What is the form for a communion service?

[brownie1]

We occasionally have a communion service instead of Mass when our over worked priest is in need of some vacations days. When that happens the school children attend a communion service. A lay woman conducts the service which is very much like the mass; readers, prayers, petitions, including when she takes the already consencrated host and elevates it from behind the altar. It seems a bit confusing to me and I am sure also to the children. I just wanted to make sure what we are doing is proper.

 

[frommi]

There is a book called “Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest”…and what youre describing sounds similar to what happens at one of those.

However, this book does not cover weekday services…frankly, the rubrics never anticipated a need for weekday communion services.

The bishops of the US did create a document about weekday services that was approved last November.

I would relax, because it sounds like things are within the standards that were set. However, weekday services are regulated by your bishop.

 

[brownie1]

We have a great priest and I am sure he would do what he thought was right. Thank you for your help. It is really nice to have a place to go to find these answers.

 

[Joannm]

Our diocese has banned communion services except for rare occasions.

 

[brownie1]

I could understand that. I teach third graders and they seem to be a bit confused about what exactly is going on. To them sometimes the priest does the mass and sometimes our RCIA director does it. They have a hard time understanding that the host has already been consencrated and that the RCIA director is not doing a new consencration.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

We occasionally have a communion service instead of Mass when our over worked priest is in need of some vacations days. When that happens the school children attend a communion service. A lay woman conducts the service which is very much like the mass; readers, prayers, petitions, including when she takes the already consencrated host and elevates it from behind the altar. It seems a bit confusing to me and I am sure also to the children. I just wanted to make sure what we are doing is proper.

A lay lead Communion service should only be conducted in my opinion on Sundays when a priest is not available to celebrate Mass. Or on Holy Days of Obligation when the faithful want to gather even though the Obligation is not there since no Mass is available. Weekday Mass and school Mass are not required Masses. If a priest is not available to celebrate them, they are just not offered. A Communion service should not be a substitute especially for a school Mass where children can be easily confused.

 

[brownie1]

That is exactly what I thought. When you have a person lift the Blessed Sacrament and say some of the words of consencration, it is very easy to become confused with Mass. Should I go to our parish priest and express my concerns. He used to just cancel our Mass, so I assume someone has convinced him to do otherwise. I was not sure if I was overreacting to the situation.

 

[frommi]

That is exactly what I thought. When you have a person lift the Blessed Sacrament and say some of the words of consencration, it is very easy to become confused with Mass. Should I go to our parish priest and express my concerns. He used to just cancel our Mass, so I assume someone has convinced him to do otherwise. I was not sure if I was overreacting to the situation.

Again, I’m quite certain that in the rites it is ok for a lay person to elevate the host.

However, I’d agree with those that note that it’s not a mass of obligation so it might be wiser to have the children gather for morning prayer which also includes scripture, intercessory prayers, etc in a way that is much less confusing.

Or, the leader needs to explain to the children prior to starting what will be happening.

Let’s be clear, there is never anything inherently ‘bad’ about receiving the body of Christ. However, when we allow communion services to proliferate it is sort of the same as going to a funeral where the body has been donated to science…something important is missing.

 

[brownie1]

That’s true. If we are doing everything correctly our next step should make sure the children understand exactly what is taking place. As long as those two things are good we are ok. You are absoulty right in that if we can receive Our Lord we should do so. Thanks again.

 

[Phemie]

That is exactly what I thought. When you have a person lift the Blessed Sacrament and say some of the words of consencration, it is very easy to become confused with Mass. Should I go to our parish priest and express my concerns. He used to just cancel our Mass, so I assume someone has convinced him to do otherwise. I was not sure if I was overreacting to the situation.

Does she really say some of the words of consecration? There is nothing comparable to that in the Canadian “Sunday Celebration of the Word” when this includes the distribution of Communion.

Our Rite has the EMHC hold the Host slightly above the ciborium and say either “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Happy are those called to the banquet of the Lamb” or “God’s holy gifts for God’s holy people, draw near to receive them with praise and thanksgiving” to which we respond “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed.”

It’s clear from the notes at the beginning of the Rite that these liturgies are foreseen only on Sundays (Liturgy of the Hours deemed more appropriate during the week)and even when they are celebrated on Sunday, the decision to include Communion is to be carefully considered for the very reasons you have been mentioning.

 

[brownie1]

Today she said, “This is my body which is will be given up for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.” she then elevated the host and genuflected. She did not repeat for the blood of Christ since we only distribute the host.

We have a Sunday Mass every Sunday. If our priest would need to be gone our Bishop arranges for another priest to come to our parish. So the communion services are only a weekday thing.

 

[Richie_Nelson]

Today she said, “This is my body which is will be given up for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.” she then elevated the host and genuflected. She did not repeat for the blood of Christ since we only distribute the host.

We have a Sunday Mass every Sunday. If our priest would need to be gone our Bishop arranges for another priest to come to our parish. So the communion services are only a weekday thing.

That sounds a little shaky to me

thanks, Richie

 

[Phemie]

Today she said, “This is my body which is will be given up for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.” she then elevated the host and genuflected. She did not repeat for the blood of Christ since we only distribute the host.

