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julia s.
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| Posted: March 21 2007 at 7:30am | IP Logged
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I wasn't sure how to word the title, but my question goes to when a child who doesn't receive communion goes forward with their arms crossed to receive a blessing is there any reason why a priest/or eucharistic minister would refuse the blessing?
In my church the monsignor encourages everyone to come forward and either receive the eucharist or a blessing (they just cross their arms over their chest to show abstention). My son who is now six has been going up since he was 2 1/2 to receive the blessing on his own. He won't move until he receives it which is what caused a problem. One of the deacons when I told him that my son was waiting for a blessing in order to move said "I don't do that" or "I won't do that" I couldn't hear quite well. I was a little put off and felt horrible for my son. I basically had to push my son away (who has a stubborn streak about this) and we've had this same deacon again and he just won't do it (although he is looking like he dreads my son as much as we dread him).
Does anyone have any idea why he wouldn't offer the blessing? I'm just really confused here.
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: March 21 2007 at 7:42am | IP Logged
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There seems to be some controversy about this practice. Technically speaking it isn't part of the liturgy and some priests/deacons may refuse to do it.
Jimmy Akin had a good post on it a while back.
He even mentions that Pope Benedict might address it in the Post-Synodal Exhortation - the one that was just released, Sacramentum Caritatis. I don't think he did though I can't say for sure because I haven't read the whole thing yet (dh and I are reading it together).
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julia s.
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| Posted: March 21 2007 at 4:49pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Michele. I had no idea it was such a controversial topic. I think every church I've ever been to has always blessed the children when they come up with their parents.
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chicken lady
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Oh this is a BIG topic around here! Michele is correct it is not "technically" part of the mass. I believe our good and dear Holy Father is trying hard to rid the many abuses to the liturgy and this is falling under the same guidelines. It is not that is "bad", rather we need to stick to the rubrics in order to maintain universality. The Holy Father is working very hard to clear up confusions, in order to maintain a true and right reverence in the mass.
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MacBeth
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| Posted: March 21 2007 at 7:31pm | IP Logged
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Until we had visitors once, I had never heard of or seen that practice. I guess it is a regional thing, and not without controversy. Yet, when my kids were little and in my arms, the priest always blessed them as I received. Hmmm.
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KC in TX
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My parish priest blesses the children, but he mentioned that the eucharistic ministers were not to. He said only priests and parents (through grace of sacrament of marriage) could bless the children. At another church I attend sometimes the eucharistic ministers bless the children. I've wondered about this and would really love some clarification.
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momwats8
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They do it here in Florida but in Michigan our priest did not do it during Mass. At the end of every mass he would wait for the children to come forward and would lay his hands on them and give them a blessing. It became a very important thing and the kids would rush to get in line after mass was over to get their blessing from father.
I have also heard that nobody but the priest should be giving blessings at Mass like that. I think it makes sense that parents should also.
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kingvozzo
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This was standard practice in my parish in TX. I did not have a problem with the priest or deacons blessing non-communicants, but was very uncomfortable with the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion doing it. In fact, that was what prevented me from being able to serve in that role...people expected me to bless them, and I was unable to do it. I don't have a problem receiving the Blessed Sacrament from Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, but this practice always made me want to receive from one of the ordained, because of the blessing of the children.
I have heard that even the priests and deacons ought not to be doing it--I can't really remember the exact reasoning. But certainly not the Extraordinary Ministers, who have been given a very specific task during the Liturgy and should not deviate from it.
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MichelleW
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| Posted: March 22 2007 at 11:21am | IP Logged
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I understand the arguments, but it would grieve me if our church stopped doing this. My non-Catholic husband comes up with us during Communion so that we all come forward as a family. Since he has been allowed to do this he has become more open and interested in the things of the Church. I see a direct correlation between him being invited to approach the Table (yet not eating) and an increase in receptivity and hunger for Communion. I know the Holy Spirit can work in any way He chooses, and if this practice were disallowed, the Holy Spirit would work in a different way. In the meantime, I am grateful for this practice in our parish.
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SuzanneG
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We're in Western Washington and around here EVERYONE blesses the children. I try to tell the girls to just stand off to the side, but inevitably, it doesn't always work...the EEMs go to great pains to make sure EVERYONE is blessed  I would LOVE it if the Holy Father would clarify this. But, then unless the EEMs are instructed, it wouldn't matter anyway
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Lorri
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MichelleW wrote:
| I understand the arguments, but it would grieve me if our church stopped doing this. My non-Catholic husband comes up with us during Communion so that we all come forward as a family. Since he has been allowed to do this he has become more open and interested in the things of the Church. I see a direct correlation between him being invited to approach the Table (yet not eating) and an increase in receptivity and hunger for Communion. I know the Holy Spirit can work in any way He chooses, and if this practice were disallowed, the Holy Spirit would work in a different way. In the meantime, I am grateful for this practice in our parish. |
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I so agree with you! At my dd's funeral mass, the priest invited everyone to come up for a blessing during communion. He explained what the Catholics would be doing and what the non-Catholics should do if they wanted a blessing. I was completely floored by who went up for blessings. We have several life-long friends who are not even Christians, including one who was once "married" to a wiccan  (he's much more mainstream now, but still not Christian) , and they all went up to be blessed. It was so wonderful to see. I hope the door was opened just a crack that day and that they will open their hearts completely. I keep hoping and praying for them.
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MacBeth
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| Posted: March 26 2007 at 2:37pm | IP Logged
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SuzanneG wrote:
| But, then unless the EEMs are instructed, it wouldn't matter anyway |
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To avoid errors and other issues with Extraordinary Ministers, our pastor told our priests that they must be there to help distribute Holy Communion. This has nearly eliminated the "need" for EMHCs. Our parish is fortunate to have three priests.
A big issue with the posture of folded arms to receive the blessing is that this is the posture for receiving HC in the eastern churches (at least, the ones I have been in). Since Eastern Rite Catholics sometimes come into our churches, the posture can be confusing.
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: A ? about eucharistist blessings
