Resent receiving Communion from Eucharistic Minister

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pmp147236

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I’ve never been comfortable receiving Holy Communion from a Eucharistic minister. But in the last 18 months since been spending regular time in Adoration I’ve gotten to the point where I cringe at the thought of receiving the Holy Eucharist from EM.They are not priests. they are not acting in persona christi, they haven’t been through the trial of formation through seminary. They get six weeks of training from a workbook and a token blessing from the bishop and then they are deemed qualified to distribute the flesh of Christ? I could step over in the other line and get the Host from the priest, but that’s not the point. The point is, when I see the line Im in is served by a EM, my disappointment spirals from resentment to hostility by the time I approach the altar, and then I feel ashamed at having judged the EM. In short, for me the EM is a HUGE distraction from what should be a most sacred act of sacramental grace. Is it just me and do I just need to get over my resentment? Do others struggle with receiving Holy Communion from EMs
 
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First, to clarify terms “EM” = Eucharistic Minister is a priest, bishop, etc.

I’m going to assume you are referring to lay persons who serve as “Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion” or “EMHCs”.

The Church has decided that EMHCs are allowed. I am not any wiser than my Bishops, so, I accept their authority.

As my husband has spent more than a month in hospital, I thank God for every EMHC who has visited.
 
No, I don’t struggle with it. Perhaps you should speak to your priest.
 
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pmp147236 said:
they are not acting in persona christi, they haven’t been through the trial of formation through seminary. They get six weeks of training from a workbook and a token blessing from the bishop and then they are deemed qualified to distribute the flesh of Christ?
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Perhaps you are over sensitive, and your concerns might be misplaced.

One does not act in persona Christi in the giving of the precious blood or body. The priest consecrating the bread and wine is the one acting persona Christi.

Not even 6 weeks, a work book, or a “token” blessing from a Bishop is required to EMHC is needed, and no “trained” or “blessed” is available, the celebrating priest can “draft” a parishioner to serve as an EMHC.

This may be a case where one should be more concerned with function over form.

Be at peace, and rejoice in the opportunity to receive what is the source and summit of our faith!
 
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I would like to be more comfortable with receiving communion from EMHC. but find it difficult. zcan you share your perspective that makes it not a struggle for you?
 
I don’t struggle with receiving Holy Communion from EMHCs. If it bothers you so much, just get in the priest’s or deacon’s line. Problem solved.
 
As Tis_Bearself said. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best. There are some in my parish who don’t receive from an EMHC, and that’s their choice. I’ve never felt the need to convince them otherwise.
 
pmp147236 said:
They are not priests. they are not acting in persona christi,
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“In persona Christi” refers to the Consecration, the action by which an ordained priest changes the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. Your concern, apparently, is that by the celebrant’s subsequent action of handing the sacred species to an EMHC instead of directly to the communicant, the consecration has been reversed – that the body and blood of Christ have been changed back into bread and wine. Is that really what you believe?
 
pmp147236 said:
Is it just me and do I just need to get over my resentment?
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Yes, you do. The point of receiving Holy Communion is that you are receiving Christ. It’s not about you, and it’s not about who you’re receiving it from. It’s about Him*.
You say this is from spending time in Adoration. Adoration should be making you less self-focused, not more.
 
No, it is because I believe it is the flesh and blood of Christ that I believe it should be handled with utmost reverence only not those who have earned the right to touch the soe soe ies. Perhaps its my fairg formation from Catholic grade school in the 1970s that taught that only priests have earned the right to touch the species… I can only wonder if the curt comments to my heartfelt post are from EMHC who never considered the Catholic formation of omder Catholics. It would be interesting to see commentary from the same respondents to my post if one day the Church allowed priests to marry, or women to be priests. I would have no disco.fort taking f communion from either, but I can only wonder how the respondents nl would comment if they were expected to embrace a change that werent comforts le with.
 
Untrue that the formation of older Cstholic is taken into consideration?
 
Iif my 80 year ol grandmother voiced the sanevconcern, I should model a similar response and tell her to “get over it” and stop hiring self centered???
 
I know there are people who feel the same way you do about it. My wife is one of them. She will often join one Communion line while I join a different line. This same conversation we’re having here I’ve had at home. I still fail to grasp what the difference is, that both you and she claim to have detected, between the Body of Christ that is being handed to the people in one line and the Body of Christ that is being handed to people in the other line. She never gave me a satisfactory explanation. Can you?
 
Perhaps it’s the attitude that the flesh and blood of Christ can be handled by just anyone…the church takes great pains to protect the species from falling to to floor, special laundering of altar linens, etc. So I csnt fathom how just any person who hasn’t had the theological formation to truly understand the sanctity of the host would feel comfortable even touching the chalice. Maybe that’s it… I have a problem with lay persobs believing they are worthy to touch the specie without having undergone the psycho spiritual journey one goes through via seminary.
 
pmp147236 said:
Is it just me and do I just need to get over my resentment?
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Isn’t the answer to this question obvious?

Why people assume that just because they’ve spent time in Adoration that they are now somehow more enlightened about everything IDK. Or, that every idea they get while in the presence of the Eucharist is divinely inspired. I think that if someone holds those ideas then they can be taken advantage of.
 
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pmp147236 said:
… I have a problem with lay persobs believing they are worthy to touch the specie without having undergone the psycho spiritual journey one goes through via seminary.
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Have you gone through seminary?
If not, wouldn’t this same logic apply to yourself?
 
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