Communion

[faerieevaH]

Maybe this question seems weird comming from me, but in the churches you go to, is there anyone besides the priest who hands out communion? Not the blessing or anything, only the handing out.

 

[Filia Mariae]

Yeah, the extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist. (For anyone who doesn't know, these are laity who distribute the Host and the Cup).

 

[faerieevaH]

Could you explain laity? *suffers with English*

 

[KennySe]

"laity" is those of us who are not given Holy Orders.

laity is not: Priests, Deacons, Nuns, Brothers.

 

[Dominus Fidelis]

Yes, its very common for the normal church folks to help out in this way faerie.

 

[faerieevaH]

I have given out communion myself for years, but didn't know if it was common practice in other countries or even other parrishes. In my parrish the 'Lector' usually was the being the 'extraordinary minister of the Eucharist', and I did that since I was 17.

It got stuck in my mind because of the question in the other thread about going forward and receiving blessings instead of communion. In our church it was common practice for the very young children, who did not yet receive communion, to come forward and instead of receiving communion, they received 'blessing' in the form of the sign of the cross made on their brow.
The extraordinary ministers of faith, me in many cases, did this as well. I'm now contemplating the difference in the blessing of me and the priest, because there is probably a difference, right?

 

[Polycarp1]

According to what I was taught (and I don't claim this is Catholic doctrine), we're all part of the laity, which means the laos Christi, the people of Christ. Pope, Cardinals, bishops, and priests are laymen the same as the rest of us, with a responsibility for the lay apostolate.

Set apart from them for particular ministries are the clergy, the men who are responsible for preaching, teaching authoritatively, and the ministry of the Sacraments. You get into a complex bit of material on who is validly and licitly ordained to do what there, which I think we can skip. Bottom line is that it takes a Priest to validly celebrate Mass -- but it does not take a Priest to give Communion from the consecrated elements, and a Bishop may license, or enable his Pastors to call, laymen not ordained to the clergy to assist in the distribution of Communion.

Nuns, monks, friars, canons religious, brothers, and sisters are not ordained, but vowed to "the religious life" (not meaning other people aren't religious, but using the older meaning of "religious" as "living out a rule [religio]". Some may indeed be ordained to the Priesthood, but others are not, and are regarded as laymen as opposed to clergy as regards the Sacraments.

 

[ChoirDir]

oops wrong thread!

 

[raptor13]

I was abou to point this out, too.

Nuns, monks, friars, canons religious, brothers, and sisters are not ordained, but vowed to "the religious life" (not meaning other people aren't religious, but using the older meaning of "religious" as "living out a rule [religio]". Some may indeed be ordained to the Priesthood, but others are not, and are regarded as laymen as opposed to clergy as regards the Sacraments.

Priests are 'ordained' (and deacons, too?), and religious are 'consecrated'

 

[ShannonMcCatholic]

Priests are 'ordained' (and deacons, too?), and religious are 'consecrated'

Yes, deacons are oradained - to either the transitional diaconate(ie- on the way to becoming a priest) or the permanent diaconate(ie- no intent to go on to the priesthood).

There are three degrees of Holy Orders:
1. episcopate- taken by Bishops
2.presbyterate- taken by priests
3.diaconate- taken by deacons

All of which leave an indellible mark on the soul of the man taking Orders.

And just a note about the rest of the thread- extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist are not supposed to be as widely used as they are. They are truly meant to be used in exceptional circumstances. The priests and deacons are the ordinary ministers of the Eucharist, and should in ordinary circumstances be the ones and only ones distributingthe Eucharist.

Of course- that leaves open the discussion about what constitues ordinary!!

In the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Shannon

 

[thereselittleflower]

I have given out communion myself for years, but didn't know if it was common practice in other countries or even other parrishes. In my parrish the 'Lector' usually was the being the 'extraordinary minister of the Eucharist', and I did that since I was 17.