We have a Sunday Mass every Sunday. If our priest would need to be gone our Bishop arranges for another priest to come to our parish. So the communion services are only a weekday thing.

I don’t know what’s in the US ritual for a Communion service but somehow I doubt that those are the words the bishops have decided on. That really opens the liturgy to confusion.

 

[benedictgal]

Phemie, that is certainly not a part of the Rite of Distributing Holy Communion outside of Mass.

This is what it says:

INVITATION TO COMMUNION
The leader genuflects. Taking the host, he/she raises it slightly over the vessel or pyx and, facing the people, says: (#32)
Behold, the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world.
Happy are those who are called to his supper.
Communicants: Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

Now, my concern is, why can’t they find a substitute priest to celebrate weekday Mass. When both my pastor and PV are away from the parish, we almost always get one of the priests form the diocese to celebrate Mass. I can’t believe that a priest shortage is so drastic that they can’t find one.

Furthermore, doing this for school children is very problematic and not at all wise. As someone else suggested, it is better to have Morning Prayer and, include an intention (in the intercessions) for more priestly vocations.

 

[MusicMan]

Today she said, “This is my body which is will be given up for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.” she then elevated the host and genuflected. She did not repeat for the blood of Christ since we only distribute the host.

This isn’t shakey, this is plain wrong. One could easily accuse her of trying to confect the Eucharistic Sacrifice herself, which is grounds for an automatic ex communication. Regardless, I can see the obvious confusion this is causing for the youth.

On these occassions when the priest is on vacation but a school Mass was to take place, perhaps the school could consider a communal recitation of Morning Prayer. The LOTH is just starting to discover a new place with the lay faithful in private prayer and a renewal of communal prayer. What a great opportunity to educate the young about this special liturgy.

 

[dandn5000]

That sounds a little shaky to me

thanks, Richie

A little shaky? Not to be rude, but that’s about as stable as a card table in an earthquake.

There’s definitely something amiss.

 

[John_Lilburne]

I believe the use of the altar is compulsory for a Communion Service in a church.

According to the liturgical book “Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass”:
“19. When communion is given in a church or oratory, a corporal is to be placed on the altar, which is already covered with a cloth, and there are to be two lighted candles as a sign of reverence and festiveness. [Footnote 9: See GIRM no. 269] A communion plate is to be used.
When communion is given in other places, a suitable table is to be prepared and covered with a cloth; candles are also to be provided.”

In the 1988 Directory for Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest it explains how deacons use the presidential chair, but not lay people. Then it has in n. 40 “Since the altar is the table of sacrifice and of the paschal banquet, its only use in this celebration is for the rite of communion, when the consecrated bread is placed on it before communion is given.” What I think this means, following the liturgical book, is that the consecrated hosts should be put on the altar after the general intercessions. They stay there during the Our Father, Sign of Peace, “This is the Lamb of God …”. Then there will be communion.

Unfortunately (it seems to me) there is something different in “Pastoral Handbook for the Dioceses of Australia”, (published by National Liturigical Commission, 2004, ISBN 187552214X, page 30): “Since, ideally, the altar is not used in a Sunday celebration in the absence of a priest, the minister does not stand behind the altar. The leader of prayer remains at the place of leading the community’s prayer.” This is repeated in Appendix 3, page 40: “After the sign of peace and the Lord’s prayer (which may conclude with its doxology), the minister(s) of communion go to the tabernacle, open it, genuflect and bring the Blessed Sacrament to the front of the sanctuary for the distribution of communion. The altar is not used, and the ciborium lid is left at the tabernacle.”

The Australian book seems fairly official. Foreward by Most Reverend Kevin Manning, chairman, National Liturgical Commission, dated November 2003. Part of it is the 1988 Directory. Another part is Directives from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, saying sensible things like “7. The provisions of the Directory for Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest (1988) are to be observed in governing and directing liturgical ministry and worship …”. But another part of the book contradicts this, with “The altar is not used”.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

That is exactly what I thought. When you have a person lift the Blessed Sacrament and say some of the words of consencration, it is very easy to become confused with Mass. Should I go to our parish priest and express my concerns. He used to just cancel our Mass, so I assume someone has convinced him to do otherwise. I was not sure if I was overreacting to the situation.

Older children may be able to be taught the difference like middle or high school. The Lay person says the "Lamb of God’’, never the words of Consecration.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Today she said, “This is my body which is will be given up for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.” she then elevated the host and genuflected. She did not repeat for the blood of Christ since we only distribute the host.

We have a Sunday Mass every Sunday. If our priest would need to be gone our Bishop arranges for another priest to come to our parish. So the communion services are only a weekday thing.

Thank goodness she does not attempt to distribute un-consecrated wine. If those are the words she is saying, the Pastor needs to put an end to this yesterday.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

We have two lay people who went through formal training, to become “Lay Presider’s.” My former pastor asked me if I would go through the training, but I said I didn’t think lay presider’s would be needed in the immediate future, because we had two deacons in our parish. He agreed and in fact, the two people who were trained,( this was 10 years ago) have never been used.

However, the current status of priest in my dioceses, I can see that lay presider’s will be needed in the not too distant future.
Perhaps then I’ll answer the call, if it comes.

Jim