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prayerrider
Guest
Meant to say “Extraordinary.” Fixed. Same difference. They’re really quite common.
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Due do a lack of vocations to the priesthood and diaconate. Pray for more priests and more deacons. Better yet, encourage men that you know (young and old) who God might be calling to the priesthood and diaconate, to say YES to God and become priests and deacons.
If the Church had a lot more priests and deacons there simply would be no need for EMHCs. Right now, there’s an extraordinary need for them due to the dearth of priests and deacons in many parts of the world, including most 1st world countries.
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prayerrider
Guest
I’ve attended very large Masses where everyone received kneeling at the altar and process went very quickly. No EMHC’s–just priests and altar boys.
This whole “need” for EMHC’s is a manufactured one. People want to rush through Holy Communion so that they can be in and out of Mass in one hour or less.
This whole “need” for EMHC’s is a manufactured one. People want to rush through Holy Communion so that they can be in and out of Mass in one hour or less.
Priests. Plural. Note that.
Having more than one priest at a Mass is now the exception than the rule. I thank God that I am not as cynical as you appear to be to think that the need for EMHCs is a manufactured one.
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prayerrider
Guest
Never been to a TLM parish (e.g. FSSP) with a priest shortage. Wonder why that is?
And yes, I am cynical about the willingness of many Catholics to spend more than an hour at Mass, or endure any delay in receiving Holy Communion that might cause a hold up in their busy Sunday schedule.
If somebody doesn’t like that attitude, tough.
And yes, I am cynical about the willingness of many Catholics to spend more than an hour at Mass, or endure any delay in receiving Holy Communion that might cause a hold up in their busy Sunday schedule.
If somebody doesn’t like that attitude, tough.
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LisaB
Guest
In some parishes they DO have several priests but they don’t help out at Mass time. One priest says Mass, and the others are nowhere to be found. Sunday should be “all hands on deck” day for priests - they should all help out before any lay people are used to distribute. They can wash their hands before distributing and there you go, cuts down on the Purell smell that bothers the OP.prayerrider:
Priests. Plural. Note that.
Having more than one priest at a Mass is now the exception than the rule. I thank God that I am not as cynical as you appear to be to think that the need for EMHCs is a manufactured one.
I agree 100% with this. This is where some Catholic churches take advantage of EMHCs. EMHCs are not supposed to be used so the other parish priests (beside the one who is celebrating the Mass) can take an extended Sunday break. If a parish is blest to have two or more priests assigned to it, then those priests ought to help distribute Holy Communion at every Sunday Mass. EMHCs will probably still be needed to distribute Holy Communion via the Cup, though.
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bobperk
Guest
Maybe this will work too. Perhaps an extra large holy water font can be filled with Purell, and the EMHCs can simultaneously dip their hands in while chanting 2 Samuel 22:21, “The Lord acknowledged my righteousness; rewarded my clean hands.”
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Odilon
Guest
I used to carry a small bottle of sanitizer in my pocket used it in the pew before going up to distribute Holy Communion.
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tafan2
Guest
Please don’t talk about focusing on the Tabernacle during mass. Around here, it took 20-30 years to get our Tabernacles back into the parish churches. Let’s don’t give them an excuse to move them out again.
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paperwight
Guest
Indeed, We should be focusing on the readings, the homily and above all, on what is happening on the altar (listing these elements in the order in which they occur in the Mass)
The Tabernacle started off as a convenient place to store Hosts for the sick, and often took the form of an Aubrey set in the wall like a cupboard. . It was only in the thirteenth century I believe, when Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament became the custom, that aubreys set in the wall were replaced with ornate tabernacles set on the Altar…
It was never meant to be the focus at Mass.
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tafan2
Guest
My comment was said half in jest. I agree with you on the ideal, but if someone is focused on praying to Jesus during mass, I don’t loose any sleep over it. If the Tabernacles were to start being moved out of the sanctuaries of most parish churches again, I would loose sleep over it. And one of the excuses last time it happened was because they were a “distraction” during mass (although a choir right to the side of the altar was not).
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OraLabora
Guest
I noticed that you made “priests” plural. Except for the local monastery, a Mass with more than one priest is extremely exceptional around here, unless it’s the funeral of another member of the clergy, in which case several turn out to pay homage to their colleague. And altar boys??? Forget that, there’s not a red-blooded boy around here anywhere remotely interested in serving Mass. Usually it’s a couple of elderly folks.
The more realistic option here is that instead of several priests for one Mass, it is several Masses for one priest. It’s part of the reason that Mass around here seems to be “read, feed and speed”: the priest has another Mass to celebrate in a half an hour and he needs 25 minutes to drive to it (it’s a rural area).
So ya, unless some more men step up to the vocations plate, “extraordinary” ministers of Holy Communion will be come “regular”.
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DerKreuzritter
Guest
We don’t have Eucharistic Ministers at my parish.
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DerKreuzritter
Guest
Let’s say there is only one Priest. Christ is truly present in the Eucharist and waiting to go receive the Eucharist is worth it. It shouldn’t be rushed for convenience.
But the presence of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist — His body and blood, soul and divinity — is NOT DIMINISHED one iota if one receives Holy Communion from an EMHC versus a priest or deacon.
And I would venture to speculate (based on my own personal experience) that the reception of Holy Communion is LESS RUSHED when there are more ministers (be it priests, deacons or EMHCs) distributing Holy Communion versus when there’s only one priest, since when it’s only a priest, the priest has a natural human inclination to rush it, quickly saying the “The Body of Christ” and handing out the Blessed Sacrament even before the communicant had a chance to respond with the required “Amen”. At least that has been my experience.
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Pitcairn17
Guest
Actually, you do — that would be the priest. What you seem not to have are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. The terms are frequently, if incorrectly, used interchangeably around here.
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Trishie
Guest
Hands can, there is no suggestion that the Lord Himself is responsible.
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lilypadrees
Guest
Haven’t noticed but it’s reassuring since no one wants to spread germs.
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