It appears that Pope Francis may have stopped the practise of receiving Communion on the hand at St Peter's in Rome. Something to think about.
Also he appears very,very careful about who he gives communion too. Like Pope Benedict before him. Again, something to think about. http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/com...t-to-be-cautious-when-distributing-communion/
Viva la Papa! I have always felt communion in the hand to be disrespectful of the host. I know we are talking about discipline rather than dogma but the abuse of the sacred body and blood of our Lord has increased markedly since the introduction of communion on the hand. I think Pope Francis might be the Pope who will crack down on dissent which potentially could lead to schism.
I woke up very early in the morning last night to a strong feeling of my angel guardian standing beside me and the words, 'Panem Christus' ringing in my ear. I prayed to my angel for a long while asking him to talk to me a little about the Eucharist. I forget all he said but one of the first things he mentioned was how much the angels admired the creation of the Blessed Sacrament in the form of bread by Our Lord Jesus Christ. As he said this I asked him if there were other angels present. At this I heard little chimes, as though silver spoons had been hit against crystal goblets amidst a strong feeling of the holy in the room. A very beautiful and blessed way of signalling their presence . He said the use of bread, unleavened bread was so profound and simple, the staff of life so to speak. So right,so perfect. He also said something I had never thought of before. I have many , many times thought of the importance of Mary and staying close to her in the coming times. But my angle spoke of the importance of the Eucharist in the, 'Breaking' times to come. He reminded me that the Eucharist was a Communion , a gathering, a sharing, a coming together, a healing.....so very,very,very important when it looks like things, everything had fallen to bits. I had never thought of this before, but the mass, the Eucharist will be more important than ever in the Coming Chaos , it will be our Rock, our Anchor. We must constantly seek it out like a dying man seeking water and food in the desert. Good counsel, this, from the angel{s]. I will remember this well in coming times. John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Padraig i am so glad to see your post on receiving the Holy Host on the tongue.I have had tried to get kneeling brought back in our Cathedral but to no avail .Our pp said the people would not agree to be moving back in time but my thoughts on that are are we trying to please the people or God.Maybe we here in Ireland could set up something to bring back kneeling and receiving the Host in our tongues.Any suggestions
Please tell me if I am side tracking here a little and I will start a new thread but what does this mean for the place of ministers of the Eucharist who hand out communion?
Extraordinary Ministers"Extraordinary ministers" are to be employed only in extraordinary circumstances For close to two thousand years a multitude of Church apologists believed that only those fortunate few who were ordained had the right to touch the Body of Christ. Roughly eleven centuries ago the practice of communion-in-the-hand was forbidden, and for a thousand years the Real Presence was received exclusively on the tongue. In the 1960’s the Catholic Church in Belgium and Holland accepted the Protestant idea that anyone could touch communion. These early adopters of communion-in-the-hand failed to realize that Protestants had nothing to lose: only those ordained in the Catholic Church are capable of turning bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Our Savior – transubstantiation. Protestants don’t believe in the Real Presence and have nothing to lose by touching “communion.” It is merely bread and wine. On the other hand, Catholics have everything to lose by treating the Real Presence carelessly or irreverently. Roman Catholicism is the cradle of the Holy Eucharist, a gift from Jesus Christ Himself at the Last Supper – an incalculable treasure available to all those who believe in and adore the Real Presence, which is God Himself. From Belgium and Holland the practice of laypeople receiving communion-in-the-hand soon spread to other countries. Desiring not to correct a bishop of the Church, Pope Paul VI concurred and – in 1969 – issued Memoriale Domini, allowing communion-in-the-hand under specific circumstances. By 1977 the practice of communion-in-the-hand in the U.S. was successfully sponsored by then-Archbishop Joseph Bernardin, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. By then Rome had introduced and allowed “extraordinary ministers,” laypeople who could distribute Holy Communion under “extraordinary” limited circumstances. The document authorizing the introduction of extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist is an Instruction of the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, issued on January 29, 1973, entitled Immensae caritatis. It authorizes the use of extraordinary ministers in “case of genuine necessity.” What are those circumstances of genuine necessity? They are listed as whenever… there is no priest, deacon, or acolyte; these are prevented from administering Holy Communion because of another pastoral ministry or because of ill health or advanced age; the number of the faithful requesting Holy Communion is such that the celebration of Mass or the distribution of the Eucharist outside Mass would be unduly prolonged. The Instruction stipulates that:
