Non Catholics Participating In The Eucharist

[homeschoolmom]

I was told in rcia that we could go up for a blessing, but to make sure we were in line for the priest, since the lay people probably wouldn't know what we were doing with our arms crossed in front of us... homeschooldad and I are waiting till Easter...

[Ellenita]

Thanks everyone for replying to this. My friend insisted she had been told this 'in a number of catholic churches', but part of me suspects she may be just saying that because as Cmom says 'people take it personally because they assume they have the right to the Eucharist.'

Homeschoolmom, I was also told I could 'go up for a blessing', but have chosen not to do this....I'm waiting for Easter too!

At the service I attended today, the priest went up to individuals and gave the Eucharist rather than people going to him so I was faced with refusing communion rather than simply not going forward, and that felt very strange! So, I did as I'd been told, crossed my arms and was blessed, rather than just saying no to communion, but have since been told by a person whom I greatly respect and trust that this should not have happened. He said the same as popestpiusx, that it's a practice that's been introduced to make people feel included.
It's very confusing!

I find it [i]painful[/i] not to have communion, but I don't feel [i]excluded [/i]by this as I understand it is 'right and proper' until I've made confession and formally become catholic....and Easter will be all the more special because of it!

[benedict_x]

Holy Communion means the world to me. It is the august of all sacraments and I will NEVER take in when I fall into mortal sin, which in my case seems quite frequent. It pains me everytime to kneel (I remain kneeling throughout Communion cause The Body is exposed) and watch so many people (almost everyone) reciving it except myself.

Though its no position of mine to make judgements, I hardly see anyone going for confession before mass and it makes me wonder if all of them are in a state of grace when taking the precious body of Christ. I know for a fact that a (once) good friend of mine whos in the choir and is gay like me who has a boyfriend yet he insists in reciving H.C. That really pisses me off.

I lost this friend and many others over this topic. Most vertaran phatmassers here know abt it. Though it has left me much much lonlier, I know that my extended family up there are glad I defended our faith.

[hopeful1]

this is exactly what i am afraid of when i invite noncatholic friends to mass. I did invite one of my friends one day, to mass, but kinda avoided/forgot to mention that to him ( i went to confession for that tho). The thing is, he used to be catholic, but now nondenominational. i think the main reason he left b/c he wasn't "getting anything out of" the mass, been to a few churches that weren't very welcoming, and probably didn't understand a few things. He also went to catholic schools for elementary school, but he's the type of person that doesn't want to learn anything if he;s not interested in something. Since i found this out, i've been trying to think of a way for him to get an intrest in the church and learning more (or at least see not all catholic churches are "cold" cuz he like my parish) to try to get him to come back home. The thing is i'm afraid to explain why he can't recieve, because i know he will try and make an issue out of this and will keep him from comming back, even if i do tell him he can still recieve a blessing.


i'm also the type of person that would rather craw into a hole and die than argue with somebody (which might explain why i don't hang around the debate table much other than just to lurk) :ph34r: i know it's bad, pray for me on that

[hopeful1]

[quote name='benedict_x' date='Mar 17 2004, 10:48 PM'] Holy Communion means the world to me. It is the august of all sacraments and I will NEVER take in when I fall into mortal sin, which in my case seems quite frequent. It pains me everytime to kneel (I remain kneeling throughout Communion cause The Body is exposed) and watch so many people (almost everyone) reciving it except myself.

[/quote]
WOW! You're awesome dude. I wish i could have that kind of devotion to the eucharist. congradulations on having that so young.

(or at least you sound young to me )

[BLAZEr]

Just so we are clear here:

Laypeople cannot give a PRIESTLY blessing, but they can in fact bless.

However, when a Priest blesses he is drawing upon all of the merits of the WHOLE Church.

When a layperson offers their blessing, they are only drawing upon their own merits.

The Blessing a layperson offers is NOT the same as a Priest's blessing.

[Aloysius]

[quote name='BLAZEr' date='Mar 18 2004, 12:12 AM'] Just so we are clear here:

Laypeople cannot give a PRIESTLY blessing, but they can in fact bless.

However, when a Priest blesses he is drawing upon all of the merits of the WHOLE Church.

When a layperson offers their blessing, they are only drawing upon their own merits.

The Blessing a layperson offers is NOT the same as a Priest's blessing. [/quote]
isn't that basically what i said

well, i guess i connected the difference of a priest's blessing more to just the fact of their holy orders, so i guess by their holy orders they are able to call upon the merits of the whole Church in their blessing.

[popestpiusx]

OK OK OK
I should have been more precise. In my language. But I stand by my position (in essence).

Dust, you said "I guess all my "God bless you's" have gone to waste then."

Read that and tell me, if you would, why that does not apply to what I said.

A layman can bless in the sense that he either explicitly (God Bless You) implicitly asks God to bless the person. The Priest actually blesses the person acting in persona Christi. His blessing is not a request but a descriptive and a prescriptive statement. I hope that clarifys what I said earlier.

[Laudate_Dominum]

thats cool. priests rock!