It got stuck in my mind because of the question in the other thread about going forward and receiving blessings instead of communion. In our church it was common practice for the very young children, who did not yet receive communion, to come forward and instead of receiving communion, they received 'blessing' in the form of the sign of the cross made on their brow.
The extraordinary ministers of faith, me in many cases, did this as well. I'm now contemplating the difference in the blessing of me and the priest, because there is probably a difference, right?

Hi faerieeva

There is a difference between the blessing a priest gives and a layman gives . .

If you go to the priest, it is a priestly blessing . . but if you go to a layman, you are receiving a blessing form someone who has no priestly office . .

I cannot find right now all that I had on this, but what I remember is this . . someone higher gives a blessing to someone lower . .a parent can bless their children, a priest can bless a layman . .

In the Celebration of the Eucharist, if a layman acting as an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist gives you a blessing, they are blurring the lines between themselves and the priest who is acting as another christus . . and by canon law it is not allowed from all I understand . .

But in any event, they are not priests, and cannot bestow upon you the higher blessing a priest bestows . .

So, what we do is where ever we end up sitting (we try to sit in the section that goes forward to our priest) we do not get in any other line than the priest, and if someone asks about it, I just say we are going forward for a priestly blessing . .

I want to be blessed by the priest . . . I want to receive the GRACE that is imparted in such a blessing . . Grace that is not imprated with a blessing from a layman . .



Peace in Him!

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

When I went through training to be an extraordinary minister, they taught us that if a person comes to us for a blessing that we are to direct them to a Priest or Deacon for the blessing.

 

[thereselittleflower]

When I went through training to be an extraordinary minister, they taught us that if a person comes to us for a blessing that we are to direct them to a Priest or Deacon for the blessing.

Well, your parish is training you right! . . In our parish, the EME are allowed to give blessings . . <sigh>


Peace in Him!

 

[faerieevaH]

When we were instructed, we were told that we could bless, but of course also that it was not a substitute or on the same level as the blessing of the priest. As Therese pointed out, it has not the same grace. It is of a different level, and a different nature.

 

[Polycarp1]

If you go to the priest, it is a priestly blessing . . but if you go to a layman, you are receiving a blessing form someone who has no priestly office . .

Anyone can bless, a blessing being a intercessory supplication to God to bless another at your request. But when a layman blesses, he or she does it on his or her own authority, with nothing backing it but his or her status as a member of Christ's Mystical Body. When a priest blesses formally in accord with his holy office, he conveys the blessing petition of the entire Church, the whole Communion of Saints.

....and the priest who is acting as another christus...

If I may presume to make a correction, I don't think the Catholic Church would say it in this way, which mars the distinction between Lord and Mediator and His priestly servant, but rather in locum Christi -- the Priest blesses in the place of Christ, serving as His lieutenant at that time and place. I may be wrong on this, but "another christus" didn't sound right from what I know of Catholic doctrine. I hope I do not offend -- Peace!

 

[ShannonMcCatholic]

So, what we do is where ever we end up sitting (we try to sit in the section that goes forward to our priest) we do not get in any other line than the priest, and if someone asks about it, I just say we are going forward for a priestly blessing . .

I want to be blessed by the priest . . . I want to receive the GRACE that is imparted in such a blessing . . Grace that is not imprated with a blessing from a layman . .

I just wanted to ask why go for a blessing at Communion at all? Isn't the entire congregation given a blessing by the priest at the end of Mass? Or is there something special about a blessing at Communion time? Or maybe as an act of communion (as in the sense of unity)??

In the SacredHeart of Jesus,
Shannon

 

[pax]

I just wanted to ask why go for a blessing at Communion at all? Isn't the entire congregation given a blessing by the priest at the end of Mass? Or is there something special about a blessing at Communion time? Or maybe as an act of communion (as in the sense of unity)??

In the SacredHeart of Jesus,
Shannon

Oftentimes it can be embarrassing at communion time for a Catholic not to receive communion and stay in the pew (you can't receive if you're not in a state of grace or haven't fasted for one hour). It has become the practice in many places for lay people who can't receive communion to cross their arms over their chests and the priest/deacon will give them a blessing instead of Holy Communion. Blessings during Mass should be limited to ordained ministers (EME's shouldn't give blessings at communion time).