Heres a true story on respect for the Eucharist.....A Chinese Girl-True Story That Inspired Bishop Fulton Sheen- Eucharist Adoration This article on a modern day saint is a little different. It is about a young Chinese girl that was never canonized as a saint, but surely is one of the thousands of Christians who lived as a saint and died as a martyr for Christ. We do not know her name or even the date of her martyrdom. Excerpt from an article Let the SON Shine Out by Rev. Martin Lucia A couple of months before his death Bishop Fulton J. Sheen was interviewed on national television. One of the questions was this: "Bishop Sheen, you have inspired millions of people all over the world. Who inspired you? Was it a Pope?" Bishop Sheen responded that it was not a Pope, a cardinal, another bishop, or even a priest or a nun. It was a little Chinese girl of eleven years of age. He explained that when the Communists took over China, they imprisoned a priest in his own rectory near the Church. After they locked him up in his own house, the priest was horrified to look out of his window and see the Communists proceed into the Church, where they went into the sanctuary and broke into the tabernacle. In an act of hateful desecration, they took the ciborium and threw it on the floor with all of the Sacred Hosts spilling out. The priest knew exactly the number of Hosts in the ciborium; thirty-two. When the Communists left, they either did not notice, or didn't pay any attention to a small girl praying in the back of the Church who saw everything that had happened. That night the little girl came back. Slipping past the guard at the priest's house, she went inside the Church. There she made a holy hour of prayer, an act of love to make up for the act of hatred. After her holy hour she went into the sanctuary, knelt down, bent over and with her tongue received Jesus in Holy Communion, since (at that time) it was not permissible for laymen to touch the Sacred Host with their hands. The little girl continued to come back each night to make her holy hour and receive Jesus in Holy Communion on her tongue. On the thirty-second night, after she had consumed the last and thirty-second host, she accidentally made a noise and woke the guard who was sleeping. He ran after her, caught her, and beat her to death with the butt of his rifle. This act of heroic martyrdom was witnessed by the priest as he watched grief-stricken from his bedroom window. When Bishop Sheen heard the story he was so inspired that he promised God he would make a holy hour of prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament every day of his life. If this frail, little child could give testimony and witness to the world concerning the real and wonderful Presence of her Savior in the Blessed Sacrament, then the Bishop was absolutely bound by all that was right and true, to do the same. His sole desire from then on was to bring the world to the burning Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The little girl showed the Bishop what true courage and zeal really is; how faith could overcome all fear, how true love for Jesus in the Eucharist must transcend life itself. What is hidden in the Sacred Host is the glory of His love. The sun in the sky is symbolic of the Son of God in the Blessed Sacrament. This is why most monstrances are in the form of a sunburst. As the sun is the natural source of all energy, the Blessed Sacrament is the supernatural source of all grace and love.
John I must say that the older I get the happier I am to be a simple ly Catholic who follows the teachings of the Church. I am a sheep and am very happy to be one and to be led by our shepherds. Most especially be the Holy Father in Rome. All I want to do really is just to pray and draw closer to God and if God grants me the grace to fulfill His direction about drawing others to Himself. However these are very difficult confused times. It has to be said and said quite honestly that some of our Shepherds if we were to follow them blindly, well to be honest they would lead us sheep right over a cliff or ,worse right into the jaws of some hungry wolf. This sounds like a hard thing to say but I think Our Lady at Fatima warned us about this before, that Cardinal would fight against Cardinal and Bishop against Bishop. Also at the Church approved apparition at Akita, Japan. “The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against other bishops.” - Our Lady of Akita, October 13, 1973. (The apparitions of Akita, Japan, were approved by Bishop John Shojiro Ito, Bishop of Niigata Japan, in April 1984.) But even if Our Lady had not warned us we have only to look around us to know that many of our Shepherds are no longer Catholic.This of communion in the hand is one of these confusing difficulties. On the one hand we are taught by our local shepherds that it is fine to receive communion on the hand. On the other the Pope in Rome ,as with the previous Pope clearly forbids this practise in his own Church St Peters..I would say and always say, follow Peter , follow the Pope. Take communion from now on only in the hand and be at peace.As to what we can do in our own dioceses and parishes. ...that is something we need to go to straight to the Holy Spirit to pray about. I think in so many cases appealling to Bishops and priests, but especially Bishops would be like banging you head against a stone wall. We must pray and ask for the grace to be shown the way, but in many cases this si simply to do the right thing ourselves and to encourage others to do the same.My own sense of things is that the altar rails should be restored, communion should be taken on the tongue, kneeling and the practise of eucharistic ministers be restricited and if possible ended. I have to say here in Ireland we face a very,very, very uphill battle. When my own Spiritual Director was dying of cancer I asked him to recommend me another Spiritual Director. He thought long and hard and told me there was no one that I should go to Jesus directly and trust no one. When I asked him why , he told me quite simply there was no one he could trust and no one I should trust.Now this was a very saintly priest who was himself spiritual director to other priests . I thought he was being severe when he said this, but looking back on things he was f course correct.We see it too in the apparitions of Mary and the attitude of the Church towards him. I asked one very holy priest why he never preached on Mary's Messages he said if he did so his Bishop would post him to a parish in the North Pole.This is true of all the Bishops. I know this sounds severe but I think it is true. We are indeed up against a brick wall. A very solid ,very strong brick wall.I am , I hope not being negative when I wrote this. I am full of hope, I am not afraid. Our Lady will triumph. all these obstacles will be swept aside by the direct intervention of heaven.But for now...a huge brick wall....
