head. Would that be appropriate? Nowhere does it state that the music cannot be supplied by an organ grinder and his monkey. Would that be appropriate?

Almost every liturgical abuse stems from this idea of “It’s not forbidden, so it must be okay” with no thought as to if “it” is fitting or appropriate for the Mass, much less if “it” has been approved by the one person who DOES have the power to alter the Ordo - the Pope.

The Mass is our communal worship of God. It is SUPPOSED to be the same throughout each rite. When innovations are introduced - no matter how well-intentioned - it ceases to be the Roman Rite and becomes the “Fr. Bob” Rite.
 
As i said before, every catholic church i have ever gone to in the UK the priest gives a blessing to anyone who comes up with arms folded at communion time.

I am sure that there are some things that priest all over the church do differently.

On priest i know, sings the whole mass!!! Is that wrong?
 
ajecphotos said:
Our priest does mention it and it is the church bulletin every week.
Click to expand...
OTOH, our parish went 6 years without scheduled confession because the priests didn’t want to ‘just sit there’. If we wanted to confess we had to make an appointment or tap one of them on the shoulder before Mass if they showed up early enough. As soon as our new pastor took over in August he scheduled Confession from 1-2 p.m. every Saturday.

In the previous 6 years the only ‘scheduled’ confession time was during the 2 annual Penitential Services that took place during Lent and Advent. In a parish of ~1500 people, those Services attracted about a dozen people once the Bishop forbid General Absolution. And often those people didn’t even stay for Confession but bolted for the door as soon as the last prayer was said. I know we’re not supposed to notice but when you’re the one responsible for locking up and putting things away you tend to notice when after 10 minutes the only people left around are the priest and you.
 
ajecphotos said:
As i said before, every catholic church i have ever gone to in the UK the priest gives a blessing to anyone who comes up with arms folded at communion time.

I am sure that there are some things that priest all over the church do differently.

One priest I know, sings the whole mass!!! Is that wrong?
Click to expand...
No, actually that’s the ideal. 🙂 But the GIRM grants the priest the choice of what he wishes to sing, from everything to nothing. Would that we had a priest who wished to sing it all, including the Gospel.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top