Beautiful Photo: Padre Pio Receiving Holy Communion by Dr Taylor Marshall Comment0Share0Tweet0Share0printemail Even though St Pio was a priest, he received the Holy Eucharist on the tongue. Even though he had the wounds of Christ is his holy and venerable hands, he received the Holy Eucharist on the tongue. Incidentally, our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI is instructing everyone to receive Holy Communion on the tongue at all of his public Masses.This is something that our Holy Father is publicly embracing. As the chief shepherd of the entire Church and as the “chief liturgists of the liturgists” His Holiness is leading the Church with this example and pattern. If you want to start receiving our Holy Lord on the tongue at Holy Communion, and don’t know how, here are: Five Easy Tips on Receiving Holy Communion on the Tongue.
Padre Pio got special permission to keep saying the mass in the old rite. He did so until he died. Some say he was an old man who would not change. Not so, I think he knew exactly what he was doing.
By the way the forum is going a bit crazy at the moment we have over twice our usual figures. If any new person on the forum could tell be were you all coming from I would be fascinated to know.
Soon after he made his first Holy Communion I taught my son to receive communion on the tongue. Now he has his own friends doing the same! When they are brought to mass, that is, which is rare for many of them, sadly. His friends have told me that they want to go to mass but their parents won't bring them, which I find incredibly sad. I suggested to one of them who lives near the church that he could walk there himself, I don't think it had even occurred to him. Anyway, I have seen many a priest raise his eyebrows on seeing a 10 year old boy opening his mouth to receive communion on the tongue, it always brings a smile to my face!
One of our local priests here told the Catechists in RCIA that he prefers to give the Eucharist to people on the hand and not on the tongue...grrrrrr...Now I feel uncomfortable going to him knowing he feels this way given that I always receive on the tongue. I am one of the very few that does. I could almost hear him thinking as I approach for Eucharist...uggghh, here comes the guy that is going to stick his tongue out at me.
So very true 38 parishes and priests contacted and asked to promote and advertise the upcoming mass at struell how many responses did I receive ?????? 0,nothing,nout,nada but I will keep going I have to.. Luke 18:1-8 The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge 18 And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; 3 and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Vindicate me against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Ok, since I had an appartion, I know I am probably considered TOO "traditional", but when you see Him, His overwhelming Majesty is hard to bring down to a "comfortable" kind of God when participating in holy Mass. Anyway, to me, one could never act TOO reverant to Him. I therefore always felt I could never be a communion minister as #1, I'm a female, #2, I feel only a Priest or Deacon should touch the host with their hands, and #3 I feel it is way too abused. My parish regularly has 3-4 per service whether it is a full church or not. Some of them show up wearing mini skirts with thier bellies sticking out. The lack of reverance that's come to the Church since this all has been allowed I think has been devastating. I was also told by Jesus to cover my head. He told me because His Mother was there and asked if I was above His Mother (I had argued with Him as I felt really uncomfortable doing this because no one else did). He begged for His Mother's sake, not even for His own, that's how humble our King is! Just because our King is so humble and loving, does that mean we should treat Him casually? No we probably would not be condemned for wearing casual clothes and receieving in the hand, and that tiny little "nod" we give before receiving, but believe me, when the day comes and everyone sees Him, they will be SO ashamed of treating Him and His Mother and Angels that way.
ABout three years ago John I went to confession with our new young priest who had only been out of the seminary. He seemed very nervous and jumpy in the confessional and I got the idea he could get me out the door quick enough. I wondered if it was my imaginination but about two weeks later he left the priesthood. When iwas in Rome one time I went to a Church that held the incorrupt body of a great favourite of mine , Saint Maria Tiaggi. Maria was the mother of ten kids and a huge mystic..her husband had the most foul temper..( I ften wonder if he did more than anyone to make her a saint) Anyhow I expected the Church to be empty as it was quite late, but there was some kind of seminar going on and it was packed. At the top of the CHurch were three or four prelates in scarlet and purple talking. You know since I went onto the Church till I left it one of them stared down the altar at me like a snake with a rabbit. I checked him several times he just well never stop staring....spooky, spooky, sppoky, I was gald to get out. I have noticed things like this with certain clergy on several occasions.
This is a good article on communion in the hand,..it ties right into what the angel was trying to tell us in Fatima. The majority of the Catholics in the US receive in the hand. Education of ones own faith is the key. Why is it some priests find it so difficult to place the precious gift of Our Lord on ones tongue,..so as to feed us sheep is disheartening to me. What a great responsibility the priests have. So many receive in the hand because they think it is the norm,...when it fact it was only allowed by an indult. The biggest problem I think is that so many are receiving without the benefit of a "good" confession. In the past many did not receive because of the guilt of sin. Our Lady of Fatima came to tell us there is a hell. But it seems as though we never hear about it from the pulpits anymore,.. Like Conchita of Garabandal says,..we have lost the sense of sin. Our Lady of Mercy help us... http://divineblessings.wordpress.com/tag/saint-thomas-aquinas
